diff --git a/check.go b/check.go
index ca8c0f9..f302a05 100644
--- a/check.go
+++ b/check.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ const (
 	missedSt
 )
 
-type funcStatus int
+type funcStatus uint32
 
 // A method value can't reach its own Method structure.
 type methodType struct {
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ type C struct {
 	method    *methodType
 	kind      funcKind
 	testName  string
-	status    funcStatus
+	_status   funcStatus
 	logb      *logger
 	logw      io.Writer
 	done      chan *C
@@ -93,6 +94,14 @@ type C struct {
 	timer
 }
 
+func (c *C) status() funcStatus {
+	return funcStatus(atomic.LoadUint32((*uint32)(&c._status)))
+}
+
+func (c *C) setStatus(s funcStatus) {
+	atomic.StoreUint32((*uint32)(&c._status), uint32(s))
+}
+
 func (c *C) stopNow() {
 	runtime.Goexit()
 }
@@ -455,7 +464,7 @@ func (tracker *resultTracker) _loopRoutine() {
 				tracker._waiting += 1
 			case c = <-tracker._doneChan:
 				tracker._waiting -= 1
-				switch c.status {
+				switch c.status() {
 				case succeededSt:
 					if c.kind == testKd {
 						if c.mustFail {
@@ -601,15 +610,15 @@ func (runner *suiteRunner) run() *Result {
 		runner.tracker.start()
 		if runner.checkFixtureArgs() {
 			c := runner.runFixture(runner.setUpSuite, "", nil)
-			if c == nil || c.status == succeededSt {
+			if c == nil || c.status() == succeededSt {
 				for i := 0; i != len(runner.tests); i++ {
 					c := runner.runTest(runner.tests[i])
-					if c.status == fixturePanickedSt {
+					if c.status() == fixturePanickedSt {
 						runner.skipTests(missedSt, runner.tests[i+1:])
 						break
 					}
 				}
-			} else if c != nil && c.status == skippedSt {
+			} else if c != nil && c.status() == skippedSt {
 				runner.skipTests(skippedSt, runner.tests)
 			} else {
 				runner.skipTests(missedSt, runner.tests)
@@ -674,22 +683,22 @@ func (runner *suiteRunner) callDone(c *C) {
 		switch v := value.(type) {
 		case *fixturePanic:
 			if v.status == skippedSt {
-				c.status = skippedSt
+				c.setStatus(skippedSt)
 			} else {
 				c.logSoftPanic("Fixture has panicked (see related PANIC)")
-				c.status = fixturePanickedSt
+				c.setStatus(fixturePanickedSt)
 			}
 		default:
 			c.logPanic(1, value)
-			c.status = panickedSt
+			c.setStatus(panickedSt)
 		}
 	}
 	if c.mustFail {
-		switch c.status {
+		switch c.status() {
 		case failedSt:
-			c.status = succeededSt
+			c.setStatus(succeededSt)
 		case succeededSt:
-			c.status = failedSt
+			c.setStatus(failedSt)
 			c.logString("Error: Test succeeded, but was expected to fail")
 			c.logString("Reason: " + c.reason)
 		}
@@ -724,11 +733,11 @@ func (runner *suiteRunner) runFixtureWithPanic(method *methodType, testName stri
 		return nil
 	}
 	c := runner.runFixture(method, testName, logb)
-	if c != nil && c.status != succeededSt {
+	if c != nil && c.status() != succeededSt {
 		if skipped != nil {
-			*skipped = c.status == skippedSt
+			*skipped = c.status() == skippedSt
 		}
-		panic(&fixturePanic{c.status, method})
+		panic(&fixturePanic{c.status(), method})
 	}
 	return c
 }
@@ -753,7 +762,7 @@ func (runner *suiteRunner) forkTest(method *methodType) *C {
 			if mt.NumIn() != 1 || mt.In(0) != reflect.TypeOf(c) {
 				// Rather than a plain panic, provide a more helpful message when
 				// the argument type is incorrect.
-				c.status = panickedSt
+				c.setStatus(panickedSt)
 				c.logArgPanic(c.method, "*check.C")
 				return
 			}
@@ -773,7 +782,7 @@ func (runner *suiteRunner) forkTest(method *methodType) *C {
 			c.StartTimer()
 			c.method.Call([]reflect.Value{reflect.ValueOf(c)})
 			c.StopTimer()
-			if c.status != succeededSt || c.duration >= c.benchTime || benchN >= 1e9 {
+			if c.status() != succeededSt || c.duration >= c.benchTime || benchN >= 1e9 {
 				return
 			}
 			perOpN := int(1e9)
@@ -808,7 +817,7 @@ func (runner *suiteRunner) runTest(method *methodType) *C {
 func (runner *suiteRunner) skipTests(status funcStatus, methods []*methodType) {
 	for _, method := range methods {
 		runner.runFunc(method, testKd, "", nil, func(c *C) {
-			c.status = status
+			c.setStatus(status)
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -825,7 +834,7 @@ func (runner *suiteRunner) checkFixtureArgs() bool {
 				succeeded = false
 				runner.runFunc(method, fixtureKd, "", nil, func(c *C) {
 					c.logArgPanic(method, "*check.C")
-					c.status = panickedSt
+					c.setStatus(panickedSt)
 				})
 			}
 		}
@@ -839,7 +848,7 @@ func (runner *suiteRunner) reportCallStarted(c *C) {
 
 func (runner *suiteRunner) reportCallDone(c *C) {
 	runner.tracker.callDone(c)
-	switch c.status {
+	switch c.status() {
 	case succeededSt:
 		if c.mustFail {
 			runner.output.WriteCallSuccess("FAIL EXPECTED", c)
@@ -917,7 +926,7 @@ func (ow *outputWriter) WriteCallSuccess(label string, c *C) {
 		if c.reason != "" {
 			suffix = " (" + c.reason + ")"
 		}
-		if c.status == succeededSt {
+		if c.status() == succeededSt {
 			suffix += "\t" + c.timerString()
 		}
 		suffix += "\n"
diff --git a/helpers.go b/helpers.go
index 4b6c26d..58a733b 100644
--- a/helpers.go
+++ b/helpers.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ func (c *C) TestName() string {
 
 // Failed returns whether the currently running test has already failed.
 func (c *C) Failed() bool {
-	return c.status == failedSt
+	return c.status() == failedSt
 }
 
 // Fail marks the currently running test as failed.
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func (c *C) Failed() bool {
 // what went wrong. The higher level helper functions will fail the test
 // and do the logging properly.
 func (c *C) Fail() {
-	c.status = failedSt
+	c.setStatus(failedSt)
 }
 
 // FailNow marks the currently running test as failed and stops running it.
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func (c *C) FailNow() {
 // Succeed marks the currently running test as succeeded, undoing any
 // previous failures.
 func (c *C) Succeed() {
-	c.status = succeededSt
+	c.setStatus(succeededSt)
 }
 
 // SucceedNow marks the currently running test as succeeded, undoing any
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func (c *C) Skip(reason string) {
 		panic("Missing reason why the test is being skipped")
 	}
 	c.reason = reason
-	c.status = skippedSt
+	c.setStatus(skippedSt)
 	c.stopNow()
 }