diff --git a/Flow/Callbacker.swift b/Flow/Callbacker.swift
index 01966e2..99bfccf 100644
--- a/Flow/Callbacker.swift
+++ b/Flow/Callbacker.swift
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@ public final class Callbacker<Value> {
     }
 
     private var callbacks = Callbacks.none
-    private var _mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
-    private var mutex: PThreadMutex { return PThreadMutex(&_mutex) }
+    private var mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
 
     public init() {
         mutex.initialize()
diff --git a/Flow/Disposable.swift b/Flow/Disposable.swift
index 9b3bcc3..5949b22 100644
--- a/Flow/Disposable.swift
+++ b/Flow/Disposable.swift
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@ public struct NilDisposer: Disposable {
 /// - Note: Is thread safe and reentrant (dispose callback could call itself)
 public final class Disposer: Disposable {
     private var disposer: (() -> ())?
-    private var _mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
-    private var mutex: PThreadMutex { return PThreadMutex(&_mutex) }
+    private var mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
 
     /// Pass a closure to be called when being disposed
     public init(_ disposer: @escaping () -> () = {}) {
@@ -58,8 +57,7 @@ public final class Disposer: Disposable {
 /// - Note: New disposables could be added after a disposal.
 public final class DisposeBag: Disposable {
     private var disposables: [Disposable]
-    private var _mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
-    private var mutex: PThreadMutex { return PThreadMutex(&_mutex) }
+    private var mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
 
     /// Create an empty instance
     public init() {
@@ -86,7 +84,10 @@ public final class DisposeBag: Disposable {
 
     /// Returns true if there is currently no disposables to dispose.
     public var isEmpty: Bool {
-        return mutex.protect { disposables.isEmpty }
+        mutex.lock()
+        let isEmpty = disposables.isEmpty
+        mutex.unlock()
+        return isEmpty
     }
 
     public func dispose() {
diff --git a/Flow/Future+Combiners.swift b/Flow/Future+Combiners.swift
index 26dcc41..1d39dd5 100644
--- a/Flow/Future+Combiners.swift
+++ b/Flow/Future+Combiners.swift
@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ public func join<T>(_ futures: [Future<T>], cancelNonCompleted: Bool = true) ->
     var results = [T?](repeating: nil, count: futures.count)
     let mutex = Mutex()
     func onValue(_ i: Int, _ val: T) {
-        mutex.protect {
-            results[i] = val
-        }
+        mutex.lock()
+        results[i] = val
+        mutex.unlock()
     }
 
     var future = futures.first!.onValue(on: .none) { onValue(0, $0) }
@@ -220,7 +220,9 @@ public final class SingleTaskPerformer<Value> {
 
         mutex.unlock() // unlock while calling out as we might either recurs or always might execute at once.
         let singleFuture = function().always(on: .none) {
-            self.mutex.protect { self.future = nil }
+            self.mutex.lock()
+            self.future = nil
+            self.mutex.unlock()
         }
         mutex.lock()
 
@@ -233,7 +235,9 @@ public final class SingleTaskPerformer<Value> {
     }
 
     public var isPerforming: Bool {
-        return mutex.protect { self.future != nil }
+        mutex.lock()
+        defer { mutex.unlock() }
+        return self.future != nil
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/Flow/Future.swift b/Flow/Future.swift
index 19fad38..82bf33f 100644
--- a/Flow/Future.swift
+++ b/Flow/Future.swift
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public final class Future<Value> {
 
     private var state: State
     private let clone: () -> Future
-    private var _mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
+    private var mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
 
     /// Helper used to move external futures inside `Future.init`'s `onComplete` closure. Needed for repetition to work properly.
     public struct Mover {
@@ -327,10 +327,10 @@ func memPrint(_ str: String, _ count: Int32) {
 }
 
 private extension Future {
-    var mutex: PThreadMutex { return PThreadMutex(&_mutex) }
-
     private var protectedState: State {
-        return mutex.protect { state }
+        mutex.lock()
+        defer { mutex.unlock() }
+        return state
     }
 
     func lock() {
diff --git a/Flow/FutureQueue.swift b/Flow/FutureQueue.swift
index 931f9e2..145ed53 100644
--- a/Flow/FutureQueue.swift
+++ b/Flow/FutureQueue.swift
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ public final class FutureQueue<Resource> {
     private let queueScheduler: Scheduler
     private var _closedError: Error?
     private let isEmptyCallbacker = Callbacker<Bool>()
-    private var _mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
+    private var mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
 
     // enqueued items.
     private var items: [Executable] = [] {
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ public extension FutureQueue {
         return Future { completion in
             let item = QueueItem<Output>(operation: operation, completion: completion)
 
