diff --git a/pkg/sync/BUILD b/pkg/sync/BUILD
index ec6e4c56b..e38df4cd1 100644
--- a/pkg/sync/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/sync/BUILD
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ go_library(
         "aliases.go",
         "checklocks_off_unsafe.go",
         "checklocks_on_unsafe.go",
+        "fence.go",
+        "fence_amd64.s",
+        "fence_arm64.s",
         "gate_unsafe.go",
         "goyield_go113_unsafe.go",
         "goyield_unsafe.go",
diff --git a/pkg/sync/fence.go b/pkg/sync/fence.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6706676a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/sync/fence.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// Copyright 2023 The gVisor Authors.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package sync
+
+// MemoryFenceReads ensures that all preceding memory loads happen before
+// following memory loads.
+func MemoryFenceReads()
diff --git a/pkg/sync/fence_amd64.s b/pkg/sync/fence_amd64.s
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..87766f1d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/sync/fence_amd64.s
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+// Copyright 2023 The gVisor Authors.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+//go:build amd64
+// +build amd64
+
+#include "textflag.h"
+
+// func MemoryFenceReads()
+TEXT ·MemoryFenceReads(SB),NOSPLIT|NOFRAME,$0-0
+	// No memory fence is required on x86. However, a compiler fence is
+	// required to prevent the compiler from reordering memory accesses. The Go
+	// compiler will not reorder memory accesses around a call to an assembly
+	// function; compare runtime.publicationBarrier.
+	RET
diff --git a/pkg/sync/fence_arm64.s b/pkg/sync/fence_arm64.s
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f4f9ce9de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/sync/fence_arm64.s
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// Copyright 2023 The gVisor Authors.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+//go:build arm64
+// +build arm64
+
+#include "textflag.h"
+
+// func MemoryFenceReads()
+TEXT ·MemoryFenceReads(SB),NOSPLIT|NOFRAME,$0-0
+	DMB $0x9 // ISHLD
+	RET
diff --git a/pkg/sync/seqcount.go b/pkg/sync/seqcount.go
index 9adc95322..c90d2d9fa 100644
--- a/pkg/sync/seqcount.go
+++ b/pkg/sync/seqcount.go
@@ -39,23 +39,6 @@ type SeqCount struct {
 // SeqCountEpoch tracks writer critical sections in a SeqCount.
 type SeqCountEpoch uint32
 
-// We assume that:
-//
-//	- All functions in sync/atomic that perform a memory read are at least a
-//		read fence: memory reads before calls to such functions cannot be reordered
-//		after the call, and memory reads after calls to such functions cannot be
-//		reordered before the call, even if those reads do not use sync/atomic.
-//
-//	- All functions in sync/atomic that perform a memory write are at least a
-//		write fence: memory writes before calls to such functions cannot be
-//		reordered after the call, and memory writes after calls to such functions
-//		cannot be reordered before the call, even if those writes do not use
-//		sync/atomic.
-//
-// As of this writing, the Go memory model completely fails to describe
-// sync/atomic, but these properties are implied by
-// https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/golang-nuts/7EnEhM3U7B8.
-
 // BeginRead indicates the beginning of a reader critical section. Reader
 // critical sections DO NOT BLOCK writer critical sections, so operations in a
 // reader critical section MAY RACE with writer critical sections. Races are
@@ -104,6 +87,7 @@ func (s *SeqCount) beginReadSlow() SeqCountEpoch {
 // Reader critical sections do not need to be explicitly terminated; the last
 // call to ReadOk is implicitly the end of the reader critical section.
 func (s *SeqCount) ReadOk(epoch SeqCountEpoch) bool {
+	MemoryFenceReads()
 	return atomic.LoadUint32(&s.epoch) == uint32(epoch)
 }