diff --git a/.changeset/lucky-eagles-speak.md b/.changeset/lucky-eagles-speak.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c25560826a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/lucky-eagles-speak.md
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+"effect": minor
+---
+
+add Effect.makeLatch, for creating a simple async latch
+
+```ts
+import { Effect } from "effect"
+
+Effect.gen(function* () {
+  // Create a latch, starting in the closed state
+  const latch = yield* Effect.makeLatch(false)
+
+  // Fork a fiber that logs "open sesame" when the latch is opened
+  const fiber = yield* Effect.log("open sesame").pipe(
+    latch.whenOpen,
+    Effect.fork
+  )
+
+  // Open the latch
+  yield* latch.open
+  yield* fiber.await
+})
+```
diff --git a/packages/effect/src/Effect.ts b/packages/effect/src/Effect.ts
index f58f064728..090039deb2 100644
--- a/packages/effect/src/Effect.ts
+++ b/packages/effect/src/Effect.ts
@@ -5400,6 +5400,56 @@ export const unsafeMakeSemaphore: (permits: number) => Semaphore = circular.unsa
  */
 export const makeSemaphore: (permits: number) => Effect<Semaphore> = circular.makeSemaphore
 
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// latch
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+/**
+ * @category latch
+ * @since 3.8.0
+ */
+export interface Latch {
+  /** open the latch, releasing all fibers waiting on it */
+  readonly open: Effect<void>
+  /** release all fibers waiting on the latch, without opening it */
+  readonly release: Effect<void>
+  /** wait for the latch to be opened */
+  readonly await: Effect<void>
+  /** close the latch */
+  readonly close: Effect<void>
+  /** only run the given effect when the latch is open */
+  readonly whenOpen: <A, E, R>(self: Effect<A, E, R>) => Effect<A, E, R>
+}
+
+/**
+ * @category latch
+ * @since 3.8.0
+ */
+export const unsafeMakeLatch: (open?: boolean | undefined) => Latch = circular.unsafeMakeLatch
+
+/**
+ * @category latch
+ * @since 3.8.0
+ * @example
+ * import { Effect } from "effect"
+ *
+ * Effect.gen(function*() {
+ *   // Create a latch, starting in the closed state
+ *   const latch = yield* Effect.makeLatch(false)
+ *
+ *   // Fork a fiber that logs "open sesame" when the latch is opened
+ *   const fiber = yield* Effect.log("open sesame").pipe(
+ *     latch.whenOpen,
+ *     Effect.fork
+ *   )
+ *
+ *   // Open the latch
+ *   yield* latch.open
+ *   yield* fiber.await
+ * })
+ */
+export const makeLatch: (open?: boolean | undefined) => Effect<Latch, never, never> = circular.makeLatch
+
 // -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // execution
 // -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/packages/effect/src/internal/effect/circular.ts b/packages/effect/src/internal/effect/circular.ts
index a1c790964f..53a75fea5c 100644
--- a/packages/effect/src/internal/effect/circular.ts
+++ b/packages/effect/src/internal/effect/circular.ts
@@ -112,6 +112,67 @@ export const unsafeMakeSemaphore = (permits: number): Semaphore => new Semaphore
 /** @internal */
 export const makeSemaphore = (permits: number) => core.sync(() => unsafeMakeSemaphore(permits))
 
+class Latch implements Effect.Latch {
+  waiters: Array<(_: Effect.Effect<void>) => void> = []
+  scheduled = false
+  constructor(private isOpen: boolean) {}
+
+  private unsafeSchedule(fiber: Fiber.RuntimeFiber<void>) {
+    if (this.scheduled || this.waiters.length === 0) {
+      return core.void
+    }
+    this.scheduled = true
+    fiber.currentScheduler.scheduleTask(this.flushWaiters, fiber.getFiberRef(core.currentSchedulingPriority))
+    return core.void
+  }
+  private flushWaiters = () => {
+    this.scheduled = false
+    const waiters = this.waiters
+    this.waiters = []
+    for (let i = 0; i < waiters.length; i++) {
+      waiters[i](core.exitVoid)
+    }
+  }
+
+  open = core.withFiberRuntime<void>((fiber) => {
+    if (this.isOpen) {
+      return core.void
+    }
+    this.isOpen = true
+    return this.unsafeSchedule(fiber)
+  })
+  release = core.withFiberRuntime<void>((fiber) => {
+    if (this.isOpen) {
+      return core.void
+    }
+    return this.unsafeSchedule(fiber)
+  })
+  await = core.unsafeAsync<void>((resume) => {
+    if (this.isOpen) {
+      return resume(core.void)
+    }
+    this.waiters.push(resume)
+    return core.sync(() => {
+      const index = this.waiters.indexOf(resume)
+      if (index !== -1) {
+        this.waiters.splice(index, 1)
+      }
+    })
+  })
+  close = core.sync(() => {
+    this.isOpen = false
+  })
+  whenOpen = <A, E, R>(self: Effect.Effect<A, E, R>): Effect.Effect<A, E, R> => {
+    return core.zipRight(this.await, self)
+  }
+}
+
+/** @internal */
+export const unsafeMakeLatch = (open?: boolean | undefined): Effect.Latch => new Latch(open ?? false)
+
+/** @internal */
+export const makeLatch = (open?: boolean | undefined) => core.sync(() => unsafeMakeLatch(open))
+
 /** @internal */
 export const awaitAllChildren = <A, E, R>(self: Effect.Effect<A, E, R>): Effect.Effect<A, E, R> =>
   ensuringChildren(self, fiberRuntime.fiberAwaitAll)
diff --git a/packages/effect/test/Effect/latch.test.ts b/packages/effect/test/Effect/latch.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e85d56184e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/effect/test/Effect/latch.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import { Effect, Exit } from "effect"
+import { assert, describe, it } from "effect/test/utils/extend"
+
+describe("Latch", () => {
+  it.effect("open works", () =>
+    Effect.gen(function*() {
+      const latch = yield* Effect.makeLatch()
+      let fiber = yield* latch.await.pipe(
+        Effect.fork
+      )
+      yield* Effect.yieldNow()
+      assert.isNull(fiber.unsafePoll())
+      yield* latch.open
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(yield* fiber.await, Exit.void)
+
+      fiber = yield* latch.await.pipe(
+        Effect.fork
+      )
+      yield* Effect.yieldNow()
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(fiber.unsafePoll(), Exit.void)
+
+      yield* latch.close
+      fiber = yield* Effect.void.pipe(
+        latch.whenOpen,
+        Effect.fork
+      )
+      yield* Effect.yieldNow()
+      assert.isNull(fiber.unsafePoll())
+
+      yield* latch.release
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(yield* fiber.await, Exit.void)
+    }))
+})