diff --git a/test/core/iomgr/resolve_address_posix_test.cc b/test/core/iomgr/resolve_address_posix_test.cc
index c8bebc73372..04cf766d725 100644
--- a/test/core/iomgr/resolve_address_posix_test.cc
+++ b/test/core/iomgr/resolve_address_posix_test.cc
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ typedef struct args_struct {
   grpc_core::Thread thd;
   gpr_event ev;
   grpc_resolved_addresses* addrs;
-  gpr_atm done_atm;
   gpr_mu* mu;
-  grpc_pollset* pollset;
+  bool done;              // guarded by mu
+  grpc_pollset* pollset;  // guarded by mu
   grpc_pollset_set* pollset_set;
 } args_struct;
 
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ void args_init(args_struct* args) {
   args->pollset_set = grpc_pollset_set_create();
   grpc_pollset_set_add_pollset(args->pollset_set, args->pollset);
   args->addrs = nullptr;
+  args->done = false;
 }
 
 void args_finish(args_struct* args) {
@@ -95,25 +96,24 @@ static void actually_poll(void* argsp) {
   grpc_millis deadline = n_sec_deadline(10);
   while (true) {
     grpc_core::ExecCtx exec_ctx;
-    bool done = gpr_atm_acq_load(&args->done_atm) != 0;
-    if (done) {
-      break;
+    {
+      grpc_core::MutexLockForGprMu lock(args->mu);
+      if (args->done) {
+        break;
+      }
+      grpc_millis time_left = deadline - grpc_core::ExecCtx::Get()->Now();
+      gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "done=%d, time_left=%" PRId64, args->done, time_left);
+      GPR_ASSERT(time_left >= 0);
+      grpc_pollset_worker* worker = nullptr;
+      GRPC_LOG_IF_ERROR(
+          "pollset_work",
+          grpc_pollset_work(args->pollset, &worker, n_sec_deadline(1)));
     }
-    grpc_millis time_left = deadline - grpc_core::ExecCtx::Get()->Now();
-    gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "done=%d, time_left=%" PRId64, done, time_left);
-    GPR_ASSERT(time_left >= 0);
-    grpc_pollset_worker* worker = nullptr;
-    gpr_mu_lock(args->mu);
-    GRPC_LOG_IF_ERROR("pollset_work", grpc_pollset_work(args->pollset, &worker,
-                                                        n_sec_deadline(1)));
-    gpr_mu_unlock(args->mu);
-    grpc_core::ExecCtx::Get()->Flush();
   }
   gpr_event_set(&args->ev, reinterpret_cast<void*>(1));
 }
 
 static void poll_pollset_until_request_done(args_struct* args) {
-  gpr_atm_rel_store(&args->done_atm, 0);
   args->thd = grpc_core::Thread("grpc_poll_pollset", actually_poll, args);
   args->thd.Start();
 }
@@ -123,19 +123,17 @@ static void must_succeed(void* argsp, grpc_error* err) {
   GPR_ASSERT(err == GRPC_ERROR_NONE);
   GPR_ASSERT(args->addrs != nullptr);
   GPR_ASSERT(args->addrs->naddrs > 0);
-  gpr_atm_rel_store(&args->done_atm, 1);
-  gpr_mu_lock(args->mu);
+  grpc_core::MutexLockForGprMu lock(args->mu);
+  args->done = true;
   GRPC_LOG_IF_ERROR("pollset_kick", grpc_pollset_kick(args->pollset, nullptr));
-  gpr_mu_unlock(args->mu);
 }
 
 static void must_fail(void* argsp, grpc_error* err) {
   args_struct* args = static_cast<args_struct*>(argsp);
   GPR_ASSERT(err != GRPC_ERROR_NONE);
-  gpr_atm_rel_store(&args->done_atm, 1);
-  gpr_mu_lock(args->mu);
+  grpc_core::MutexLockForGprMu lock(args->mu);
+  args->done = true;
   GRPC_LOG_IF_ERROR("pollset_kick", grpc_pollset_kick(args->pollset, nullptr));
-  gpr_mu_unlock(args->mu);
 }
 
 static void resolve_address_must_succeed(const char* target) {
diff --git a/test/core/iomgr/resolve_address_test.cc b/test/core/iomgr/resolve_address_test.cc
index 62496204c3e..b77fd72ad00 100644
--- a/test/core/iomgr/resolve_address_test.cc
+++ b/test/core/iomgr/resolve_address_test.cc
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 
 #include "src/core/ext/filters/client_channel/resolver/dns/dns_resolver_selection.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/gpr/string.h"
+#include "src/core/lib/gprpp/sync.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/iomgr/executor.h"
 #include "src/core/lib/iomgr/iomgr.h"
 #include "test/core/util/cmdline.h"
@@ -41,9 +42,9 @@ static gpr_timespec test_deadline(void) {
 typedef struct args_struct {
   gpr_event ev;
   grpc_resolved_addresses* addrs;
-  gpr_atm done_atm;
   gpr_mu* mu;
-  grpc_pollset* pollset;
+  bool done;              // guarded by mu
+  grpc_pollset* pollset;  // guarded by mu
   grpc_pollset_set* pollset_set;
 } args_struct;
 
