diff --git a/src/arena.c b/src/arena.c
index cb4936d4..b6e98863 100644
--- a/src/arena.c
+++ b/src/arena.c
@@ -1392,19 +1392,21 @@ static long mi_arena_purge_delay(void) {
 
 // reset or decommit in an arena and update the commit bitmap
 // assumes we own the area (i.e. slices_free is claimed by us)
-static void mi_arena_purge(mi_arena_t* arena, size_t slice_index, size_t slice_count) {
+// returns if the memory is no longer committed (versus reset which keeps the commit)
+static bool mi_arena_purge(mi_arena_t* arena, size_t slice_index, size_t slice_count) {
   mi_assert_internal(!arena->memid.is_pinned);
   mi_assert_internal(mi_bitmap_is_clearN(arena->slices_free, slice_index, slice_count));
 
   const size_t size = mi_size_of_slices(slice_count);
   void* const p = mi_arena_slice_start(arena, slice_index);
   const bool all_committed = mi_bitmap_is_setN(arena->slices_committed, slice_index, slice_count);
-  const bool needs_recommit = _mi_os_purge_ex(p, size, all_committed);
+  const bool needs_recommit = _mi_os_purge_ex(p, size, all_committed /* allow reset? */);
 
   // update committed bitmap
   if (needs_recommit) {
     mi_bitmap_clearN(arena->slices_committed, slice_index, slice_count);
   }
+  return needs_recommit;
 }
 
 
@@ -1421,12 +1423,13 @@ static void mi_arena_schedule_purge(mi_arena_t* arena, size_t slice_index, size_
   }
   else {
     // schedule purge
-    mi_msecs_t expire = mi_atomic_loadi64_relaxed(&arena->purge_expire);
-    if (expire == 0) {
-      mi_atomic_storei64_release(&arena->purge_expire, _mi_clock_now() + delay);
+    mi_msecs_t expire0 = 0;
+    if (mi_atomic_casi64_strong_acq_rel(&arena->purge_expire, &expire0, _mi_clock_now() + delay)) {
+      // expiration was not yet set
       mi_atomic_storei64_release(&arena->purge_expire_extend, 0);      
     }
     else if (mi_atomic_loadi64_acquire(&arena->purge_expire_extend) < 10*delay) {     // limit max extension time
+      // already an expiration was set
       mi_atomic_addi64_acq_rel(&arena->purge_expire_extend, (mi_msecs_t)(delay/10));  // add smallish extra delay
     }
     mi_bitmap_setN(arena->slices_purge, slice_index, slice_count, NULL);
@@ -1443,8 +1446,8 @@ typedef struct mi_purge_visit_info_s {
 static bool mi_arena_try_purge_range(mi_arena_t* arena, size_t slice_index, size_t slice_count) {
   if (mi_bitmap_try_clearN(arena->slices_free, slice_index, slice_count)) {
     // purge
-    mi_arena_purge(arena, slice_index, slice_count);
-    mi_assert_internal(mi_bitmap_is_clearN(arena->slices_committed, slice_index, slice_count));
+    bool decommitted = mi_arena_purge(arena, slice_index, slice_count); MI_UNUSED(decommitted);
+    mi_assert_internal(!decommitted || mi_bitmap_is_clearN(arena->slices_committed, slice_index, slice_count));
     // and reset the free range
     mi_bitmap_setN(arena->slices_free, slice_index, slice_count, NULL);
     return true;
@@ -1470,8 +1473,8 @@ static bool mi_arena_try_purge_visitor(size_t slice_index, size_t slice_count, m
       vinfo->all_purged = vinfo->all_purged && purged;
     }
   }
-  // done: clear the purge bits
-  mi_bitmap_clearN(arena->slices_purge, slice_index, slice_count);
+  // don't clear the purge bits as that is done atomically be the _bitmap_forall_set_ranges
+  // mi_bitmap_clearN(arena->slices_purge, slice_index, slice_count);
   return true; // continue
 }
 
@@ -1495,17 +1498,11 @@ static bool mi_arena_try_purge(mi_arena_t* arena, mi_msecs_t now, bool force)
   _mi_stat_counter_increase(&_mi_stats_main.arena_purges, 1);
 
