diff --git a/src/core/ext/filters/http/message_compress/message_compress_filter.c b/src/core/ext/filters/http/message_compress/message_compress_filter.c
index 4f5f41e9b04..1da8cf69cbf 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/filters/http/message_compress/message_compress_filter.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/filters/http/message_compress/message_compress_filter.c
@@ -277,13 +277,10 @@ static void compress_start_transport_stream_op_batch(
   GPR_TIMER_BEGIN("compress_start_transport_stream_op_batch", 0);
 
   if (op->cancel_stream) {
-    gpr_atm cur;
     GRPC_ERROR_REF(op->payload->cancel_stream.cancel_error);
-    do {
-      cur = gpr_atm_acq_load(&calld->send_initial_metadata_state);
-    } while (!gpr_atm_rel_cas(
-        &calld->send_initial_metadata_state, cur,
-        CANCELLED_BIT | (gpr_atm)op->payload->cancel_stream.cancel_error));
+    gpr_atm cur = gpr_atm_full_xchg(
+        &calld->send_initial_metadata_state,
+        CANCELLED_BIT | (gpr_atm)op->payload->cancel_stream.cancel_error);
     switch (cur) {
       case HAS_COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM:
       case NO_COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM:
@@ -311,13 +308,18 @@ static void compress_start_transport_stream_op_batch(
       grpc_transport_stream_op_batch_finish_with_failure(exec_ctx, op, error);
       return;
     }
-    gpr_atm cur = gpr_atm_acq_load(&calld->send_initial_metadata_state);
+    gpr_atm cur;
+  retry_send_im:
+    cur = gpr_atm_acq_load(&calld->send_initial_metadata_state);
     GPR_ASSERT(cur != HAS_COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM &&
                cur != NO_COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM);
     if ((cur & CANCELLED_BIT) == 0) {
-      gpr_atm_rel_store(&calld->send_initial_metadata_state,
-                        has_compression_algorithm ? HAS_COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM
-                                                  : NO_COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM);
+      if (!gpr_atm_rel_cas(&calld->send_initial_metadata_state, cur,
+                           has_compression_algorithm
+                               ? HAS_COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM
+                               : NO_COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM)) {
+        goto retry_send_im;
+      }
       if (cur != INITIAL_METADATA_UNSEEN) {
         grpc_call_next_op(exec_ctx, elem,
                           (grpc_transport_stream_op_batch *)cur);