diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr_push.yml b/.github/workflows/pr_push.yml
index 8ad9c83c1..c8cce6c2b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr_push.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr_push.yml
@@ -17,31 +17,17 @@ permissions:
   packages: read
 
 jobs:
-  CodeChecks:
-    uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_checks.yml
-  FastBuild:
-    name: Fast builds
-    needs: [CodeChecks]
-    uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_fast.yml
-  Build:
-    name: Basic builds
-    needs: [FastBuild]
-    uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_basic.yml
   DevDax:
-    needs: [FastBuild]
     uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_dax.yml
   MultiNuma:
-    needs: [FastBuild]
     uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_multi_numa.yml
   L0:
-    needs: [Build]
     uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_gpu.yml
     with:
       provider: "LEVEL_ZERO"
       runner: "L0"
       shared_lib: "['ON']"
   L0-BMG:
-    needs: [Build]
     uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_gpu.yml
     with:
       provider: "LEVEL_ZERO"
@@ -49,56 +35,16 @@ jobs:
       shared_lib: "['ON']"
       os: "['Ubuntu']"
   CUDA:
-    needs: [Build]
     uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_gpu.yml
     with:
       provider: "CUDA"
       runner: "CUDA"
       shared_lib: "['ON']"
   Sanitizers:
-    needs: [FastBuild]
     uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_sanitizers.yml
   QEMU:
-    needs: [FastBuild]
     uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_qemu.yml
     with:
       short_run: true
   ProxyLib:
-    needs: [Build]
     uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_proxy_lib.yml
-  Valgrind:
-    needs: [Build]
-    uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_valgrind.yml
-  Coverage:
-    # total coverage (on upstream only)
-    if: github.repository == 'oneapi-src/unified-memory-framework'
-    needs: [Build, DevDax, L0, CUDA, MultiNuma, QEMU, ProxyLib]
-    uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_coverage.yml
-    secrets: inherit
-    with:
-      trigger: "${{github.event_name}}"
-  Coverage_partial:
-    # partial coverage (on forks)
-    if: github.repository != 'oneapi-src/unified-memory-framework'
-    needs: [Build, QEMU, ProxyLib]
-    uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_coverage.yml
-  CodeQL:
-    needs: [Build]
-    permissions:
-      contents: read
-      security-events: write
-    uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_codeql.yml
-  Trivy:
-    needs: [Build]
-    permissions:
-      contents: read
-      security-events: write
-    uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_trivy.yml
-  Compatibility:
-    needs: [Build]
-    uses: ./.github/workflows/reusable_compatibility.yml
-    strategy:
-      matrix:
-        tag: ["v0.11.0-rc1"]
-    with:
-      tag: ${{matrix.tag}}
diff --git a/src/critnib/critnib.c b/src/critnib/critnib.c
index 47a6568c5..d0c5275dc 100644
--- a/src/critnib/critnib.c
+++ b/src/critnib/critnib.c
@@ -331,18 +331,26 @@ static void free_leaf(struct critnib *__restrict c,
         return;
     }
 
+    // k should be added to the c->deleted_leaf list here
+    // or in critnib_release() when the reference count drops to 0.
+    utils_atomic_store_release_u8(&k->pending_deleted_leaf, 1);
+
     if (c->cb_free_leaf) {
         uint64_t ref_count;
         utils_atomic_load_acquire_u64(&k->ref_count, &ref_count);
         if (ref_count > 0) {
-            // k will be added to c->deleted_leaf in critnib_release()
+            // k will be added to the c->deleted_leaf list in critnib_release()
             // when the reference count drops to 0.
-            utils_atomic_store_release_u8(&k->pending_deleted_leaf, 1);
             return;
         }
     }
 
-    add_to_deleted_leaf_list(c, k);
+    uint8_t expected = 1;
+    uint8_t desired = 0;
+    if (utils_compare_exchange_u8(&k->pending_deleted_leaf, &expected,
+                                  &desired)) {
+        add_to_deleted_leaf_list(c, k);
+    }
 }
 
 /*
@@ -392,8 +400,8 @@ int critnib_insert(struct critnib *c, word key, void *value, int update) {
     utils_atomic_store_release_u8(&k->pending_deleted_leaf, 0);
 
     if (c->cb_free_leaf) {
-        // mark the leaf as valid (ref_count == 1)
-        utils_atomic_store_release_u64(&k->ref_count, 1ULL);
+        // mark the leaf as valid (ref_count == 2)
+        utils_atomic_store_release_u64(&k->ref_count, 2ULL);
     } else {
         // the reference counter is not used in this case
         utils_atomic_store_release_u64(&k->ref_count, 0ULL);
@@ -609,20 +617,25 @@ int critnib_release(struct critnib *c, void *ref) {
     }
 
     /* decrement the reference count */
-    if (utils_atomic_decrement_u64(&k->ref_count) == 0) {
+    if (utils_atomic_decrement_u64(&k->ref_count) == 1) {
         void *to_be_freed = NULL;
         utils_atomic_load_acquire_ptr(&k->to_be_freed, &to_be_freed);
         if (to_be_freed) {
             utils_atomic_store_release_ptr(&k->to_be_freed, NULL);
             c->cb_free_leaf(c->leaf_allocator, to_be_freed);
         }
-        uint8_t pending_deleted_leaf;
-        utils_atomic_load_acquire_u8(&k->pending_deleted_leaf,
-                                     &pending_deleted_leaf);
-        if (pending_deleted_leaf) {
-            utils_atomic_store_release_u8(&k->pending_deleted_leaf, 0);
+
+        // mark the leaf as not used (ref_count == 0)
+        utils_atomic_store_release_u64(&k->ref_count, 0ULL);
+
+        uint8_t expected = 1;
+        uint8_t desired = 0;
+        if (utils_compare_exchange_u8(&k->pending_deleted_leaf, &expected,
+                                      &desired)) {
             add_to_deleted_leaf_list(c, k);
         }
+
+        return 0;
     }
 
 #ifndef NDEBUG
diff --git a/src/utils/utils_concurrency.h b/src/utils/utils_concurrency.h
index 14d7fe54e..a00b8bc40 100644
--- a/src/utils/utils_concurrency.h
+++ b/src/utils/utils_concurrency.h
@@ -171,6 +171,19 @@ static inline bool utils_compare_exchange_u64(uint64_t *ptr, uint64_t *expected,
     return false;
 }
 
+static inline bool utils_compare_exchange_u8(uint8_t *ptr, uint8_t *expected,
+                                             uint8_t *desired) {
+    char out = _InterlockedCompareExchange8(
+        (char volatile *)ptr, *(char *)desired, *(char *)expected);
+    if (out == *(char *)expected) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    // else
+    *expected = out;
+    return false;
+}
+
 #else // !defined(_WIN32)
 
 static inline void utils_atomic_load_acquire_u64(uint64_t *ptr, uint64_t *out) {
@@ -241,6 +254,13 @@ static inline bool utils_compare_exchange_u64(uint64_t *ptr, uint64_t *expected,
                                      memory_order_relaxed);
 }
 
+static inline bool utils_compare_exchange_u8(uint8_t *ptr, uint8_t *expected,
+                                             uint8_t *desired) {
+    return __atomic_compare_exchange(ptr, expected, desired, 0 /* strong */,
+                                     memory_order_acq_rel,
+                                     memory_order_relaxed);
+}
+
 #endif // !defined(_WIN32)
 
 static inline void utils_atomic_load_acquire_size_t(size_t *ptr, size_t *out) {