diff --git a/galaxycache.go b/galaxycache.go
index b8a2046e..a81460c5 100644
--- a/galaxycache.go
+++ b/galaxycache.go
@@ -704,7 +704,7 @@ func (c *cache) stats() CacheStats {
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	defer c.mu.Unlock()
 	return CacheStats{
-		Bytes:     c.nbytes,
+		Bytes:     c.nbytes.Get(),
 		Items:     c.itemsLocked(),
 		Gets:      c.nget,
 		Hits:      c.nhit,
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ func (c *cache) add(key string, value valWithStat) {
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	defer c.mu.Unlock()
 	c.lru.Add(key, value)
-	c.nbytes += int64(len(key)) + value.size()
+	c.nbytes.Add(int64(len(key)) + value.size())
 }
 
 func (c *cache) removeOldest() {
@@ -745,9 +745,7 @@ func (c *cache) removeOldest() {
 }
 
 func (c *cache) bytes() int64 {
-	c.mu.Lock()
-	defer c.mu.Unlock()
-	return c.nbytes
+	return c.nbytes.Get()
 }
 
 func (c *cache) items() int64 {
diff --git a/galaxycache_test.go b/galaxycache_test.go
index 33c0b5af..0445606e 100644
--- a/galaxycache_test.go
+++ b/galaxycache_test.go
@@ -388,8 +388,8 @@ func TestNoDedup(t *testing.T) {
 	testKStats := keyStats{dQPS: windowedAvgQPS{}}
 	testvws := g.newValWithStat([]byte(testval), &testKStats)
 	wantBytes := int64(len(testkey)) + testvws.size()
-	if g.mainCache.nbytes != wantBytes {
-		t.Errorf("cache has %d bytes, want %d", g.mainCache.nbytes, wantBytes)
+	if g.mainCache.nbytes.Get() != wantBytes {
+		t.Errorf("cache has %d bytes, want %d", g.mainCache.nbytes.Get(), wantBytes)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/typed_caches.go b/typed_caches.go
index 9b1edc2f..2ba6acaa 100644
--- a/typed_caches.go
+++ b/typed_caches.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func (c *candidateCache) get(key string) (*keyStats, bool) {
 type cache struct {
 	mu         sync.Mutex
 	lru        *lru.TypedCache[string, valWithStat]
-	nbytes     int64 // of all keys and values
+	nbytes     AtomicInt // of all keys and values
 	nhit, nget int64
 	nevict     int64 // number of evictions
 	ctype      CacheType
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func newCache(kind CacheType) cache {
 func (c *cache) setLRUOnEvicted(f func(key string, kStats *keyStats)) {
 	c.lru.OnEvicted = func(key string, value valWithStat) {
 		val := value
-		c.nbytes -= int64(len(key)) + val.size()
+		c.nbytes.Add(-(int64(len(key)) + val.size()))
 		c.nevict++
 		if f != nil {
 			f(key, val.stats)
diff --git a/untyped_caches.go b/untyped_caches.go
index 430bb59a..59b64e02 100644
--- a/untyped_caches.go
+++ b/untyped_caches.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func (c *candidateCache) get(key string) (*keyStats, bool) {
 type cache struct {
 	mu         sync.Mutex
 	lru        *lru.Cache
-	nbytes     int64 // of all keys and values
+	nbytes     AtomicInt // of all keys and values
 	nhit, nget int64
 	nevict     int64 // number of evictions
 	ctype      CacheType
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func newCache(kind CacheType) cache {
 func (c *cache) setLRUOnEvicted(f func(key string, kStats *keyStats)) {
 	c.lru.OnEvicted = func(key lru.Key, value interface{}) {
 		val := value.(valWithStat)
-		c.nbytes -= int64(len(key.(string))) + val.size()
+		c.nbytes.Add(-(int64(len(key.(string))) + val.size()))
 		c.nevict++
 		if f != nil {
 			f(key.(string), val.stats)