diff --git a/level.go b/level.go
index 98dd191..7e6e77b 100644
--- a/level.go
+++ b/level.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 )
 
 // ErrInvalidLogLevel is used when an invalid log level has been used.
@@ -65,9 +66,11 @@ type LeveledBackend interface {
 	Leveled
 }
 
+type moduleLeveledMap map[string]Level
 type moduleLeveled struct {
-	levels    map[string]Level
-	backend   Backend
+	lock      sync.Mutex
+	levels    atomic.Value
+	backend   atomic.Value
 	formatter Formatter
 	once      sync.Once
 }
@@ -78,19 +81,20 @@ func AddModuleLevel(backend Backend) LeveledBackend {
 	var leveled LeveledBackend
 	var ok bool
 	if leveled, ok = backend.(LeveledBackend); !ok {
-		leveled = &moduleLeveled{
-			levels:  make(map[string]Level),
-			backend: backend,
-		}
+		modLeveled := &moduleLeveled{}
+		modLeveled.levels.Store(make(moduleLeveledMap))
+		modLeveled.backend.Store(backend)
+		leveled = modLeveled
 	}
 	return leveled
 }
 
 // GetLevel returns the log level for the given module.
 func (l *moduleLeveled) GetLevel(module string) Level {
-	level, exists := l.levels[module]
+	levels := l.levels.Load().(moduleLeveledMap)
+	level, exists := levels[module]
 	if exists == false {
-		level, exists = l.levels[""]
+		level, exists = levels[""]
 		// no configuration exists, default to debug
 		if exists == false {
 			level = DEBUG
@@ -101,7 +105,10 @@ func (l *moduleLeveled) GetLevel(module string) Level {
 
 // SetLevel sets the log level for the given module.
 func (l *moduleLeveled) SetLevel(level Level, module string) {
-	l.levels[module] = level
+	levels := l.levels.Load().(moduleLeveledMap)
+	l.lock.Lock()
+	levels[module] = level
+	l.lock.Unlock()
 }
 
 // IsEnabledFor will return true if logging is enabled for the given module.
@@ -113,7 +120,7 @@ func (l *moduleLeveled) Log(level Level, calldepth int, rec *Record) (err error)
 	if l.IsEnabledFor(level, rec.Module) {
 		// TODO get rid of traces of formatter here. BackendFormatter should be used.
 		rec.formatter = l.getFormatterAndCacheCurrent()
-		err = l.backend.Log(level, calldepth+1, rec)
+		err = l.backend.Load().(Backend).Log(level, calldepth+1, rec)
 	}
 	return
 }
diff --git a/level_test.go b/level_test.go
index c8f9a37..beea038 100644
--- a/level_test.go
+++ b/level_test.go
@@ -74,3 +74,48 @@ func TestLevelModuleLevel(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func testConcurrent_SetLevel(i int, sync *syncTestConcurrent, backend interface{}) {
+	sync.start.Done()
+	sync.start.Wait()
+	for j := 0; j < 1000; j++ {
+		leveled := backend.(LeveledBackend)
+		leveled.SetLevel(NOTICE, "")
+		leveled.SetLevel(ERROR, "foo")
+		leveled.SetLevel(INFO, "foo.bar")
+		leveled.SetLevel(WARNING, "bar")
+	}
+	sync.end.Done()
+}
+
+func TestLevelModuleLevel_Concurency(t *testing.T) {
+	backend := NewMemoryBackend(128)
+
+	leveled := AddModuleLevel(backend)
+
+	sync := &syncTestConcurrent{}
+	sync.end.Add(10)
+	sync.start.Add(10)
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		go testConcurrent_SetLevel(i, sync, leveled)
+	}
+	sync.end.Wait()
+
+	expected := []struct {
+		level  Level
+		module string
+	}{
+		{NOTICE, ""},
+		{NOTICE, "something"},
+		{ERROR, "foo"},
+		{INFO, "foo.bar"},
+		{WARNING, "bar"},
+	}
+
+	for _, e := range expected {
+		actual := leveled.GetLevel(e.module)
+		if e.level != actual {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected level in %s: %s != %s", e.module, e.level, actual)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/log_test.go b/log_test.go
index c7a645f..abb00e7 100644
--- a/log_test.go
+++ b/log_test.go
@@ -9,9 +9,14 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 )
 
+type syncTestConcurrent struct {
+	start, end sync.WaitGroup
+}
+
 func TestLogCalldepth(t *testing.T) {
 	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
 	SetBackend(NewLogBackend(buf, "", log.Lshortfile))
diff --git a/logger.go b/logger.go
index 535ed9b..9d97b45 100644
--- a/logger.go
+++ b/logger.go
@@ -91,9 +91,8 @@ func (r *Record) Message() string {
 // Logger is the actual logger which creates log records based on the functions
 // called and passes them to the underlying logging backend.
 type Logger struct {
-	Module      string
-	backend     LeveledBackend
-	haveBackend bool
+	Module  string
+	backend atomic.Value
 
