diff --git a/prometheus/counter_test.go b/prometheus/counter_test.go
index 3d8bc37..67391a2 100644
--- a/prometheus/counter_test.go
+++ b/prometheus/counter_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 package prometheus
 
 import (
+	"math"
 	"testing"
 
 	dto "github.com/prometheus/client_model/go"
@@ -26,11 +27,11 @@ func TestCounterAdd(t *testing.T) {
 		ConstLabels: Labels{"a": "1", "b": "2"},
 	}).(*counter)
 	counter.Inc()
-	if expected, got := 1., counter.val; expected != got {
+	if expected, got := 1., math.Float64frombits(counter.valBits); expected != got {
 		t.Errorf("Expected %f, got %f.", expected, got)
 	}
 	counter.Add(42)
-	if expected, got := 43., counter.val; expected != got {
+	if expected, got := 43., math.Float64frombits(counter.valBits); expected != got {
 		t.Errorf("Expected %f, got %f.", expected, got)
 	}
 
diff --git a/prometheus/gauge_test.go b/prometheus/gauge_test.go
index 6ff1d33..48cab46 100644
--- a/prometheus/gauge_test.go
+++ b/prometheus/gauge_test.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func TestGaugeConcurrency(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		start.Done()
 
-		if expected, got := <-result, gge.(*value).val; math.Abs(expected-got) > 0.000001 {
+		if expected, got := <-result, math.Float64frombits(gge.(*value).valBits); math.Abs(expected-got) > 0.000001 {
 			t.Fatalf("expected approx. %f, got %f", expected, got)
 			return false
 		}
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ func TestGaugeVecConcurrency(t *testing.T) {
 		start.Done()
 
 		for i := range sStreams {
-			if expected, got := <-results[i], gge.WithLabelValues(string('A'+i)).(*value).val; math.Abs(expected-got) > 0.000001 {
+			if expected, got := <-results[i], math.Float64frombits(gge.WithLabelValues(string('A'+i)).(*value).valBits); math.Abs(expected-got) > 0.000001 {
 				t.Fatalf("expected approx. %f, got %f", expected, got)
 				return false
 			}
diff --git a/prometheus/value.go b/prometheus/value.go
index be74b7f..2db1d11 100644
--- a/prometheus/value.go
+++ b/prometheus/value.go
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ package prometheus
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"math"
 	"sort"
-	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 
 	dto "github.com/prometheus/client_model/go"
 
@@ -44,10 +45,9 @@ var errInconsistentCardinality = errors.New("inconsistent label cardinality")
 type value struct {
 	SelfCollector
 
-	mtx        sync.RWMutex
 	desc       *Desc
 	valType    ValueType
-	val        float64
+	valBits    uint64 // These are the bits of the represented float64 value.
 	labelPairs []*dto.LabelPair
 }
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func newValue(desc *Desc, valueType ValueType, val float64, labelValues ...strin
 	result := &value{
 		desc:       desc,
 		valType:    valueType,
-		val:        val,
+		valBits:    math.Float64bits(val),
 		labelPairs: makeLabelPairs(desc, labelValues),
 	}
 	result.Init(result)
@@ -73,10 +73,7 @@ func (v *value) Desc() *Desc {
 }
 
 func (v *value) Set(val float64) {
-	v.mtx.Lock()
-	defer v.mtx.Unlock()
-
-	v.val = val
+	atomic.StoreUint64(&v.valBits, math.Float64bits(val))
 }
 
 func (v *value) Inc() {
@@ -88,10 +85,13 @@ func (v *value) Dec() {
 }
 
 func (v *value) Add(val float64) {
-	v.mtx.Lock()
-	defer v.mtx.Unlock()
-
-	v.val += val
+	for {
+		oldBits := atomic.LoadUint64(&v.valBits)
+		newBits := math.Float64bits(math.Float64frombits(oldBits) + val)
+		if atomic.CompareAndSwapUint64(&v.valBits, oldBits, newBits) {
+			return
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 func (v *value) Sub(val float64) {
@@ -99,10 +99,7 @@ func (v *value) Sub(val float64) {
 }
 
 func (v *value) Write(out *dto.Metric) error {
-	v.mtx.RLock()
-	val := v.val
-	v.mtx.RUnlock()
-
+	val := math.Float64frombits(atomic.LoadUint64(&v.valBits))
 	return populateMetric(v.valType, val, v.labelPairs, out)
 }