diff --git a/src/extent_dss.c b/src/extent_dss.c
index 6b5d066f..8e0ca654 100644
--- a/src/extent_dss.c
+++ b/src/extent_dss.c
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ static atomic_u_t	dss_prec_default = ATOMIC_INIT(
 
 /* Base address of the DSS. */
 static void		*dss_base;
+/* Atomic boolean indicating whether a thread is currently extending DSS. */
+static atomic_b_t	dss_extending;
 /* Atomic boolean indicating whether the DSS is exhausted. */
 static atomic_b_t	dss_exhausted;
 /* Atomic current upper limit on DSS addresses. */
@@ -65,37 +67,41 @@ extent_dss_prec_set(dss_prec_t dss_prec) {
 	return false;
 }
 
+static void
+extent_dss_extending_start(void) {
+	spin_t spinner = SPIN_INITIALIZER;
+	while (true) {
+		bool expected = false;
+		if (atomic_compare_exchange_weak_b(&dss_extending, &expected,
+		    true, ATOMIC_ACQ_REL, ATOMIC_RELAXED)) {
+			break;
+		}
+		spin_adaptive(&spinner);
+	}
+}
+
+static void
+extent_dss_extending_finish(void) {
+	assert(atomic_load_b(&dss_extending, ATOMIC_RELAXED));
+
+	atomic_store_b(&dss_extending, false, ATOMIC_RELEASE);
+}
+
 static void *
 extent_dss_max_update(void *new_addr) {
-	void *max_cur;
-
 	/*
 	 * Get the current end of the DSS as max_cur and assure that dss_max is
 	 * up to date.
 	 */
-	spin_t spinner = SPIN_INITIALIZER;
-	while (true) {
-		void *max_prev = atomic_load_p(&dss_max, ATOMIC_RELAXED);
-
-		max_cur = extent_dss_sbrk(0);
-		if ((uintptr_t)max_prev > (uintptr_t)max_cur) {
-			/*
-			 * Another thread optimistically updated dss_max.  Wait
-			 * for it to finish.
-			 */
-			spin_adaptive(&spinner);
-			continue;
-		}
-		if (atomic_compare_exchange_weak_p(&dss_max, &max_prev,
-		    max_cur, ATOMIC_ACQ_REL, ATOMIC_RELAXED)) {
-			break;
-		}
+	void *max_cur = extent_dss_sbrk(0);
+	if (max_cur == (void *)-1) {
+		return NULL;
 	}
+	atomic_store_p(&dss_max, max_cur, ATOMIC_RELEASE);
 	/* Fixed new_addr can only be supported if it is at the edge of DSS. */
 	if (new_addr != NULL && max_cur != new_addr) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
-
 	return max_cur;
 }
 
@@ -121,6 +127,7 @@ extent_alloc_dss(tsdn_t *tsdn, arena_t *arena, void *new_addr, size_t size,
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
+	extent_dss_extending_start();
 	if (!atomic_load_b(&dss_exhausted, ATOMIC_ACQUIRE)) {
 		/*
 		 * The loop is necessary to recover from races with other
@@ -168,21 +175,14 @@ extent_alloc_dss(tsdn_t *tsdn, arena_t *arena, void *new_addr, size_t size,
 			assert((uintptr_t)max_cur + incr == (uintptr_t)ret +
 			    size);
 
-			/*
-			 * Optimistically update dss_max, and roll back below if
-			 * sbrk() fails.  No other thread will try to extend the
-			 * DSS while dss_max is greater than the current DSS
-			 * max reported by sbrk(0).
-			 */
-			if (!atomic_compare_exchange_weak_p(&dss_max, &max_cur,
-			    dss_next, ATOMIC_ACQ_REL, ATOMIC_RELAXED)) {
-				continue;
-			}
-
 			/* Try to allocate. */
 			void *dss_prev = extent_dss_sbrk(incr);
 			if (dss_prev == max_cur) {
 				/* Success. */
+				atomic_store_p(&dss_max, dss_next,
+				    ATOMIC_RELEASE);
+				extent_dss_extending_finish();
+
 				if (gap_size_page != 0) {
 					extent_dalloc_gap(tsdn, arena, gap);
 				} else {
@@ -209,14 +209,8 @@ extent_alloc_dss(tsdn_t *tsdn, arena_t *arena, void *new_addr, size_t size,
 			}
 			/*
 			 * Failure, whether due to OOM or a race with a raw
-			 * sbrk() call from outside the allocator.  Try to roll
-			 * back optimistic dss_max update; if rollback fails,
-			 * it's due to another caller of this function having
-			 * succeeded since this invocation started, in which
-			 * case rollback is not necessary.
+			 * sbrk() call from outside the allocator.
 			 */
-			atomic_compare_exchange_strong_p(&dss_max, &dss_next,
-			    max_cur, ATOMIC_ACQ_REL, ATOMIC_RELAXED);
 			if (dss_prev == (void *)-1) {
 				/* OOM. */
 				atomic_store_b(&dss_exhausted, true,
@@ -226,6 +220,7 @@ extent_alloc_dss(tsdn_t *tsdn, arena_t *arena, void *new_addr, size_t size,
 		}
 	}
 label_oom:
+	extent_dss_extending_finish();
 	extent_dalloc(tsdn, arena, gap);
 	return NULL;
 }
@@ -265,6 +260,7 @@ extent_dss_boot(void) {
 	cassert(have_dss);
 
 	dss_base = extent_dss_sbrk(0);
+	atomic_store_b(&dss_extending, false, ATOMIC_RELAXED);
 	atomic_store_b(&dss_exhausted, dss_base == (void *)-1, ATOMIC_RELAXED);
 	atomic_store_p(&dss_max, dss_base, ATOMIC_RELAXED);
 }