diff --git a/settings.go b/settings.go
index 5d7e916..505f938 100644
--- a/settings.go
+++ b/settings.go
@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@ import "github.com/kelseyhightower/envconfig"
 // variables to setup its settings.
 type Settings struct {
 	// Use statsd as a stats sink.
-	UseStatsd           bool   `envconfig:"USE_STATSD" default:"true"`
+	UseStatsd bool `envconfig:"USE_STATSD" default:"true"`
 	// Address where statsd is running at.
-	StatsdHost          string `envconfig:"STATSD_HOST" default:"localhost"`
+	StatsdHost string `envconfig:"STATSD_HOST" default:"localhost"`
 	// Port where statsd is listening at.
-	StatsdPort          int    `envconfig:"STATSD_PORT" default:"8125"`
-  // Flushing interval.
-	FlushIntervalS      int    `envconfig:"GOSTATS_FLUSH_INTERVAL_SECONDS" default:"5"`
+	StatsdPort int `envconfig:"STATSD_PORT" default:"8125"`
+	// Flushing interval.
+	FlushIntervalS int `envconfig:"GOSTATS_FLUSH_INTERVAL_SECONDS" default:"5"`
 }
 
 // GetSettings returns the Settings gostats will run with.
diff --git a/stats.go b/stats.go
index ae9b1eb..c3fcea3 100644
--- a/stats.go
+++ b/stats.go
@@ -267,8 +267,8 @@ type timer struct {
 	sink Sink
 }
 
-func (t *timer) time(timev time.Duration) {
-	t.sink.FlushTimer(t.name, float64(timev/time.Microsecond))
+func (t *timer) time(dur time.Duration) {
+	t.sink.FlushTimer(t.name, float64(dur/time.Microsecond))
 }
 
 func (t *timer) AddValue(value float64) {
@@ -289,23 +289,30 @@ func (ts *timespan) Complete() {
 }
 
 type statStore struct {
-	sync.Mutex
-	counters       map[string]*counter
-	gauges         map[string]*gauge
-	timers         map[string]*timer
-	sink           Sink
+	countersMtx sync.RWMutex
+	counters    map[string]*counter
+
+	gaugesMtx sync.RWMutex
+	gauges    map[string]*gauge
+
+	timersMtx sync.RWMutex
+	timers    map[string]*timer
+
+	genMtx         sync.RWMutex
 	statGenerators []StatGenerator
-	export         bool
+
+	sink   Sink
+	export bool
 }
 
 func (s *statStore) Flush() {
-	s.Lock()
-	defer s.Unlock()
-
+	s.genMtx.RLock()
 	for _, g := range s.statGenerators {
 		g.GenerateStats()
 	}
+	s.genMtx.RUnlock()
 
+	s.countersMtx.RLock()
 	for name, cv := range s.counters {
 		value := cv.latch()
 
@@ -316,11 +323,14 @@ func (s *statStore) Flush() {
 
 		s.sink.FlushCounter(name, value)
 	}
+	s.countersMtx.RUnlock()
 
+	s.gaugesMtx.RLock()
 	for name, gv := range s.gauges {
 		value := gv.Value()
 		s.sink.FlushGauge(name, value)
 	}
+	s.gaugesMtx.RUnlock()
 }
 
 func (s *statStore) Start(ticker *time.Ticker) {
@@ -328,14 +338,13 @@ func (s *statStore) Start(ticker *time.Ticker) {
 }
 
 func (s *statStore) AddStatGenerator(statGenerator StatGenerator) {
-	s.Lock()
-	defer s.Unlock()
-
+	s.genMtx.Lock()
 	s.statGenerators = append(s.statGenerators, statGenerator)
+	s.genMtx.Unlock()
 }
 
 func (s *statStore) run(ticker *time.Ticker) {
-	for _ = range ticker.C {
+	for range ticker.C {
 		s.Flush()
 	}
 }
@@ -344,33 +353,38 @@ func (s *statStore) Store() Store {
 	return s
 }
 
-func (registry *statStore) Scope(name string) Scope {
-	return subScope{registry: registry, name: name}
+func (s *statStore) Scope(name string) Scope {
+	return subScope{registry: s, name: name}
 }
 
-func (registry *statStore) NewCounter(name string) Counter {
-	registry.Lock()
-	defer registry.Unlock()
+func (s *statStore) NewCounter(name string) Counter {
+	s.countersMtx.RLock()
+	c, ok := s.counters[name]
+	s.countersMtx.RUnlock()
 
-	counterv, ok := registry.counters[name]
 	if ok {
-		return counterv
+		return c
 	} else {
-		counterv = &counter{}
-		registry.counters[name] = counterv
-		if registry.export && expvar.Get(name) == nil {
-			expvar.Publish(name, counterv)
+		c = &counter{}
+
+		s.countersMtx.Lock()
+		s.counters[name] = c
+		s.countersMtx.Unlock()
+
+		if s.export && expvar.Get(name) == nil {
+			expvar.Publish(name, c)
 		}
-		return counterv
+
+		return c
 	}
 }
 
-func (registry *statStore) NewCounterWithTags(name string, tags map[string]string) Counter {
+func (s *statStore) NewCounterWithTags(name string, tags map[string]string) Counter {
 	serializedTags := serializeTags(tags)
-	return registry.NewCounter(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", name, serializedTags))
+	return s.NewCounter(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", name, serializedTags))
 }
 
-func (registry *statStore) NewPerInstanceCounter(name string, tags map[string]string) Counter {
+func (s *statStore) NewPerInstanceCounter(name string, tags map[string]string) Counter {
 	if tags == nil {
 		tags = make(map[string]string, 1)
 	}
@@ -379,32 +393,37 @@ func (registry *statStore) NewPerInstanceCounter(name string, tags map[string]st
 		tags["_f"] = "i"
 	}
 	serializedTags := serializeTags(tags)
-	return registry.NewCounter(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", name, serializedTags))
+	return s.NewCounter(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", name, serializedTags))
 }
 