   // go through all purge info's  (with max MI_BFIELD_BITS ranges at a time)
+  // this also clears those ranges atomically (so any newly freed blocks will get purged next
+  // time around)
   mi_purge_visit_info_t vinfo = { now, mi_arena_purge_delay(), true /*all?*/, false /*any?*/};
-  _mi_bitmap_forall_set_ranges(arena->slices_purge, &mi_arena_try_purge_visitor, arena, &vinfo);
+  _mi_bitmap_forall_setc_ranges(arena->slices_purge, &mi_arena_try_purge_visitor, arena, &vinfo);
 
-  // if not fully purged, make sure to purge again in the future
-  if (!vinfo.all_purged) {
-    const long delay = mi_arena_purge_delay();
-    mi_msecs_t expected = 0;
-    if (mi_atomic_casi64_strong_acq_rel(&arena->purge_expire, &expected, _mi_clock_now() + delay)) {
-      mi_atomic_storei64_release(&arena->purge_expire_extend, (mi_msecs_t)0);
-    }
-  }
   return vinfo.any_purged;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/bitmap.c b/src/bitmap.c
index fb334d8a..a534bba5 100644
--- a/src/bitmap.c
+++ b/src/bitmap.c
@@ -1316,9 +1316,10 @@ bool _mi_bitmap_forall_set(mi_bitmap_t* bitmap, mi_forall_set_fun_t* visit, mi_a
 }
 
 // Visit all set bits in a bitmap but try to return ranges (within bfields) if possible.
-// used by purging to purge larger ranges if possible
+// Also clear those ranges atomically.
+// Used by purging to purge larger ranges when possible
 // todo: optimize further? maybe use avx512 to directly get all indices using a mask_compressstore?
-bool _mi_bitmap_forall_set_ranges(mi_bitmap_t* bitmap, mi_forall_set_fun_t* visit, mi_arena_t* arena, void* arg) {
+bool _mi_bitmap_forall_setc_ranges(mi_bitmap_t* bitmap, mi_forall_set_fun_t* visit, mi_arena_t* arena, void* arg) {
   // for all chunkmap entries
   const size_t chunkmap_max = _mi_divide_up(mi_bitmap_chunk_count(bitmap), MI_BFIELD_BITS);
   for (size_t i = 0; i < chunkmap_max; i++) {
@@ -1331,7 +1332,7 @@ bool _mi_bitmap_forall_set_ranges(mi_bitmap_t* bitmap, mi_forall_set_fun_t* visi
       mi_bchunk_t* const chunk = &bitmap->chunks[chunk_idx];
       for (size_t j = 0; j < MI_BCHUNK_FIELDS; j++) {
         const size_t base_idx = (chunk_idx*MI_BCHUNK_BITS) + (j*MI_BFIELD_BITS);
-        mi_bfield_t b = mi_atomic_load_relaxed(&chunk->bfields[j]);
+        mi_bfield_t b = mi_atomic_exchange_acq_rel(&chunk->bfields[j], 0); // can be relaxed?
         #if MI_DEBUG > 1
         const size_t bpopcount = mi_popcount(b);
         size_t rngcount = 0;
diff --git a/src/bitmap.h b/src/bitmap.h
index 4afcdaf1..47c22025 100644
--- a/src/bitmap.h
+++ b/src/bitmap.h
@@ -234,6 +234,6 @@ typedef bool (mi_forall_set_fun_t)(size_t slice_index, size_t slice_count, mi_ar
 bool _mi_bitmap_forall_set(mi_bitmap_t* bitmap, mi_forall_set_fun_t* visit, mi_arena_t* arena, void* arg);
 
 // Visit all set bits in a bitmap with larger ranges if possible (`slice_count >= 1`)
-bool _mi_bitmap_forall_set_ranges(mi_bitmap_t* bitmap, mi_forall_set_fun_t* visit, mi_arena_t* arena, void* arg);
+bool _mi_bitmap_forall_setc_ranges(mi_bitmap_t* bitmap, mi_forall_set_fun_t* visit, mi_arena_t* arena, void* arg);
 
 #endif // MI_BITMAP_H