 	// ExtraCallDepth can be used to add additional call depth when getting the
 	// calling function. This is normally used when wrapping a logger.
@@ -102,8 +101,7 @@ type Logger struct {
 
 // SetBackend overrides any previously defined backend for this logger.
 func (l *Logger) SetBackend(backend LeveledBackend) {
-	l.backend = backend
-	l.haveBackend = true
+	l.backend.Store(backend)
 }
 
 // TODO call NewLogger and remove MustGetLogger?
@@ -162,8 +160,8 @@ func (l *Logger) log(lvl Level, format *string, args ...interface{}) {
 	// methods, Info(), Fatal(), etc.
 	// ExtraCallDepth allows this to be extended further up the stack in case we
 	// are wrapping these methods, eg. to expose them package level
-	if l.haveBackend {
-		l.backend.Log(lvl, 2+l.ExtraCalldepth, record)
+	if l.backend.Load() != nil {
+		l.backend.Load().(LeveledBackend).Log(lvl, 2+l.ExtraCalldepth, record)
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/logger_test.go b/logger_test.go
index b9f7fe7..35d89b7 100644
--- a/logger_test.go
+++ b/logger_test.go
@@ -56,7 +56,45 @@ func TestPrivateBackend(t *testing.T) {
 	if stdBackend.size > 0 {
 		t.Errorf("something in stdBackend, size of backend: %d", stdBackend.size)
 	}
-	if "to private baсkend" == MemoryRecordN(privateBackend, 0).Formatted(0) {
-		t.Error("logged to defaultBackend:", MemoryRecordN(privateBackend, 0))
+	if privateBackend.size != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("privateBackend must contain something, size of backend: %d", privateBackend.size)
+	}
+	if "to private backend" != MemoryRecordN(privateBackend, 0).Formatted(0) {
+		t.Error("must be logged to privateBackend:", MemoryRecordN(privateBackend, 0))
+	}
+}
+
+func testConcurrent_Log(i int, sync *syncTestConcurrent, lvlBackend *LeveledBackend, log *Logger) {
+	sync.start.Done()
+	sync.start.Wait()
+	for j := 0; j < 1000; j++ {
+		log.SetBackend(*lvlBackend)
+		log.Debug("to private backend")
+	}
+	sync.end.Done()
+}
+
+func TestPrivateBackend_Concurency(t *testing.T) {
+	stdBackend := InitForTesting(DEBUG)
+	log := MustGetLogger("test")
+	privateBackend := NewMemoryBackend(10240)
+	lvlBackend := AddModuleLevel(privateBackend)
+
+	sync := &syncTestConcurrent{}
+	sync.end.Add(10)
+	sync.start.Add(10)
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		go testConcurrent_Log(i, sync, &lvlBackend, log)
+	}
+	sync.end.Wait()
+
+	if stdBackend.size > 0 {
+		t.Errorf("something in stdBackend, size of backend: %d", stdBackend.size)
+	}
+	if privateBackend.size != 10*1000 {
+		t.Errorf("privateBackend must contain something, size of backend: %d", privateBackend.size)
+	}
+	if "to private backend" != MemoryRecordN(privateBackend, 0).Formatted(0) {
+		t.Error("must be logged to privateBackend:", MemoryRecordN(privateBackend, 0))
 	}
 }
diff --git a/memory.go b/memory.go
index 8d5152c..7f55f2b 100644
--- a/memory.go
+++ b/memory.go
@@ -68,21 +68,17 @@ func (b *MemoryBackend) Log(level Level, calldepth int, rec *Record) error {
 	// head will both be nil. When we successfully set the tail and the previous
 	// value was nil, it's safe to set the head to the current value too.
 	for {
-		tailp := b.tail
-		swapped := atomic.CompareAndSwapPointer(
+		tailp := atomic.SwapPointer(
 			&b.tail,
-			tailp,
 			np,
 		)
-		if swapped == true {
-			if tailp == nil {
-				b.head = np
-			} else {
-				(*node)(tailp).next = n
-			}
-			size = atomic.AddInt32(&b.size, 1)
-			break
+		if tailp == nil {
+			b.head = np
+		} else {
+			(*node)(tailp).next = n
 		}
+		size = atomic.AddInt32(&b.size, 1)
+		break
 	}
 
 	// Since one record was added, we might have overflowed the list. Remove