-            self.mutex.protect {
-                self.items.append(item)
-            }
+            self.mutex.lock()
+            self.items.append(item)
+            self.mutex.unlock()
 
             self.executeNextItem()
 
@@ -119,7 +119,9 @@ public extension FutureQueue {
 public extension FutureQueue {
     /// Do we have any enqueued operations?
     var isEmpty: Bool {
-        return mutex.protect { items.isEmpty }
+        mutex.lock()
+        defer { mutex.unlock() }
+        return items.isEmpty
     }
 
     /// Returns a signal that will signal when `isEmpty` is changed.
@@ -164,19 +166,20 @@ public extension FutureQueue {
 
     /// The error passed to `abortQueuedExecutionWithError()` if called with `shouldCloseQueue` as true.
     var closedError: Error? {
-        return mutex.protect { _closedError }
+        mutex.lock()
+        defer { mutex.unlock() }
+        return _closedError
     }
 }
 
 private extension FutureQueue {
-    var mutex: PThreadMutex { return PThreadMutex(&_mutex) }
     func lock() { mutex.lock() }
     func unlock() { mutex.unlock() }
 
     func removeItem(_ item: Executable) {
-        mutex.protect {
-            _ = items.firstIndex { $0 === item }.map { items.remove(at: $0) }
-        }
+        mutex.lock()
+        _ = items.firstIndex { $0 === item }.map { items.remove(at: $0) }
+        mutex.unlock()
     }
 
     func executeNextItem() {
@@ -188,9 +191,9 @@ private extension FutureQueue {
         unlock()
 
         item.execute(on: queueScheduler) {
-            self.mutex.protect {
-                self.concurrentCount -= 1
-            }
+            self.lock()
+            self.concurrentCount -= 1
+            self.unlock()
             self.removeItem(item)
             self.executeNextItem()
         }
@@ -214,7 +217,7 @@ private final class QueueItem<Output>: Executable {
     private let completion: (Result<Output>) -> ()
     private weak var future: Future<Output>?
     private var hasBeenCancelled = false
-    private var _mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
+    private var mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
 
     init(operation: @escaping () throws -> Future<Output>, completion: @escaping (Result<Output>) -> ()) {
         self.completion = completion
@@ -231,7 +234,6 @@ private final class QueueItem<Output>: Executable {
         memPrint("Queue Item deinit", queueItemUnitTestAliveCount)
     }
 
-    private var mutex: PThreadMutex { return PThreadMutex(&_mutex) }
     private func lock() { mutex.lock() }
     private func unlock() { mutex.unlock() }
 
diff --git a/Flow/Locking.swift b/Flow/Locking.swift
index 416be1b..4447da2 100644
--- a/Flow/Locking.swift
+++ b/Flow/Locking.swift
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@ import Foundation
 
 /// A reference wrapper around a POSIX thread mutex
 public final class Mutex {
-    private var _mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
-    private var mutex: PThreadMutex { return PThreadMutex(&_mutex) }
+    private var mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
 
     public init() {
         mutex.initialize()
@@ -30,13 +29,27 @@ public final class Mutex {
     public func unlock() {
         mutex.unlock()
     }
+}
 
-    /// Will lock `self`, call `block`, then unlock `self`
-    @discardableResult
-    public func protect<T>(_ block: () throws -> T) rethrows -> T {
-        mutex.lock()
-        defer { mutex.unlock() }
-        return try block()
+extension pthread_mutex_t {
+    mutating func withPointer<T>(_ body: (PThreadMutex) throws -> T) rethrows -> T {
+        return try withUnsafeMutablePointer(to: &self, body)
+    }
+
+    mutating func initialize() {
+        withPointer { $0.initialize() }
+    }
+
+    mutating func deinitialize() {
+        withPointer { $0.deinitialize() }
+    }
+
+    mutating func lock() {
+        withPointer { $0.lock() }
+    }
+
+    mutating func unlock() {
+        withPointer { $0.unlock() }
     }
 }
 
@@ -86,8 +99,7 @@ final class StateAndCallback<Value, State>: Disposable {
     var callback: ((Value) -> ())?
     var val: State
     fileprivate var disposables = [Disposable]()
-    private var _mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
-    fileprivate var mutex: PThreadMutex { return PThreadMutex(&_mutex) }
+    private var mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
 
     init(state: State, callback: @escaping (Value) -> ()) {
         val = state
@@ -192,12 +204,12 @@ extension StateAndCallback where Value == () {
 
