diff --git a/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/election.go b/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/election.go
index 52bbe2e93ce..0a76c202de2 100644
--- a/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/election.go
+++ b/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/election.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import (
 func (c *Conn) NewLeaderParticipation(name, id string) (topo.LeaderParticipation, error) {
 	c.factory.callstats.Add([]string{"NewLeaderParticipation"}, 1)
 
-	if c.closed {
+	if c.closed.Load() {
 		return nil, ErrConnectionClosed
 	}
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ type cLeaderParticipation struct {
 
 // WaitForLeadership is part of the topo.LeaderParticipation interface.
 func (mp *cLeaderParticipation) WaitForLeadership() (context.Context, error) {
-	if mp.c.closed {
+	if mp.c.closed.Load() {
 		return nil, ErrConnectionClosed
 	}
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func (mp *cLeaderParticipation) Stop() {
 
 // GetCurrentLeaderID is part of the topo.LeaderParticipation interface
 func (mp *cLeaderParticipation) GetCurrentLeaderID(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
-	if mp.c.closed {
+	if mp.c.closed.Load() {
 		return "", ErrConnectionClosed
 	}
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func (mp *cLeaderParticipation) GetCurrentLeaderID(ctx context.Context) (string,
 
 // WaitForNewLeader is part of the topo.LeaderParticipation interface
 func (mp *cLeaderParticipation) WaitForNewLeader(ctx context.Context) (<-chan string, error) {
-	if mp.c.closed {
+	if mp.c.closed.Load() {
 		return nil, ErrConnectionClosed
 	}
 
diff --git a/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/lock.go b/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/lock.go
index 0545ba8b182..afce7868469 100644
--- a/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/lock.go
+++ b/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/lock.go
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func (ld *memoryTopoLockDescriptor) Unlock(ctx context.Context) error {
 }
 
 func (c *Conn) unlock(ctx context.Context, dirPath string) error {
-	if c.closed {
+	if c.closed.Load() {
 		return ErrConnectionClosed
 	}
 
diff --git a/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/memorytopo.go b/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/memorytopo.go
index 55057b62468..abf99e760c3 100644
--- a/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/memorytopo.go
+++ b/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/memorytopo.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"math/rand"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/stats"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/log"
@@ -134,13 +135,13 @@ type Conn struct {
 	factory    *Factory
 	cell       string
 	serverAddr string
-	closed     bool
+	closed     atomic.Bool
 }
 
 // dial returns immediately, unless the Conn points to the sentinel
 // UnreachableServerAddr, in which case it will block until the context expires.
 func (c *Conn) dial(ctx context.Context) error {
-	if c.closed {
+	if c.closed.Load() {
 		return ErrConnectionClosed
 	}
 	if c.serverAddr == UnreachableServerAddr {
@@ -153,7 +154,7 @@ func (c *Conn) dial(ctx context.Context) error {
 // Close is part of the topo.Conn interface.
 func (c *Conn) Close() {
 	c.factory.callstats.Add([]string{"Close"}, 1)
-	c.closed = true
+	c.closed.Store(true)
 }
 
 type watch struct {
diff --git a/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/watch.go b/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/watch.go
index 8d9ef5cb54c..3651bcca9ce 100644
--- a/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/watch.go
+++ b/go/vt/topo/memorytopo/watch.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import (
 func (c *Conn) Watch(ctx context.Context, filePath string) (*topo.WatchData, <-chan *topo.WatchData, error) {
 	c.factory.callstats.Add([]string{"Watch"}, 1)
 
-	if c.closed {
+	if c.closed.Load() {
 		return nil, nil, ErrConnectionClosed
 	}
 
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func (c *Conn) Watch(ctx context.Context, filePath string) (*topo.WatchData, <-c
 func (c *Conn) WatchRecursive(ctx context.Context, dirpath string) ([]*topo.WatchDataRecursive, <-chan *topo.WatchDataRecursive, error) {
 	c.factory.callstats.Add([]string{"WatchRecursive"}, 1)
 
-	if c.closed {
+	if c.closed.Load() {
 		return nil, nil, ErrConnectionClosed
 	}