A method and apparatus which maintain a plurality of counters to synchronize a plurality of requests for a lock independent of interlocks. The plurality of counters include a lock counter and an unlock counter. The requests wait in a wait queue maintained separately from the counters without direct access between the counters and the wait queue. The lock counter indicates a cumulative number of lock requests to acquire the lock. The unlock counter indicates a cumulative number of unlock requests to release the lock acquired. One or more requests waiting for the lock are selected according to the counters to be granted with the lock when the lock is released. A request corresponds to a task performing synchronized operations when granted with the lock.