diff --git a/src/mesh/RadioInterface.cpp b/src/mesh/RadioInterface.cpp
index 3eb32381f7..59847b4bb3 100644
--- a/src/mesh/RadioInterface.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/RadioInterface.cpp
@@ -837,9 +837,11 @@ uint32_t RadioInterface::getTxDelayMsec(const meshtastic_MeshPacket *p)
 
 void RadioInterface::noteFrameEnd(uint32_t endMs, const char *what)
 {
-    if (lastFrameEndMs && (int32_t)(endMs - lastFrameEndMs) < 0)
+    // Both writers are the radio worker, so this read-modify-write races with no other write.
+    const uint32_t held = lastFrameEndMs.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
+    if (held && (int32_t)(endMs - held) < 0)
         return; // a frame handed to us late, after one that ended later
-    lastFrameEndMs = Time::skipZero(endMs);
+    lastFrameEndMs.store(Time::skipZero(endMs), std::memory_order_relaxed);
     lastFrameEndWhat = what;
 }
 
@@ -864,14 +866,15 @@ uint32_t RadioInterface::getAnchoredSlotDelayMsec(uint32_t slots, meshtastic_Mes
     // Two nodes that redraw after the same frame count their slots from its air end rather than from
     // their own handling of it, so their grids line up however differently they got there. Taking
     // only one parity's slots then rules out the same slot, so the two are always a slot time apart.
-    const uint32_t sinceEnd = lastFrameEndMs ? Time::getMillis() - lastFrameEndMs : 0;
+    const uint32_t frameEnd = lastFrameEndMs.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
+    const uint32_t sinceEnd = frameEnd ? Time::getMillis() - frameEnd : 0;
     const uint32_t ownParitySlots = slots / 2 ? slots / 2 : 1;
     const uint32_t delay = anchoredSlotDelayMsec(sinceEnd, slotTimeMsec, random(0, ownParitySlots), parity);
 
     LOG_TRACE("TX slot anchor: %u ms into slot %u of %u, parity %u, %u ms after %s end", (unsigned)delay,
               (unsigned)((sinceEnd + delay) / slotTimeMsec), (unsigned)slots,
               (unsigned)(parity == meshtastic_MeshPacket_SlotParity_SLOT_PARITY_ODD ? 1 : 0), (unsigned)sinceEnd,
-              lastFrameEndMs ? lastFrameEndWhat : "no");
+              frameEnd ? lastFrameEndWhat : "no");
     return delay;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/mesh/RadioInterface.h b/src/mesh/RadioInterface.h
index fe01d36b37..310c19f27e 100644
--- a/src/mesh/RadioInterface.h
+++ b/src/mesh/RadioInterface.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include "PointerQueue.h"
 #include "airtime.h"
 #include "error.h"
+#include <atomic>
 #include <memory>
 
 #if HAS_LORA_FEM
@@ -111,8 +112,12 @@ class RadioInterface
 
     /** millis() when the last frame this node sent or heard left the air, 0 before the first.
      *  Only read by a draw that was asked for a slot parity; the driver keeps it up to date so any
-     *  module can ask at any time. */
-    uint32_t lastFrameEndMs = 0;
+     *  module can ask at any time.
+     *
+     *  Atomic because the radio worker writes it from onNotify() while a draw for a packet being
+     *  queued reads it on whatever thread called send(). Relaxed is enough: it publishes nothing
+     *  but itself, and losing the race just anchors that one draw to the frame before last. */
+    std::atomic<uint32_t> lastFrameEndMs{0};
     /** "tx" or "rx" for the frame lastFrameEndMs came from, for the trace line */
     const char *lastFrameEndWhat = "none";
     uint16_t preambleLength = 16; // 8 is default, but we use longer to increase the amount of sleep time when receiving
diff --git a/test/test_radio/test_main.cpp b/test/test_radio/test_main.cpp
index 3464a3d3bd..ba37990b0f 100644
--- a/test/test_radio/test_main.cpp
+++ b/test/test_radio/test_main.cpp
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ class TestableRadioInterface : public RadioInterface
     size_t beginSendingPublic(meshtastic_MeshPacket *p) { return beginSending(p); }
     meshtastic_MeshPacket *getSendingPacket() const { return sendingPacket; }
     void clearSendingPacketForTest() { sendingPacket = nullptr; }
-    uint32_t getLastFrameEndMs() const { return lastFrameEndMs; }
+    uint32_t getLastFrameEndMs() const { return lastFrameEndMs.load(std::memory_order_relaxed); }
 
     // Override reconfigure to call the base which invokes applyModemConfig()
     bool reconfigure() override { return RadioInterface::reconfigure(); }