diff --git a/include/o3tl/cow_wrapper.hxx b/include/o3tl/cow_wrapper.hxx
index cc823f60ec57..3c5de8eedf3d 100644
--- a/include/o3tl/cow_wrapper.hxx
+++ b/include/o3tl/cow_wrapper.hxx
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@
 #ifndef INCLUDED_O3TL_COW_WRAPPER_HXX
 #define INCLUDED_O3TL_COW_WRAPPER_HXX
 
-#include <osl/interlck.h>
-
+#include <atomic>
 #include <optional>
 #include <cstddef>
 
@@ -38,6 +37,7 @@ namespace o3tl
         typedef std::size_t ref_count_t;
         static void incrementCount( ref_count_t& rCount ) { ++rCount; }
         static bool decrementCount( ref_count_t& rCount ) { return --rCount != 0; }
+        static std::size_t getCount( ref_count_t& rCount) { return rCount; }
     };
 
     /** Thread-safe refcounting
@@ -47,12 +47,13 @@ namespace o3tl
      */
     struct ThreadSafeRefCountingPolicy
     {
-        typedef oslInterlockedCount ref_count_t;
-        static void incrementCount( ref_count_t& rCount ) { osl_atomic_increment(&rCount); }
+        typedef std::atomic<int> ref_count_t;
+        static void incrementCount( ref_count_t& rCount ) { rCount++; }
         static bool decrementCount( ref_count_t& rCount )
         {
-            return osl_atomic_decrement(&rCount) != 0;
+            return (--rCount) != 0;
         }
+        static std::size_t getCount( ref_count_t& rCount) { return rCount; }
     };
 
     /** Copy-on-write wrapper.
@@ -315,9 +316,9 @@ int cow_wrapper_client::queryUnmodified() const
         }
 
         /// return number of shared instances (1 for unique object)
-        typename MTPolicy::ref_count_t use_count() const // nothrow
+        size_t use_count() const // nothrow
         {
-            return m_pimpl ? m_pimpl->m_ref_count : 0;
+            return m_pimpl ? MTPolicy::getCount(m_pimpl->m_ref_count) : 0;
         }
 
         void swap(cow_wrapper& r) // never throws
diff --git a/o3tl/qa/cow_wrapper_clients.cxx b/o3tl/qa/cow_wrapper_clients.cxx
index 913165c83c56..a72e8a50275f 100644
--- a/o3tl/qa/cow_wrapper_clients.cxx
+++ b/o3tl/qa/cow_wrapper_clients.cxx
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ bool cow_wrapper_client2::is_unique() const
 {
     return maImpl.is_unique();
 }
-oslInterlockedCount cow_wrapper_client2::use_count() const
+int cow_wrapper_client2::use_count() const
 {
     return maImpl.use_count();
 }
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ bool cow_wrapper_client3::is_unique() const
 {
     return maImpl.is_unique();
 }
-oslInterlockedCount cow_wrapper_client3::use_count() const
+int cow_wrapper_client3::use_count() const
 {
     return maImpl.use_count();
 }
diff --git a/o3tl/qa/cow_wrapper_clients.hxx b/o3tl/qa/cow_wrapper_clients.hxx
index d0e416c96318..dac1a3da0311 100644
--- a/o3tl/qa/cow_wrapper_clients.hxx
+++ b/o3tl/qa/cow_wrapper_clients.hxx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #ifndef INCLUDED_O3TL_QA_COW_WRAPPER_CLIENTS_HXX
 #define INCLUDED_O3TL_QA_COW_WRAPPER_CLIENTS_HXX
 
+#include <sal/types.h>
 #include <o3tl/cow_wrapper.hxx>
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <iostream>
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ public:
 
     void makeUnique() { maImpl.make_unique(); }
     bool is_unique() const { return maImpl.is_unique(); }
-    oslInterlockedCount use_count() const { return maImpl.use_count(); }
+    int use_count() const { return maImpl.use_count(); }
     void swap( cow_wrapper_client1& r ) { o3tl::swap(maImpl, r.maImpl); }
 
     bool operator==( const cow_wrapper_client1& rRHS ) const { return maImpl == rRHS.maImpl; }
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ public:
 
     void makeUnique();
     bool is_unique() const;
-    oslInterlockedCount use_count() const;
+    int use_count() const;
     void swap( cow_wrapper_client2& r );
 
     bool operator==( const cow_wrapper_client2& rRHS ) const;
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ public:
 
     void makeUnique();
     bool is_unique() const;
-    oslInterlockedCount use_count() const;
+    int use_count() const;
     void swap( cow_wrapper_client3& r );
 
     bool operator==( const cow_wrapper_client3& rRHS ) const;
@@ -172,6 +173,7 @@ struct BogusRefCountPolicy
         }
         return rCount != 0;
     }
+    static std::size_t getCount( ref_count_t& rCount) { return rCount; }
 };
 
 class cow_wrapper_client5