diff --git a/include/haproxy/thread-t.h b/include/haproxy/thread-t.h
index 8eba633d0..0d8cf3b39 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/thread-t.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/thread-t.h
@@ -94,6 +94,20 @@
 #define __HA_SPINLOCK_T     unsigned long
 #define __HA_RWLOCK_T       unsigned long
 
+/* Type used as a shared value from a global counter. Manipulation to the
+ * global value is thread-safe. Share counter can be increased/decreased
+ * without modifying the global value to reduce contention. The global value is
+ * modified only when the configured limit is reached.
+ *
+ * Typically a cshared is declared as a thread-local variable, with a reference
+ * to a process global value.
+ */
+struct cshared {
+	uint64_t *global;
+	int diff;
+	int lim;
+};
+
 
 /* When thread debugging is enabled, we remap HA_SPINLOCK_T and HA_RWLOCK_T to
  * complex structures which embed debugging info.
diff --git a/include/haproxy/thread.h b/include/haproxy/thread.h
index 4ed2dd677..92bf6a647 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/thread.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/thread.h
@@ -173,6 +173,23 @@ static inline unsigned long long ha_get_pthread_id(unsigned int thr)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static inline void cshared_init(struct cshared *ctr, uint64_t *var, int lim)
+{
+	ctr->global = var;
+	ctr->diff = 0;
+	ctr->lim = 0;
+}
+
+static inline void cshared_add(struct cshared *ctr, int diff)
+{
+	ctr->global += diff;
+}
+
+static inline uint64_t cshared_read(struct cshared *ctr)
+{
+	return *ctr->global;
+}
+
 #else /* !USE_THREAD */
 
 /********************** THREADS ENABLED ************************/
@@ -332,6 +349,33 @@ static inline unsigned long thread_isolated()
 
 #endif
 
+/* Init a shared counter <ctr> which references global value <var>. Update are
+ * performed each time the shared counter exceed <lim>, either on the positive
+ * or negative value.
+ */
+static inline void cshared_init(struct cshared *ctr, uint64_t *var, int lim)
+{
+	ctr->global = var;
+	ctr->diff = 0;
+	ctr->lim = lim;
+}
+
+/* Add <diff>, which may be positive or negative, to <ctr> shared counter. */
+static inline void cshared_add(struct cshared *ctr, int diff)
+{
+	ctr->diff += diff;
+	if (ctr->diff <= -(ctr->lim) || ctr->diff >= ctr->lim) {
+		HA_ATOMIC_ADD(ctr->global, ctr->diff);
+		ctr->diff = 0;
+	}
+}
+
+/* Atomically get current global value from <ctr> shared counter. */
+static inline uint64_t cshared_read(struct cshared *ctr)
+{
+	return HA_ATOMIC_LOAD(ctr->global);
+}
+
 #if (DEBUG_THREAD < 2) && !defined(DEBUG_FULL)
 
 /* Thread debugging is DISABLED, these are the regular locking functions */