 func +=<Value, State>(bag: StateAndCallback<Value, State>, disposable: Disposable?) {
     guard let disposable = disposable else { return }
-    bag.mutex.lock()
+    bag.lock()
     let hasBeenDisposed = bag.callback == nil
     if !hasBeenDisposed {
         bag.disposables.append(disposable)
     }
-    bag.mutex.unlock()
+    bag.unlock()
     if hasBeenDisposed {
         disposable.dispose()
     }
diff --git a/Flow/OrderedCallbacker.swift b/Flow/OrderedCallbacker.swift
index 04e63ac..075db90 100644
--- a/Flow/OrderedCallbacker.swift
+++ b/Flow/OrderedCallbacker.swift
@@ -14,8 +14,7 @@ import Foundation
 /// - Note: Is thread safe.
 public final class OrderedCallbacker<OrderedValue, CallbackValue> {
     private var callbacks: [Key: (OrderedValue, (CallbackValue) -> Future<()>)] = [:]
-    private var _mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
-    private var mutex: PThreadMutex { return PThreadMutex(&_mutex) }
+    private var mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
 
     public init() {
         mutex.initialize()
@@ -27,7 +26,10 @@ public final class OrderedCallbacker<OrderedValue, CallbackValue> {
 
     /// - Returns: True if no callbacks has been registered.
     public var isEmpty: Bool {
-        return mutex.protect { callbacks.isEmpty }
+        mutex.lock()
+        let isEmpty = callbacks.isEmpty
+        mutex.unlock()
+        return isEmpty
     }
 
     /// Register a callback and orderedValue to be called when `callAll` is executed.
@@ -35,12 +37,14 @@ public final class OrderedCallbacker<OrderedValue, CallbackValue> {
     /// - Parameter orderedValue: The value used to order this callback
     /// - Returns: A `Disposable` to be disposed to unregister the callback.
     public func addCallback(_ callback: @escaping (CallbackValue) -> Future<()>, orderedBy orderedValue: OrderedValue) -> Disposable {
-        return mutex.protect {
-            let key = generateKey()
-            callbacks[key] = (orderedValue, callback)
-            return Disposer {
-                self.mutex.protect { self.callbacks[key] = nil }
-            }
+        mutex.lock()
+        defer { mutex.unlock() }
+        let key = generateKey()
+        callbacks[key] = (orderedValue, callback)
+        return Disposer {
+            self.mutex.lock()
+            self.callbacks[key] = nil
+            self.mutex.unlock()
         }
     }
 
@@ -48,9 +52,10 @@ public final class OrderedCallbacker<OrderedValue, CallbackValue> {
     /// - Returns: A `Future` that will complete when all callbacks has been called.
     @discardableResult
     public func callAll(with value: CallbackValue, isOrderedBefore: (OrderedValue, OrderedValue) -> Bool) -> Future<()> {
-        return mutex.protect {
-            callbacks.values.sorted { isOrderedBefore($0.0, $1.0) }.map { $1 }
-        }.mapToFuture { $0(value) }.toVoid()
+        mutex.lock()
+        let sortedCallbacks = callbacks.values.sorted { isOrderedBefore($0.0, $1.0) }.map { $1 }
+        mutex.unlock()
+        return sortedCallbacks.mapToFuture { $0(value) }.toVoid()
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/Flow/Signal+Construction.swift b/Flow/Signal+Construction.swift
index ee9697e..0bdfc15 100644
--- a/Flow/Signal+Construction.swift
+++ b/Flow/Signal+Construction.swift
@@ -112,8 +112,7 @@ private final class CallbackState<Value>: Disposable {
     private var shared: SharedState<Value>?
     let sharedKey: Key
 
-    private var _mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
-    private var mutex: PThreadMutex { return PThreadMutex(&_mutex) }
+    private var mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
 
     init(shared: SharedState<Value>? = nil, getValue: (() -> Value)?, callback: @escaping (EventType<Value>) -> Void) {
         self.shared = shared
@@ -292,8 +291,7 @@ private final class CallbackState<Value>: Disposable {
 /// Helper to implement sharing of a single `onEvent` if more than one listner, see `SignalOption.shared`
 final class SharedState<Value> {
     private let getValue: (() -> Value)?
-    private var _mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
-    private var mutex: PThreadMutex { return PThreadMutex(&_mutex) }
+    private var mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
 
     typealias Callback = (EventType<Value>) -> Void
     var firstCallback: (key: Key, value: Callback)?
diff --git a/Flow/Signal+Scheduling.swift b/Flow/Signal+Scheduling.swift
index 36bc088..6db5972 100644
--- a/Flow/Signal+Scheduling.swift
+++ b/Flow/Signal+Scheduling.swift
@@ -119,8 +119,8 @@ internal extension CoreSignal {
 // Using custom Disposable instead of DisposeBag for efficiency (less allocations)
 private final class OnEventTypeDisposer<Value>: Disposable {
     private var disposable: Disposable?
-    private var _mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
-    private var mutex: PThreadMutex { return PThreadMutex(&_mutex) }
+    private var mutex = pthread_mutex_t()
+
     private let scheduler: Scheduler
     private var callback: ((EventType<Value>) -> Void)?
 
