diff --git a/tsl/platform/BUILD b/tsl/platform/BUILD
index f160011f6..be1f120fc 100644
--- a/tsl/platform/BUILD
+++ b/tsl/platform/BUILD
@@ -60,7 +60,10 @@ cc_library(
     compatible_with = get_compatible_with_portable(),
     deps = [
         ":logging",
-        ":mutex",
+        "//util/symbolize",
+        "@com_google_absl//absl/base:core_headers",
+        "@com_google_absl//absl/synchronization",
+        "@com_google_absl//absl/time",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/tsl/platform/blocking_counter.h b/tsl/platform/blocking_counter.h
index c085e4d66..1c1122ee0 100644
--- a/tsl/platform/blocking_counter.h
+++ b/tsl/platform/blocking_counter.h
@@ -17,9 +17,14 @@ limitations under the License.
 #define TENSORFLOW_TSL_PLATFORM_BLOCKING_COUNTER_H_
 
 #include <atomic>
+#include <chrono>  // NOLINT
+#include <cstdint>
 
+#include "absl/base/thread_annotations.h"
+#include "absl/synchronization/mutex.h"
+#include "absl/time/time.h"
 #include "tsl/platform/logging.h"
-#include "tsl/platform/mutex.h"
+#include "util/symbolize/symbolized_stacktrace.h"
 
 namespace tsl {
 
@@ -28,10 +33,13 @@ class BlockingCounter {
   BlockingCounter(int initial_count)
       : state_(initial_count << 1), notified_(false) {
     CHECK_GE(initial_count, 0);
-    DCHECK_EQ((initial_count << 1) >> 1, initial_count);
+    DCHECK_EQ((static_cast<unsigned int>(initial_count) << 1) >> 1,
+              initial_count);
   }
 
-  ~BlockingCounter() {}
+  ~BlockingCounter() = default;
+
+  static thread_local constexpr char kNonce = 0;
 
   inline void DecrementCount() {
     unsigned int v = state_.fetch_sub(2, std::memory_order_acq_rel) - 2;
@@ -39,29 +47,70 @@ class BlockingCounter {
       DCHECK_NE(((v + 2) & ~1), 0);
       return;  // either count has not dropped to 0, or waiter is not waiting
     }
-    mutex_lock l(mu_);
+    absl::MutexLock l(&mu_);
     DCHECK(!notified_);
     notified_ = true;
-    cond_var_.notify_all();
+    cond_var_.SignalAll();
   }
 
   inline void Wait() {
+    LOG(INFO) << "kNonce: " << (const void*)&kNonce;
+    const void* prior_last_waiter_addr =
+        last_waiter_addr_.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
+    if (prior_last_waiter_addr != nullptr) {
+      CHECK_EQ(prior_last_waiter_addr, (const void*)&kNonce)
+          << "multiple threads called WaitFor()";
+    } else {
+      auto expected = prior_last_waiter_addr;
+      if (!last_waiter_addr_.compare_exchange_strong(
+              expected, &kNonce, std::memory_order_relaxed)) {
+        LOG(FATAL) << "Tried to swap " << prior_last_waiter_addr << " with "
+                   << (const void*)&kNonce << " but found " << expected;
+      }
+    }
     unsigned int v = state_.fetch_or(1, std::memory_order_acq_rel);
     if ((v >> 1) == 0) return;
-    mutex_lock l(mu_);
+    absl::MutexLock l(&mu_);
+
+    // only one thread may call Wait(). To support more than one thread,
+    // implement a counter num_to_exit, like in the Barrier class.
+    CHECK_EQ(num_waiting_, 0) << "multiple threads called Wait()";
+    num_waiting_++;
+
     while (!notified_) {
-      cond_var_.wait(l);
+      cond_var_.Wait(&mu_);
     }
   }
   // Wait for the specified time, return false iff the count has not dropped to
   // zero before the timeout expired.
   inline bool WaitFor(std::chrono::milliseconds ms) {
+    LOG(INFO) << "this: " << this << " kNonce: " << (const void*)&kNonce;
+    const void* prior_last_waiter_addr =
+        last_waiter_addr_.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
+    if (prior_last_waiter_addr != nullptr) {
+      CHECK_EQ(prior_last_waiter_addr, (const void*)&kNonce)
+          << "multiple threads called WaitFor(): " << last_waiter_addr_ << " "
+          << &kNonce;
+    } else {
+      auto expected = prior_last_waiter_addr;
+      if (!last_waiter_addr_.compare_exchange_strong(
+              expected, &kNonce, std::memory_order_relaxed)) {
+        LOG(FATAL) << "Tried to swap " << prior_last_waiter_addr << " with "
+                   << (const void*)&kNonce << " but found " << expected;
+      }
+      LOG(INFO) << util::CurrentStackTrace();
+    }
+
     unsigned int v = state_.fetch_or(1, std::memory_order_acq_rel);
     if ((v >> 1) == 0) return true;
-    mutex_lock l(mu_);
+    absl::Duration timeout = absl::FromChrono(ms);
+    absl::MutexLock l(&mu_);
+
+    // only one thread may call Wait(). To support more than one thread,
+    // implement a counter num_to_exit, like in the Barrier class.
+
     while (!notified_) {
-      const std::cv_status status = cond_var_.wait_for(l, ms);
-      if (status == std::cv_status::timeout) {
+      if (cond_var_.WaitWithTimeout(&mu_, timeout)) {
         return false;
       }
     }
@@ -69,10 +118,12 @@ class BlockingCounter {
   }
 
  private:
-  mutex mu_;
-  condition_variable cond_var_;
+  absl::Mutex mu_;
+  absl::CondVar cond_var_;
   std::atomic<int> state_;  // low bit is waiter flag
-  bool notified_;
+  std::atomic<const void*> last_waiter_addr_ = nullptr;
+  int num_waiting_ ABSL_GUARDED_BY(mu_) = 0;
+  bool notified_ ABSL_GUARDED_BY(mu_);
 };
 
 }  // namespace tsl