diff --git a/core/state/snapshot/difflayer.go b/core/state/snapshot/difflayer.go
index f916a020e7bc..4701acccd399 100644
--- a/core/state/snapshot/difflayer.go
+++ b/core/state/snapshot/difflayer.go
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ type diffLayer struct {
 	memory uint64     // Approximate guess as to how much memory we use
 
 	root  common.Hash // Root hash to which this snapshot diff belongs to
-	stale uint32      // Signals that the layer became stale (state progressed)
+	stale atomic.Bool // Signals that the layer became stale (state progressed)
 
 	// destructSet is a very special helper marker. If an account is marked as
 	// deleted, then it's recorded in this set. However it's allowed that an account
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ func (dl *diffLayer) Parent() snapshot {
 // Stale return whether this layer has become stale (was flattened across) or if
 // it's still live.
 func (dl *diffLayer) Stale() bool {
-	return atomic.LoadUint32(&dl.stale) != 0
+	return dl.stale.Load()
 }
 
 // Account directly retrieves the account associated with a particular hash in
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ func (dl *diffLayer) flatten() snapshot {
 
 	// Before actually writing all our data to the parent, first ensure that the
 	// parent hasn't been 'corrupted' by someone else already flattening into it
-	if atomic.SwapUint32(&parent.stale, 1) != 0 {
+	if parent.stale.Swap(true) {
 		panic("parent diff layer is stale") // we've flattened into the same parent from two children, boo
 	}
 	// Overwrite all the updated accounts blindly, merge the sorted list
diff --git a/core/state/snapshot/snapshot.go b/core/state/snapshot/snapshot.go
index 0f3fa2c7a4f0..2e57a059dd7c 100644
--- a/core/state/snapshot/snapshot.go
+++ b/core/state/snapshot/snapshot.go
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
-	"sync/atomic"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/rawdb"
@@ -272,7 +271,7 @@ func (t *Tree) Disable() {
 		case *diffLayer:
 			// If the layer is a simple diff, simply mark as stale
 			layer.lock.Lock()
-			atomic.StoreUint32(&layer.stale, 1)
+			layer.stale.Store(true)
 			layer.lock.Unlock()
 
 		default:
@@ -726,7 +725,7 @@ func (t *Tree) Rebuild(root common.Hash) {
 		case *diffLayer:
 			// If the layer is a simple diff, simply mark as stale
 			layer.lock.Lock()
-			atomic.StoreUint32(&layer.stale, 1)
+			layer.stale.Store(true)
 			layer.lock.Unlock()
 
 		default: