diff --git a/atomic.lua b/atomic.lua
index e7f5ef8..aaeca4a 100644
--- a/atomic.lua
+++ b/atomic.lua
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ function mt:set(value)
 end
 
 function atomic:__new(...)
+  if C.tds_has_atomic()==0 then
+    error('atomic counter not available (Torch not found)')
+  end
   local self = C.tds_atomic_new()
   if self == NULL then
     error('unable to allocate atomic')
diff --git a/cdefs.lua b/cdefs.lua
index d2b674a..84e1f5c 100644
--- a/cdefs.lua
+++ b/cdefs.lua
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ void tds_vec_retain(tds_vec *vec);
 void tds_vec_free(tds_vec* vec);
 
 /* atomic counter */
+char tds_has_atomic(void);
 typedef struct tds_atomic_counter_ tds_atomic_counter;
 tds_atomic_counter* tds_atomic_new(void);
 long tds_atomic_inc(tds_atomic_counter *atomic);
diff --git a/tds_atomic_counter.c b/tds_atomic_counter.c
index 9220e7b..147276f 100644
--- a/tds_atomic_counter.c
+++ b/tds_atomic_counter.c
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 #include "tds_atomic_counter.h"
 #include "tds_utils.h"
 
+char tds_has_atomic(void) {
 #if HAS_TORCH
-#include "THAtomic.h"
+  return 1;
 #else
-#include <pthread.h>
-static pthread_mutex_t ptm = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+  return 0;
 #endif
+}
+
+#if HAS_TORCH
+
+#include "THAtomic.h"
 
 struct tds_atomic_counter_ {
   long count;
@@ -23,62 +28,26 @@ tds_atomic_counter* tds_atomic_new(void) {
 }
 
 long tds_atomic_inc(tds_atomic_counter *atomic) {
-#if HAS_TORCH
   return THAtomicAddLong(&atomic->count, 1);
-#else
-  pthread_mutex_lock(&ptm);
-  long lastValue = atomic->count;
-  atomic->count++;
-  pthread_mutex_unlock(&ptm);
-  return lastValue;
-#endif
 }
 
 long tds_atomic_get(tds_atomic_counter *atomic) {
-#if HAS_TORCH
   return THAtomicGetLong(&atomic->count);
-#else
-  pthread_mutex_lock(&ptm);
-  long value = atomic->count;
-  pthread_mutex_unlock(&ptm);
-  return value;
-#endif
 }
 
 void tds_atomic_set(tds_atomic_counter *atomic, long value) {
-#if HAS_TORCH
   THAtomicSetLong(&atomic->count, value);
-#else
-  pthread_mutex_lock(&ptm);
-  atomic->count = value;
-  pthread_mutex_unlock(&ptm);
-#endif
 }
 
 void tds_atomic_retain(tds_atomic_counter *atomic) {
-#if HAS_TORCH
   THAtomicIncrementRef(&atomic->refcount);
-#else
-  pthread_mutex_lock(&ptm);
-  atomic->refcount++;
-  pthread_mutex_unlock(&ptm);
-#endif
 }
 
 void tds_atomic_free(tds_atomic_counter *atomic) {
-#if HAS_TORCH
   if(THAtomicDecrementRef(&atomic->refcount))
   {
     tds_free(atomic);
   }
-#else
-  pthread_mutex_lock(&ptm);
-  atomic->refcount--;
-  if(atomic->refcount == 0)
-  {
-    tds_free(atomic);
-  }
-  pthread_mutex_unlock(&ptm);
-#endif
 }
 
+#endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tds_atomic_counter.h b/tds_atomic_counter.h
index 64b9113..21026d8 100644
--- a/tds_atomic_counter.h
+++ b/tds_atomic_counter.h
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 #ifndef TDS_ATOMIC_H
 #define TDS_ATOMIC_H
 
-typedef struct tds_atomic_counter_ tds_atomic_counter;
+char tds_has_atomic(void);
 
+#if HAS_TORCH
+typedef struct tds_atomic_counter_ tds_atomic_counter;
 tds_atomic_counter* tds_atomic_new(void);
 long tds_atomic_inc(tds_atomic_counter *atomic);
 long tds_atomic_get(tds_atomic_counter *atomic);
 void tds_atomic_set(tds_atomic_counter *atomic, long value);
 void tds_atomic_retain(tds_atomic_counter *atomic);
 void tds_atomic_free(tds_atomic_counter *atomic);
+#endif
+
 #endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/test_atomic.lua b/test/test_atomic.lua
index 5173187..58c7695 100644
--- a/test/test_atomic.lua
+++ b/test/test_atomic.lua
@@ -4,9 +4,15 @@ local a = tds.AtomicCounter()
 
 print(a)
 print(a:get())
+assert(a:get()==0)
 print(a:inc())
+assert(a:get()==1)
 print(a:inc())
+assert(a:get()==2)
 print(a)
 a:set(100)
 print(a:get())
-print(a)
\ No newline at end of file
+assert(a:get()==100)
+print(a)
+
+print('OK')