diff --git a/src/builtin_status.cpp b/src/builtin_status.cpp
index fe253ecfd..455df9fe5 100644
--- a/src/builtin_status.cpp
+++ b/src/builtin_status.cpp
@@ -309,6 +309,7 @@ int builtin_status(parser_t &parser, io_streams_t &streams, wchar_t **argv) {
                 streams.out.append_format(_(L"This is not a login shell\n"));
             }
 
+            auto job_control_mode = get_job_control_mode();
             streams.out.append_format(
                 _(L"Job control: %ls\n"),
                 job_control_mode == job_control_t::interactive
@@ -335,7 +336,7 @@ int builtin_status(parser_t &parser, io_streams_t &streams, wchar_t **argv) {
                 opts.new_job_control_mode = new_mode;
             }
             assert(opts.new_job_control_mode && "Should have a new mode");
-            job_control_mode = *opts.new_job_control_mode;
+            set_job_control_mode(*opts.new_job_control_mode);
             break;
         }
         case STATUS_FEATURES: {
@@ -407,17 +408,17 @@ int builtin_status(parser_t &parser, io_streams_t &streams, wchar_t **argv) {
         }
         case STATUS_IS_FULL_JOB_CTRL: {
             CHECK_FOR_UNEXPECTED_STATUS_ARGS(opts.status_cmd)
-            retval = job_control_mode != job_control_t::all;
+            retval = get_job_control_mode() != job_control_t::all;
             break;
         }
         case STATUS_IS_INTERACTIVE_JOB_CTRL: {
             CHECK_FOR_UNEXPECTED_STATUS_ARGS(opts.status_cmd)
-            retval = job_control_mode != job_control_t::interactive;
+            retval = get_job_control_mode() != job_control_t::interactive;
             break;
         }
         case STATUS_IS_NO_JOB_CTRL: {
             CHECK_FOR_UNEXPECTED_STATUS_ARGS(opts.status_cmd)
-            retval = job_control_mode != job_control_t::none;
+            retval = get_job_control_mode() != job_control_t::none;
             break;
         }
         case STATUS_STACK_TRACE: {
diff --git a/src/parse_execution.cpp b/src/parse_execution.cpp
index abdb53497..2a5c4ad72 100644
--- a/src/parse_execution.cpp
+++ b/src/parse_execution.cpp
@@ -1228,6 +1228,7 @@ parse_execution_result_t parse_execution_context_t::run_1_job(tnode_t<g::job> jo
 
     shared_ptr<job_t> job = std::make_shared<job_t>(acquire_job_id(), block_io, parent_job);
     job->tmodes = tmodes;
+    auto job_control_mode = get_job_control_mode();
     job->set_flag(job_flag_t::JOB_CONTROL,
                   (job_control_mode == job_control_t::all) ||
                       ((job_control_mode == job_control_t::interactive) && shell_is_interactive()));
diff --git a/src/proc.cpp b/src/proc.cpp
index c3f3b8492..238df7b76 100644
--- a/src/proc.cpp
+++ b/src/proc.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "common.h"
 #include "event.h"
 #include "fallback.h"  // IWYU pragma: keep
+#include "global_safety.h"
 #include "io.h"
 #include "output.h"
 #include "parse_tree.h"
@@ -70,10 +71,15 @@ bool is_block = false;
 bool is_breakpoint = false;
 bool is_login = false;
 int is_event = 0;
-job_control_t job_control_mode = job_control_t::interactive;
 int no_exec = 0;
 bool have_proc_stat = false;
 
+static relaxed_atomic_t<job_control_t> job_control_mode{job_control_t::interactive};
+
+job_control_t get_job_control_mode() { return job_control_mode; }
+
+void set_job_control_mode(job_control_t mode) { job_control_mode = mode; }
+
 static int is_interactive = -1;
 
 bool shell_is_interactive() {
diff --git a/src/proc.h b/src/proc.h
index 573fd8aab..535f3db26 100644
--- a/src/proc.h
+++ b/src/proc.h
@@ -468,7 +468,8 @@ job_list_t &jobs();
 /// The current job control mode.
 ///
 /// Must be one of job_control_t::all, job_control_t::interactive and job_control_t::none.
-extern job_control_t job_control_mode;
+job_control_t get_job_control_mode();
+void set_job_control_mode(job_control_t mode);
 
 /// If this flag is set, fish will never fork or run execve. It is used to put fish into a syntax
 /// verifier mode where fish tries to validate the syntax of a file but doesn't actually do