diff --git a/handler.go b/handler.go
index 36cf09f72908..413e17969ad9 100644
--- a/handler.go
+++ b/handler.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ package otel // import "go.opentelemetry.io/otel"
 import (
 	"log"
 	"os"
-	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -34,28 +34,26 @@ var (
 )
 
 type delegator struct {
-	lock *sync.RWMutex
-	eh   ErrorHandler
+	delegate atomic.Value
 }
 
 func (d *delegator) Handle(err error) {
-	d.lock.RLock()
-	defer d.lock.RUnlock()
-	d.eh.Handle(err)
+	d.getDelegate().Handle(err)
+}
+
+func (d *delegator) getDelegate() ErrorHandler {
+	return d.delegate.Load().(ErrorHandler)
 }
 
 // setDelegate sets the ErrorHandler delegate.
 func (d *delegator) setDelegate(eh ErrorHandler) {
-	d.lock.Lock()
-	defer d.lock.Unlock()
-	d.eh = eh
+	d.delegate.Store(eh)
 }
 
 func defaultErrorHandler() *delegator {
-	return &delegator{
-		lock: &sync.RWMutex{},
-		eh:   &errLogger{l: log.New(os.Stderr, "", log.LstdFlags)},
-	}
+	d := &delegator{}
+	d.delegate.Store(&errLogger{l: log.New(os.Stderr, "", log.LstdFlags)})
+	return d
 }
 
 // errLogger logs errors if no delegate is set, otherwise they are delegated.
diff --git a/handler_test.go b/handler_test.go
index 32906198f8cf..b6b9b20cae0b 100644
--- a/handler_test.go
+++ b/handler_test.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ type HandlerTestSuite struct {
 
 func (s *HandlerTestSuite) SetupSuite() {
 	s.errCatcher = new(testErrCatcher)
-	s.origHandler = globalErrorHandler.eh
+	s.origHandler = globalErrorHandler.getDelegate()
 
 	globalErrorHandler.setDelegate(&errLogger{l: log.New(s.errCatcher, "", 0)})
 }
@@ -111,12 +111,12 @@ func (s *HandlerTestSuite) TestAllowMultipleSets() {
 	secondary := &errLogger{l: log.New(notUsed, "", 0)}
 	SetErrorHandler(secondary)
 	s.Require().Same(GetErrorHandler(), globalErrorHandler, "set changed globalErrorHandler")
-	s.Require().Same(globalErrorHandler.eh, secondary, "new Handler not set")
+	s.Require().Same(globalErrorHandler.getDelegate(), secondary, "new Handler not set")
 
 	tertiary := &errLogger{l: log.New(notUsed, "", 0)}
 	SetErrorHandler(tertiary)
 	s.Require().Same(GetErrorHandler(), globalErrorHandler, "set changed globalErrorHandler")
-	s.Assert().Same(globalErrorHandler.eh, tertiary, "user Handler not overridden")
+	s.Assert().Same(globalErrorHandler.getDelegate(), tertiary, "user Handler not overridden")
 }
 
 func TestHandlerTestSuite(t *testing.T) {