diff --git a/src/os/exec.go b/src/os/exec.go
index ed5a75c4d1..42e8a399a9 100644
--- a/src/os/exec.go
+++ b/src/os/exec.go
@@ -20,13 +20,14 @@ var ErrProcessDone = errors.New("os: process already finished")
 // Process stores the information about a process created by StartProcess.
 type Process struct {
 	Pid    int
-	handle uintptr      // handle is accessed atomically on Windows
+	handle atomic.Uintptr
 	isdone atomic.Bool  // process has been successfully waited on
 	sigMu  sync.RWMutex // avoid race between wait and signal
 }
 
 func newProcess(pid int, handle uintptr) *Process {
-	p := &Process{Pid: pid, handle: handle}
+	p := &Process{Pid: pid}
+	p.handle.Store(handle)
 	runtime.SetFinalizer(p, (*Process).Release)
 	return p
 }
diff --git a/src/os/exec_windows.go b/src/os/exec_windows.go
index 061a12b10f..9aa5b147c9 100644
--- a/src/os/exec_windows.go
+++ b/src/os/exec_windows.go
@@ -8,13 +8,12 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"internal/syscall/windows"
 	"runtime"
-	"sync/atomic"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 )
 
 func (p *Process) wait() (ps *ProcessState, err error) {
-	handle := atomic.LoadUintptr(&p.handle)
+	handle := p.handle.Load()
 	s, e := syscall.WaitForSingleObject(syscall.Handle(handle), syscall.INFINITE)
 	switch s {
 	case syscall.WAIT_OBJECT_0:
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ func (p *Process) wait() (ps *ProcessState, err error) {
 }
 
 func (p *Process) signal(sig Signal) error {
-	handle := atomic.LoadUintptr(&p.handle)
+	handle := p.handle.Load()
 	if handle == uintptr(syscall.InvalidHandle) {
 		return syscall.EINVAL
 	}
@@ -63,7 +62,7 @@ func (p *Process) signal(sig Signal) error {
 }
 
 func (p *Process) release() error {
-	handle := atomic.SwapUintptr(&p.handle, uintptr(syscall.InvalidHandle))
+	handle := p.handle.Swap(uintptr(syscall.InvalidHandle))
 	if handle == uintptr(syscall.InvalidHandle) {
 		return syscall.EINVAL
 	}