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ void args_init(args_struct* args) {
   args->pollset_set = grpc_pollset_set_create();
   grpc_pollset_set_add_pollset(args->pollset_set, args->pollset);
   args->addrs = nullptr;
-  gpr_atm_rel_store(&args->done_atm, 0);
+  args->done = false;
 }
 
 void args_finish(args_struct* args) {
@@ -82,24 +83,24 @@ static grpc_millis n_sec_deadline(int seconds) {
 }
 
 static void poll_pollset_until_request_done(args_struct* args) {
-  grpc_core::ExecCtx exec_ctx;
   // Try to give enough time for c-ares to run through its retries
   // a few times if needed.
   grpc_millis deadline = n_sec_deadline(90);
   while (true) {
-    bool done = gpr_atm_acq_load(&args->done_atm) != 0;
-    if (done) {
-      break;
+    grpc_core::ExecCtx exec_ctx;
+    {
+      grpc_core::MutexLockForGprMu lock(args->mu);
+      if (args->done) {
+        break;
+      }
+      grpc_millis time_left = deadline - grpc_core::ExecCtx::Get()->Now();
+      gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "done=%d, time_left=%" PRId64, args->done, time_left);
+      GPR_ASSERT(time_left >= 0);
+      grpc_pollset_worker* worker = nullptr;
+      GRPC_LOG_IF_ERROR(
+          "pollset_work",
+          grpc_pollset_work(args->pollset, &worker, n_sec_deadline(1)));
     }
-    grpc_millis time_left = deadline - grpc_core::ExecCtx::Get()->Now();
-    gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "done=%d, time_left=%" PRId64, done, time_left);
-    GPR_ASSERT(time_left >= 0);
-    grpc_pollset_worker* worker = nullptr;
-    gpr_mu_lock(args->mu);
-    GRPC_LOG_IF_ERROR("pollset_work", grpc_pollset_work(args->pollset, &worker,
-                                                        n_sec_deadline(1)));
-    gpr_mu_unlock(args->mu);
-    grpc_core::ExecCtx::Get()->Flush();
   }
   gpr_event_set(&args->ev, reinterpret_cast<void*>(1));
 }
@@ -109,19 +110,17 @@ static void must_succeed(void* argsp, grpc_error* err) {
   GPR_ASSERT(err == GRPC_ERROR_NONE);
   GPR_ASSERT(args->addrs != nullptr);
   GPR_ASSERT(args->addrs->naddrs > 0);
-  gpr_atm_rel_store(&args->done_atm, 1);
-  gpr_mu_lock(args->mu);
+  grpc_core::MutexLockForGprMu lock(args->mu);
+  args->done = true;
   GRPC_LOG_IF_ERROR("pollset_kick", grpc_pollset_kick(args->pollset, nullptr));
-  gpr_mu_unlock(args->mu);
 }
 
 static void must_fail(void* argsp, grpc_error* err) {
   args_struct* args = static_cast<args_struct*>(argsp);
   GPR_ASSERT(err != GRPC_ERROR_NONE);
-  gpr_atm_rel_store(&args->done_atm, 1);
-  gpr_mu_lock(args->mu);
+  grpc_core::MutexLockForGprMu lock(args->mu);
+  args->done = true;
   GRPC_LOG_IF_ERROR("pollset_kick", grpc_pollset_kick(args->pollset, nullptr));
-  gpr_mu_unlock(args->mu);
 }
 
 // This test assumes the environment has an ipv6 loopback
@@ -133,10 +132,9 @@ static void must_succeed_with_ipv6_first(void* argsp, grpc_error* err) {
   const struct sockaddr* first_address =
       reinterpret_cast<const struct sockaddr*>(args->addrs->addrs[0].addr);
   GPR_ASSERT(first_address->sa_family == AF_INET6);
-  gpr_atm_rel_store(&args->done_atm, 1);
-  gpr_mu_lock(args->mu);
+  grpc_core::MutexLockForGprMu lock(args->mu);
+  args->done = true;
   GRPC_LOG_IF_ERROR("pollset_kick", grpc_pollset_kick(args->pollset, nullptr));
-  gpr_mu_unlock(args->mu);
 }
 
 static void must_succeed_with_ipv4_first(void* argsp, grpc_error* err) {
@@ -147,10 +145,9 @@ static void must_succeed_with_ipv4_first(void* argsp, grpc_error* err) {
   const struct sockaddr* first_address =
       reinterpret_cast<const struct sockaddr*>(args->addrs->addrs[0].addr);
   GPR_ASSERT(first_address->sa_family == AF_INET);
-  gpr_atm_rel_store(&args->done_atm, 1);
-  gpr_mu_lock(args->mu);
+  grpc_core::MutexLockForGprMu lock(args->mu);
+  args->done = true;
   GRPC_LOG_IF_ERROR("pollset_kick", grpc_pollset_kick(args->pollset, nullptr));
-  gpr_mu_unlock(args->mu);
 }
 
 static void test_localhost(void) {