diff --git a/src/atomic/SDL_atomic.c b/src/atomic/SDL_atomic.c
index df4920139..d0022cdc1 100644
--- a/src/atomic/SDL_atomic.c
+++ b/src/atomic/SDL_atomic.c
@@ -53,10 +53,11 @@
 #endif
 
 #if defined(__WATCOMC__) && defined(__386__)
+SDL_COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT(intsize, 4==sizeof(int));
 #define HAVE_WATCOM_ATOMICS
 extern _inline int _SDL_xchg_watcom(volatile int *a, int v);
 #pragma aux _SDL_xchg_watcom = \
-  "xchg [ecx], eax" \
+  "lock xchg [ecx], eax" \
   parm [ecx] [eax] \
   value [eax] \
   modify exact [eax];
diff --git a/src/atomic/SDL_spinlock.c b/src/atomic/SDL_spinlock.c
index cbc1056c9..6a7b14a98 100644
--- a/src/atomic/SDL_spinlock.c
+++ b/src/atomic/SDL_spinlock.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 SDL_COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT(locksize, 4==sizeof(SDL_SpinLock));
 extern _inline int _SDL_xchg_watcom(volatile int *a, int v);
 #pragma aux _SDL_xchg_watcom = \
-  "xchg [ecx], eax" \
+  "lock xchg [ecx], eax" \
   parm [ecx] [eax] \
   value [eax] \
   modify exact [eax];