diff --git a/Flow/Signal+Transforms.swift b/Flow/Signal+Transforms.swift
index 8877b10..80359e3 100644
--- a/Flow/Signal+Transforms.swift
+++ b/Flow/Signal+Transforms.swift
@@ -741,14 +741,20 @@ private extension SignalProvider {
         let mutex = Mutex()
         var setter: ((T) -> ())?
         func setValue(_ value: T) {
-            let setValue = mutex.protect { setter ?? transform(signal.getter()!).setter! }
+            mutex.lock()
+            let setValue = setter ?? transform(signal.getter()!).setter!
+            mutex.unlock()
             setValue(value)
         }
 
         return CoreSignal(setValue: setValue, onEventType: { callback in
             let latestBag = DisposeBag()
             let bag = DisposeBag(latestBag)
-            bag += { mutex.protect { setter = nil } }
+            bag += {
+                mutex.lock()
+                setter = nil
+                mutex.unlock()
+            }
 
             bag += signal.onEventType(on: scheduler) { eventType in
                 switch eventType {
@@ -756,13 +762,17 @@ private extension SignalProvider {
                     callback(.initial(nil))
                 case .initial(let val?):
                     let signal = scheduler.sync { transform(val) }
-                    mutex.protect { setter = signal.setter }
+                    mutex.lock()
+                    setter = signal.setter
+                    mutex.unlock()
                     latestBag += signal.onEventType(callback)
                 case let .event(.value(val)):
                     let isFirstEvent = latestBag.isEmpty
                     latestBag.dispose()
                     let signal = transform(val)
-                    mutex.protect { setter = signal.setter }
+                    mutex.lock()
+                    setter = signal.setter
+                    mutex.unlock()
                     latestBag += signal.onEventType { eventType in
                         switch eventType {
                         case .initial(let val?) where KO.isReadable:
diff --git a/FlowTests/FutureSchedulingTests.swift b/FlowTests/FutureSchedulingTests.swift
index 17ecc64..16767ce 100644
--- a/FlowTests/FutureSchedulingTests.swift
+++ b/FlowTests/FutureSchedulingTests.swift
@@ -184,7 +184,9 @@ class FutureNewSchedulingTests: FutureTest {
                 var f = Future(v).delay(by: delay)
                 f = f.map(on: .concurrentBackground) { $0*2 }
                 return f/*assertValue(v*2)*/.assert(on: .main).always(on: .concurrentBackground) {
-                    mutex.protect { completeCount += 1 }
+                    mutex.lock()
+                    completeCount += 1
+                    mutex.unlock()
                 }
             }).onCancel { e.fulfill() }
 
diff --git a/FlowTests/SignalProviderTests.swift b/FlowTests/SignalProviderTests.swift
index dcc2e31..590f856 100644
--- a/FlowTests/SignalProviderTests.swift
+++ b/FlowTests/SignalProviderTests.swift
@@ -1718,13 +1718,19 @@ class SignalProviderTests: XCTestCase {
             _ = Signal(callbacker: callbacker).start(with: 1).take(first: 2).onEvent(on: .concurrentBackground) { event in
                 switch event {
                 case .value(let val):
-                    mutex.protect { result.append(val) }
+                    mutex.lock()
+                    result.append(val)
+                    mutex.unlock()
                     backgroundQueue.async {
                         callbacker.callAll(with: val + 1)
                     }
-                    mutex.protect { result.append(val*10) }
+                    mutex.lock()
+                    result.append(val*10)
+                    mutex.unlock()
                 case .end:
-                    XCTAssertEqual(mutex.protect { result }, [1, 10, 2, 20])
+                    mutex.lock()
+                    XCTAssertEqual(result, [1, 10, 2, 20])
+                    mutex.unlock()
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -2718,13 +2724,15 @@ final class SimulatedTimer {
 
     func schedule(at time: TimeInterval, execute work: @escaping () -> ()) -> Disposable {
         let key = UUID()
-        mutex.protect {
-            assert(time >= self.time)
-            scheduledWork[key] = (time, work)
-        }
+        mutex.lock()
+        assert(time >= self.time)
+        scheduledWork[key] = (time, work)
+        mutex.unlock()
 
         return Disposer {
-            self.mutex.protect { self.scheduledWork[key] = nil }
+            self.mutex.lock()
+            self.scheduledWork[key] = nil
+            self.mutex.unlock()
         }
     }
 
@@ -2748,7 +2756,9 @@ final class SimulatedTimer {
         //print("call", next)
         next.value.work()
 
-        mutex.protect { count -= 1 }
+        mutex.lock()
+        count -= 1
+        mutex.unlock()
         mainQueue.async { self.release() }
     }
 }