diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/atomic.h b/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/atomic.h
index b4436c3de9..e6f9995ec6 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/atomic.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Memory/atomic.h
@@ -211,9 +211,9 @@ template<typename T> inline static typename std::enable_if<std::is_arithmetic<T>
 
 template<typename T> inline static typename std::enable_if<std::is_arithmetic<T>::value, T>::type operator --(_atomic_base<be_t<T>>& left, int)
 {
-	u64 result;
+	T result;
 
-	left.atomic_op([&result](be_t<u64>& value)
+	left.atomic_op([&result](be_t<T>& value)
 	{
 		result = value--;
 	});
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/Modules/cellSync.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/Modules/cellSync.cpp
index 23cef8ccf4..618653b7d9 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/Modules/cellSync.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/Modules/cellSync.cpp
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@ s32 syncMutexInitialize(vm::ptr<CellSyncMutex> mutex)
 	{
 		return CELL_SYNC_ERROR_NULL_POINTER;
 	}
+
 	if (mutex.addr() % 4)
 	{
 		return CELL_SYNC_ERROR_ALIGN;
 	}
 
-	// prx: set zero and sync
-	mutex->data.exchange({});
+	mutex->sync_var.exchange({});
 
 	return CELL_OK;
 }
@@ -51,26 +51,22 @@ s32 cellSyncMutexLock(vm::ptr<CellSyncMutex> mutex)
 	{
 		return CELL_SYNC_ERROR_NULL_POINTER;
 	}
+
 	if (mutex.addr() % 4)
 	{
 		return CELL_SYNC_ERROR_ALIGN;
 	}
 
-	// prx: increase m_acq and remember its old value
-	be_t<u16> order;
-	mutex->data.atomic_op([&order](CellSyncMutex::data_t& mutex)
-	{
-		order = mutex.m_acq++;
-	});
+	// prx: increase acquire_count and remember its old value
+	const be_t<u16> order = be_t<u16>::make(mutex->acquire_count++);
 
-	// prx: wait until this old value is equal to m_rel
+	// prx: wait until release_count is equal to old acquire_count
 	g_sync_mutex_wm.wait_op(mutex.addr(), [mutex, order]()
 	{
-		return order == mutex->data.read_relaxed().m_rel;
+		return order == mutex->release_count.read_relaxed();
 	});
 
-	// prx: sync
-	mutex->data.read_sync();
+	mutex->sync_var.read_sync();
 
 	return CELL_OK;
 }
@@ -83,19 +79,16 @@ s32 cellSyncMutexTryLock(vm::ptr<CellSyncMutex> mutex)
 	{
 		return CELL_SYNC_ERROR_NULL_POINTER;
 	}
+
 	if (mutex.addr() % 4)
 	{
 		return CELL_SYNC_ERROR_ALIGN;
 	}
 
-	// prx: exit if m_acq and m_rel are not equal, increase m_acq
-	return mutex->data.atomic_op(CELL_OK, [](CellSyncMutex::data_t& mutex) -> s32
+	// prx: lock only if acquire_count and release_count are equal
+	return mutex->sync_var.atomic_op(CELL_OK, [](CellSyncMutex::sync_t& mutex) -> s32
 	{
-		if (mutex.m_acq++ != mutex.m_rel)
-		{
-			return CELL_SYNC_ERROR_BUSY;
-		}
-		return CELL_OK;
+		return (mutex.acquire_count++ != mutex.release_count) ? CELL_SYNC_ERROR_BUSY : CELL_OK;
 	});
 }
 
@@ -112,10 +105,8 @@ s32 cellSyncMutexUnlock(vm::ptr<CellSyncMutex> mutex)
 		return CELL_SYNC_ERROR_ALIGN;
 	}
 
-	mutex->data.atomic_op_sync([](CellSyncMutex::data_t& mutex)
-	{
-		mutex.m_rel++;
-	});
+	// prx: increase release count
+	mutex->release_count++;
 
 	g_sync_mutex_wm.notify(mutex.addr());
 
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/Modules/cellSync.h b/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/Modules/cellSync.h
index ba7ab97781..0fb5912579 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/Modules/cellSync.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/SysCalls/Modules/cellSync.h
@@ -29,15 +29,21 @@ enum
 	CELL_SYNC_ERROR_NO_SPU_CONTEXT_STORAGE = 0x80410114, // ???
 };
 
-struct CellSyncMutex
+union CellSyncMutex
 {
-	struct data_t
+	struct sync_t
 	{
-		be_t<u16> m_rel; // release order (increased when mutex is unlocked)
-		be_t<u16> m_acq; // acquire order (increased when mutex is locked)
+		be_t<u16> release_count; // increased when mutex is unlocked
+		be_t<u16> acquire_count; // increased when mutex is locked
 	};
 
-	atomic_t<data_t> data;
+	struct
+	{
+		atomic_t<u16> release_count;
+		atomic_t<u16> acquire_count;
+	};
+
+	atomic_t<sync_t> sync_var;
 };
 
 static_assert(sizeof(CellSyncMutex) == 4, "CellSyncMutex: wrong size");