diff --git a/tracing-appender/src/non_blocking.rs b/tracing-appender/src/non_blocking.rs
index 009e4f5b61..65129e8fc6 100644
--- a/tracing-appender/src/non_blocking.rs
+++ b/tracing-appender/src/non_blocking.rs
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ use crate::Msg;
 use crossbeam_channel::{bounded, SendTimeoutError, Sender};
 use std::io;
 use std::io::Write;
-use std::sync::atomic::AtomicU64;
+use std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize;
 use std::sync::atomic::Ordering;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::thread::JoinHandle;
@@ -124,11 +124,20 @@ pub struct WorkerGuard {
 /// [fmt]: mod@tracing_subscriber::fmt
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct NonBlocking {
-    error_counter: Arc<AtomicU64>,
+    error_counter: ErrorCounter,
     channel: Sender<Msg>,
     is_lossy: bool,
 }
 
+/// Tracks the number of times a log line was dropped by the background thread.
+///
+/// If the non-blocking writer is not configured in [lossy mode], the error
+/// count should always be 0.
+///
+/// [lossy mode]: NonBlockingBuilder::lossy
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub struct ErrorCounter(Arc<AtomicUsize>);
+
 impl NonBlocking {
     /// Returns a new `NonBlocking` writer wrapping the provided `writer`.
     ///
@@ -157,7 +166,7 @@ impl NonBlocking {
         (
             Self {
                 channel: sender,
-                error_counter: Arc::new(AtomicU64::new(0)),
+                error_counter: ErrorCounter(Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0))),
                 is_lossy,
             },
             worker_guard,
@@ -166,7 +175,7 @@ impl NonBlocking {
 
     /// Returns a counter for the number of times logs where dropped. This will always return zero if
     /// `NonBlocking` is not lossy.
-    pub fn error_counter(&self) -> Arc<AtomicU64> {
+    pub fn error_counter(&self) -> ErrorCounter {
         self.error_counter.clone()
     }
 }
@@ -218,7 +227,7 @@ impl std::io::Write for NonBlocking {
         let buf_size = buf.len();
         if self.is_lossy {
             if self.channel.try_send(Msg::Line(buf.to_vec())).is_err() {
-                self.error_counter.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Release);
+                self.error_counter.incr_saturating();
             }
         } else {
             return match self.channel.send(Msg::Line(buf.to_vec())) {
@@ -279,6 +288,43 @@ impl Drop for WorkerGuard {
     }
 }
 
+// === impl ErrorCounter ===
+
+impl ErrorCounter {
+    /// Returns the number of log lines that have been dropped.
+    ///
+    /// If the non-blocking writer is not configured in [lossy mode], the error
+    /// count should always be 0.
+    ///
+    /// [lossy mode]: NonBlockingBuilder::lossy
+    pub fn dropped_lines(&self) -> usize {
+        self.0.load(Ordering::Acquire)
+    }
+
+    fn incr_saturating(&self) {
+        let mut curr = self.0.load(Ordering::Acquire);
+        // We don't need to enter the CAS loop if the current value is already
+        // `usize::MAX`.
+        if curr == usize::MAX {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // This is implemented as a CAS loop rather than as a simple
+        // `fetch_add`, because we don't want to wrap on overflow. Instead, we
+        // need to ensure that saturating addition is performed.
+        loop {
+            let val = curr.saturating_add(1);
+            match self
+                .0
+                .compare_exchange(curr, val, Ordering::AcqRel, Ordering::Acquire)
+            {
+                Ok(_) => return,
+                Err(actual) => curr = actual,
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use super::*;
@@ -321,7 +367,7 @@ mod test {
         let error_count = non_blocking.error_counter();
 
         non_blocking.write_all(b"Hello").expect("Failed to write");
-        assert_eq!(0, error_count.load(Ordering::Acquire));
+        assert_eq!(0, error_count.dropped_lines());
 
         let handle = thread::spawn(move || {
             non_blocking.write_all(b", World").expect("Failed to write");
@@ -330,7 +376,7 @@ mod test {
         // Sleep a little to ensure previously spawned thread gets blocked on write.
         thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(100));
         // We should not drop logs when blocked.
-        assert_eq!(0, error_count.load(Ordering::Acquire));
+        assert_eq!(0, error_count.dropped_lines());
 
         // Read the first message to unblock sender.
         let mut line = rx.recv().unwrap();
@@ -365,17 +411,17 @@ mod test {
 
         // First write will not block
         write_non_blocking(&mut non_blocking, b"Hello");
-        assert_eq!(0, error_count.load(Ordering::Acquire));
+        assert_eq!(0, error_count.dropped_lines());
 
         // Second write will not block as Worker will have called `recv` on channel.
         // "Hello" is not yet consumed. MockWriter call to write_all will block until
         // "Hello" is consumed.
         write_non_blocking(&mut non_blocking, b", World");
-        assert_eq!(0, error_count.load(Ordering::Acquire));
+        assert_eq!(0, error_count.dropped_lines());
 
         // Will sit in NonBlocking channel's buffer.
         write_non_blocking(&mut non_blocking, b"Test");
-        assert_eq!(0, error_count.load(Ordering::Acquire));
+        assert_eq!(0, error_count.dropped_lines());
 
         // Allow a line to be written. "Hello" message will be consumed.
         // ", World" will be able to write to MockWriter.
@@ -385,12 +431,12 @@ mod test {
 
         // This will block as NonBlocking channel is full.
         write_non_blocking(&mut non_blocking, b"Universe");
-        assert_eq!(1, error_count.load(Ordering::Acquire));
+        assert_eq!(1, error_count.dropped_lines());
 
         // Finally the second message sent will be consumed.
         let line = rx.recv().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(line, ", World");
-        assert_eq!(1, error_count.load(Ordering::Acquire));
+        assert_eq!(1, error_count.dropped_lines());
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -426,6 +472,6 @@ mod test {
         }
 
         assert_eq!(10, hello_count);
-        assert_eq!(0, error_count.load(Ordering::Acquire));
+        assert_eq!(0, error_count.dropped_lines());
     }
 }