diff --git a/library/proc_macro/src/bridge/handle.rs b/library/proc_macro/src/bridge/handle.rs
index 894acae217e..8c53bb609f6 100644
--- a/library/proc_macro/src/bridge/handle.rs
+++ b/library/proc_macro/src/bridge/handle.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ impl<T> OwnedStore<T> {
     pub(super) fn new(counter: &'static AtomicU32) -> Self {
         // Ensure the handle counter isn't 0, which would panic later,
         // when `NonZero::new` (aka `Handle::new`) is called in `alloc`.
-        assert_ne!(counter.load(Ordering::SeqCst), 0);
+        assert_ne!(counter.load(Ordering::Relaxed), 0);
 
         OwnedStore { counter, data: BTreeMap::new() }
     }
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ impl<T> OwnedStore<T> {
 
 impl<T> OwnedStore<T> {
     pub(super) fn alloc(&mut self, x: T) -> Handle {
-        let counter = self.counter.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        let counter = self.counter.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
         let handle = Handle::new(counter).expect("`proc_macro` handle counter overflowed");
         assert!(self.data.insert(handle, x).is_none());
         handle