-func (registry *statStore) NewGauge(name string) Gauge {
-	registry.Lock()
-	defer registry.Unlock()
+func (s *statStore) NewGauge(name string) Gauge {
+	s.gaugesMtx.RLock()
+	g, ok := s.gauges[name]
+	s.gaugesMtx.RUnlock()
 
-	gaugev, ok := registry.gauges[name]
 	if ok {
-		return gaugev
+		return g
 	} else {
-		gaugev = &gauge{}
-		registry.gauges[name] = gaugev
-		if registry.export && expvar.Get(name) == nil {
-			expvar.Publish(name, gaugev)
+		g = &gauge{}
+
+		s.gaugesMtx.Lock()
+		s.gauges[name] = g
+		s.gaugesMtx.Unlock()
+
+		if s.export && expvar.Get(name) == nil {
+			expvar.Publish(name, g)
 		}
-		return gaugev
+
+		return g
 	}
 }
 
-func (registry *statStore) NewGaugeWithTags(name string, tags map[string]string) Gauge {
+func (s *statStore) NewGaugeWithTags(name string, tags map[string]string) Gauge {
 	serializedTags := serializeTags(tags)
-	return registry.NewGauge(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", name, serializedTags))
+	return s.NewGauge(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", name, serializedTags))
 }
 
-func (registry *statStore) NewPerInstanceGauge(name string, tags map[string]string) Gauge {
+func (s *statStore) NewPerInstanceGauge(name string, tags map[string]string) Gauge {
 	if tags == nil {
 		tags = make(map[string]string, 1)
 	}
@@ -413,29 +432,33 @@ func (registry *statStore) NewPerInstanceGauge(name string, tags map[string]stri
 		tags["_f"] = "i"
 	}
 	serializedTags := serializeTags(tags)
-	return registry.NewGauge(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", name, serializedTags))
+	return s.NewGauge(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", name, serializedTags))
 }
 
-func (registry *statStore) NewTimer(name string) Timer {
-	registry.Lock()
-	defer registry.Unlock()
+func (s *statStore) NewTimer(name string) Timer {
+	s.timersMtx.RLock()
+	t, ok := s.timers[name]
+	s.timersMtx.RUnlock()
 
-	timerv, ok := registry.timers[name]
 	if ok {
-		return timerv
+		return t
 	} else {
-		timerv = &timer{name: name, sink: registry.sink}
-		registry.timers[name] = timerv
-		return timerv
+		t = &timer{name: name, sink: s.sink}
+
+		s.timersMtx.Lock()
+		s.timers[name] = t
+		s.timersMtx.Unlock()
+
+		return t
 	}
 }
 
-func (registry *statStore) NewTimerWithTags(name string, tags map[string]string) Timer {
+func (s *statStore) NewTimerWithTags(name string, tags map[string]string) Timer {
 	serializedTags := serializeTags(tags)
-	return registry.NewTimer(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", name, serializedTags))
+	return s.NewTimer(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", name, serializedTags))
 }
 
-func (registry *statStore) NewPerInstanceTimer(name string, tags map[string]string) Timer {
+func (s *statStore) NewPerInstanceTimer(name string, tags map[string]string) Timer {
 	if tags == nil {
 		tags = make(map[string]string, 1)
 	}
@@ -444,7 +467,7 @@ func (registry *statStore) NewPerInstanceTimer(name string, tags map[string]stri
 		tags["_f"] = "i"
 	}
 	serializedTags := serializeTags(tags)
-	return registry.NewTimer(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", name, serializedTags))
+	return s.NewTimer(fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", name, serializedTags))
 }
 
 func (s subScope) Scope(name string) Scope {
diff --git a/stats_test.go b/stats_test.go
index 0580e1a..db2b8e0 100644
--- a/stats_test.go
+++ b/stats_test.go
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 package stats
 
 import (
+	"math/rand"
+	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 // Ensure flushing and adding generators does not race
@@ -29,3 +32,21 @@ func TestStats(t *testing.T) {
 
 	wg.Wait()
 }
+
+var bmID = ""
+var bmVal = uint64(0)
+
+func BenchmarkStore_MutexContention(b *testing.B) {
+	s := NewStore(&nullSink{}, false)
+	t := time.NewTicker(500 * time.Microsecond) // we want flush to contend with accessing metrics
+	defer t.Stop()
+	go s.Start(t)
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		bmID = strconv.Itoa(rand.Intn(1000))
+		c := s.NewCounter(bmID)
+		c.Inc()
+		bmVal = c.Value()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tcp_sink_test.go b/tcp_sink_test.go
index c2d6123..86a8c40 100644
--- a/tcp_sink_test.go
+++ b/tcp_sink_test.go
@@ -3,23 +3,31 @@ package stats
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 )
 
 type testStatSink struct {
+	sync.Mutex
 	record string
 }
 
 func (s *testStatSink) FlushCounter(name string, value uint64) {
+	s.Lock()
 	s.record += fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d|c\n", name, value)
+	s.Unlock()
 }
 
 func (s *testStatSink) FlushGauge(name string, value uint64) {
+	s.Lock()
 	s.record += fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d|g\n", name, value)
+	s.Unlock()
 }
 
 func (s *testStatSink) FlushTimer(name string, value float64) {
+	s.Lock()
 	s.record += fmt.Sprintf("%s:%f|ms\n", name, value)
+	s.Unlock()
 }
 
 func TestCreateTimer(t *testing.T) {