diff --git a/rosjava/src/main/java/org/ros/concurrent/CancellableLoop.java b/rosjava/src/main/java/org/ros/concurrent/CancellableLoop.java
index fa6bc0ba6..b340d7666 100644
--- a/rosjava/src/main/java/org/ros/concurrent/CancellableLoop.java
+++ b/rosjava/src/main/java/org/ros/concurrent/CancellableLoop.java
@@ -16,49 +16,45 @@
 
 package org.ros.concurrent;
 
-import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
-
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 
 /**
  * An interruptable loop that can be run by an {@link ExecutorService}.
- * 
+ *
  * @author khughes@google.com (Keith M. Hughes)
  */
 public abstract class CancellableLoop implements Runnable {
+  private static final Object NOT_STARTED = null;
 
-  private final Object mutex;
-
-  /**
-   * {@code true} if the code has been run once, {@code false} otherwise.
-   */
-  private boolean ranOnce = false;
+  private static final Object FINISHED = CancellableLoop.class;
 
   /**
-   * The {@link Thread} the code will be running in.
+   * State of this loop. Possible values are:
+   * <ul>
+   * <li>{@link #NOT_STARTED} - corresponds to the 'initial' state, before the loop starts
+   * <li>{@link Thread} - 'running' state
+   * <li>{@link #FINISHED} - 'finished' state (this can be an arbitrary object)
+   * </ul>
    */
-  private Thread thread;
-
-  public CancellableLoop() {
-    mutex = new Object();
-  }
+  private final AtomicReference<Object> state = new AtomicReference<Object>();
 
   @Override
   public void run() {
-    synchronized (mutex) {
-      Preconditions.checkState(!ranOnce, "CancellableLoops cannot be restarted.");
-      ranOnce = true;
-      thread = Thread.currentThread();
+    Thread currentThread = Thread.currentThread();
+    if (!state.compareAndSet(NOT_STARTED, currentThread)) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("CancellableLoops cannot be restarted.");
     }
+
     try {
       setup();
-      while (!thread.isInterrupted()) {
+      while (!currentThread.isInterrupted()) {
         loop();
       }
     } catch (InterruptedException e) {
       handleInterruptedException(e);
     } finally {
-      thread = null;
+      state.set(FINISHED);
     }
   }
 
@@ -86,8 +82,23 @@ protected void handleInterruptedException(InterruptedException e) {
    * Interrupts the loop.
    */
   public void cancel() {
-    if (thread != null) {
-      thread.interrupt();
+    for (; ; ) {
+      Object currentState = state.get();
+      if (currentState == NOT_STARTED) {
+        if (state.compareAndSet(NOT_STARTED, FINISHED)) {
+          // cancelled before starting
+          return;
+        } else {
+          // started before we cancelled, try again
+          continue;
+        }
+      // either finished, or we cancel it
+      } else if (currentState != FINISHED && state.compareAndSet(currentState, FINISHED)) {
+        // first to interrupt
+        Thread runningThread = (Thread) currentState;
+        runningThread.interrupt();
+      }
+      return;
     }
   }
 
@@ -95,6 +106,7 @@ public void cancel() {
    * @return {@code true} if the loop is running
    */
   public boolean isRunning() {
-    return thread != null && !thread.isInterrupted();
+    Object currentState = state.get();
+    return currentState != NOT_STARTED && currentState != FINISHED;
   }
 }