diff --git a/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/ArcusClient.java b/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/ArcusClient.java
index 92ccbc2b5..e863e7267 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/ArcusClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/ArcusClient.java
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@
  */
 public class ArcusClient extends FrontCacheMemcachedClient implements ArcusClientIF {
 
-  private static String VERSION = "INIT";
+  private static final AtomicReference<String> VERSION = new AtomicReference<String>("INIT");
   private static final Logger arcusLogger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(ArcusClient.class);
   private static final String ARCUS_CLOUD_ADDR = "127.0.0.1:2181";
   private static final String DEFAULT_ARCUS_CLIENT_NAME = "ArcusClient";
@@ -4273,37 +4273,31 @@ private void checkDupKey(Collection<String> keyList) {
    * @return version string
    */
   public static String getVersion() {
-    if (!VERSION.equals("INIT")) {
-      return VERSION;
+    String result = VERSION.get();
+    if (!result.equals("INIT")) {
+      return result;
     }
-    synchronized (VERSION) {
-      if (VERSION.equals("INIT")) {
-        Enumeration<URL> resEnum;
-        try {
-          resEnum = Thread.currentThread()
-                  .getContextClassLoader().getResources(JarFile.MANIFEST_NAME);
-          while (resEnum.hasMoreElements()) {
-            URL url = resEnum.nextElement();
-            InputStream is = url.openStream();
-            if (is != null) {
-              Manifest manifest = new Manifest(is);
-              java.util.jar.Attributes mainAttribs = manifest.getMainAttributes();
-              String version = mainAttribs.getValue("Arcusclient-Version");
-              if (version != null) {
-                VERSION = version;
-                break;
-              }
-            }
-          }
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-          // Failed to get version.
-        } finally {
-          if (VERSION.equals("INIT")) {
-            VERSION = "NONE";
+    Enumeration<URL> resEnum;
+    try {
+      resEnum = Thread.currentThread()
+              .getContextClassLoader().getResources(JarFile.MANIFEST_NAME);
+      while (resEnum.hasMoreElements()) {
+        URL url = resEnum.nextElement();
+        InputStream is = url.openStream();
+        if (is != null) {
+          Manifest manifest = new Manifest(is);
+          java.util.jar.Attributes mainAttribs = manifest.getMainAttributes();
+          String version = mainAttribs.getValue("Arcusclient-Version");
+          if (version != null) {
+            VERSION.compareAndSet("INIT", version);
+            break;
           }
         }
       }
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      // Failed to get version.
+      VERSION.compareAndSet("INIT", "NONE");
     }
-    return VERSION;
+    return VERSION.get();
   }
 }