diff --git a/cli/app.rs b/cli/app.rs
index 7b980ffed..7ce212f0a 100644
--- a/cli/app.rs
+++ b/cli/app.rs
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ impl Limbo {
             let interrupt_count: Arc<AtomicUsize> = Arc::clone(&interrupt_count);
             ctrlc::set_handler(move || {
                 // Increment the interrupt count on Ctrl-C
-                interrupt_count.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
+                interrupt_count.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Release);
             })
             .expect("Error setting Ctrl-C handler");
         }
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ impl Limbo {
     fn reset_line(&mut self, _line: &str) -> rustyline::Result<()> {
         // Entry is auto added to history
         // self.rl.add_history_entry(line.to_owned())?;
-        self.interrupt_count.store(0, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        self.interrupt_count.store(0, Ordering::Release);
         Ok(())
     }
 
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ impl Limbo {
                 OutputMode::List => {
                     let mut headers_printed = false;
                     loop {
-                        if self.interrupt_count.load(Ordering::SeqCst) > 0 {
+                        if self.interrupt_count.load(Ordering::Acquire) > 0 {
                             println!("Query interrupted.");
                             return Ok(());
                         }
@@ -815,7 +815,7 @@ impl Limbo {
                     }
                 }
                 OutputMode::Pretty => {
-                    if self.interrupt_count.load(Ordering::SeqCst) > 0 {
+                    if self.interrupt_count.load(Ordering::Acquire) > 0 {
                         println!("Query interrupted.");
                         return Ok(());
                     }
diff --git a/core/storage/pager.rs b/core/storage/pager.rs
index 738a9d47d..ffe236cc7 100644
--- a/core/storage/pager.rs
+++ b/core/storage/pager.rs
@@ -156,54 +156,54 @@ impl Page {
     }
 
     pub fn is_locked(&self) -> bool {
-        self.get().flags.load(Ordering::SeqCst) & PAGE_LOCKED != 0
+        self.get().flags.load(Ordering::Acquire) & PAGE_LOCKED != 0
     }
 
     pub fn set_locked(&self) {
-        self.get().flags.fetch_or(PAGE_LOCKED, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        self.get().flags.fetch_or(PAGE_LOCKED, Ordering::Acquire);
     }
 
     pub fn clear_locked(&self) {
-        self.get().flags.fetch_and(!PAGE_LOCKED, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        self.get().flags.fetch_and(!PAGE_LOCKED, Ordering::Release);
     }
 
     pub fn is_error(&self) -> bool {
-        self.get().flags.load(Ordering::SeqCst) & PAGE_ERROR != 0
+        self.get().flags.load(Ordering::Relaxed) & PAGE_ERROR != 0
     }
 
     pub fn set_error(&self) {
-        self.get().flags.fetch_or(PAGE_ERROR, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        self.get().flags.fetch_or(PAGE_ERROR, Ordering::Release);
     }
 
     pub fn clear_error(&self) {
-        self.get().flags.fetch_and(!PAGE_ERROR, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        self.get().flags.fetch_and(!PAGE_ERROR, Ordering::Release);
     }
 
     pub fn is_dirty(&self) -> bool {
-        self.get().flags.load(Ordering::SeqCst) & PAGE_DIRTY != 0
+        self.get().flags.load(Ordering::Acquire) & PAGE_DIRTY != 0
     }
 
     pub fn set_dirty(&self) {
         tracing::debug!("set_dirty(page={})", self.get().id);
-        self.get().flags.fetch_or(PAGE_DIRTY, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        self.get().flags.fetch_or(PAGE_DIRTY, Ordering::Release);
     }
 
     pub fn clear_dirty(&self) {
         tracing::debug!("clear_dirty(page={})", self.get().id);
-        self.get().flags.fetch_and(!PAGE_DIRTY, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        self.get().flags.fetch_and(!PAGE_DIRTY, Ordering::Release);
     }
 
     pub fn is_loaded(&self) -> bool {
-        self.get().flags.load(Ordering::SeqCst) & PAGE_LOADED != 0
+        self.get().flags.load(Ordering::Acquire) & PAGE_LOADED != 0
     }
 
     pub fn set_loaded(&self) {
-        self.get().flags.fetch_or(PAGE_LOADED, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        self.get().flags.fetch_or(PAGE_LOADED, Ordering::Release);
     }
 
     pub fn clear_loaded(&self) {
         tracing::debug!("clear loaded {}", self.get().id);
-        self.get().flags.fetch_and(!PAGE_LOADED, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        self.get().flags.fetch_and(!PAGE_LOADED, Ordering::Release);
     }
 
     pub fn is_index(&self) -> bool {
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ impl Page {
     pub fn try_unpin(&self) -> bool {
         self.get()
             .pin_count
-            .fetch_update(Ordering::SeqCst, Ordering::SeqCst, |current| {
+            .fetch_update(Ordering::Release, Ordering::Relaxed, |current| {
                 if current == 0 {
                     None
                 } else {
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ impl Page {
     }
 
     pub fn is_pinned(&self) -> bool {
-        self.get().pin_count.load(Ordering::SeqCst) > 0
+        self.get().pin_count.load(Ordering::Acquire) > 0
     }
 }
 
@@ -336,12 +336,12 @@ impl AtomicDbState {
 
     #[inline]
     pub fn set(&self, state: DbState) {
-        self.0.store(state as usize, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        self.0.store(state as usize, Ordering::Release);
     }
 
     #[inline]
     pub fn get(&self) -> DbState {
-        let v = self.0.load(Ordering::SeqCst);
+        let v = self.0.load(Ordering::Acquire);
         match v {
             DbState::UNINITIALIZED => DbState::Uninitialized,
             DbState::INITIALIZING => DbState::Initializing,
@@ -1010,13 +1010,13 @@ impl Pager {
     ) -> Result<(PageRef, Completion)> {
         tracing::trace!("read_page_no_cache(page_idx = {})", page_idx);
         let page = Arc::new(Page::new(page_idx));
-        page.set_locked();
 
         let Some(wal) = self.wal.as_ref() else {
             turso_assert!(
                 matches!(frame_watermark, Some(0) | None),
                 "frame_watermark must be either None or Some(0) because DB has no WAL and read with other watermark is invalid"
             );
+            page.set_locked();
             let c = self.begin_read_disk_page(page_idx, page.clone(), allow_empty_read)?;
             return Ok((page, c));
         };