diff --git a/kernel/include/kernel_structs.h b/kernel/include/kernel_structs.h
index f6c504f485d..9fdb28e4fca 100644
--- a/kernel/include/kernel_structs.h
+++ b/kernel/include/kernel_structs.h
@@ -93,11 +93,11 @@ struct _thread_base {
 	union {
 		struct {
 #if __BYTE_ORDER__ == __ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__
-			volatile uint8_t sched_locked;
+			uint8_t sched_locked;
 			int8_t prio;
 #else /* LITTLE and PDP */
 			int8_t prio;
-			volatile uint8_t sched_locked;
+			uint8_t sched_locked;
 #endif
 		};
 		uint16_t preempt;
diff --git a/kernel/include/ksched.h b/kernel/include/ksched.h
index 00f916b84f1..23999a1e8da 100644
--- a/kernel/include/ksched.h
+++ b/kernel/include/ksched.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2016 Wind River Systems, Inc.
+ * Copyright (c) 2016-2017 Wind River Systems, Inc.
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -239,6 +239,8 @@ static inline void _sched_lock(void)
 
 	--_current->base.sched_locked;
 
+	compiler_barrier();
+
 	K_DEBUG("scheduler locked (%p:%d)\n",
 		_current, _current->base.sched_locked);
 #endif
@@ -256,6 +258,8 @@ static ALWAYS_INLINE void _sched_unlock_no_reschedule(void)
 	__ASSERT(!_is_in_isr(), "");
 	__ASSERT(_current->base.sched_locked != 0, "");
 
+	compiler_barrier();
+
 	++_current->base.sched_locked;
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/kernel/sched.c b/kernel/sched.c
index 0771e0ecbc1..e2da289975c 100644
--- a/kernel/sched.c
+++ b/kernel/sched.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2016 Wind River Systems, Inc.
+ * Copyright (c) 2016-2017 Wind River Systems, Inc.
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -142,6 +142,11 @@ void k_sched_lock(void)
 
 	--_current->base.sched_locked;
 
+	/* Probably not needed since we're in a real function,
+	 * but it doesn't hurt.
+	 */
+	compiler_barrier();
+
 	K_DEBUG("scheduler locked (%p:%d)\n",
 		_current, _current->base.sched_locked);
 #endif
@@ -155,6 +160,8 @@ void k_sched_unlock(void)
 
 	int key = irq_lock();
 
+	/* compiler_barrier() not needed, comes from irq_lock() */
+
 	++_current->base.sched_locked;
 
 	K_DEBUG("scheduler unlocked (%p:%d)\n",