diff --git a/vlib/clipboard/x11/clipboard.c.v b/vlib/clipboard/x11/clipboard.c.v
index 593a918484..a7f5af04d7 100644
--- a/vlib/clipboard/x11/clipboard.c.v
+++ b/vlib/clipboard/x11/clipboard.c.v
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ fn (mut cb Clipboard) free() {
 }
 
 fn (mut cb Clipboard) clear() {
-	cb.mutex.m_lock()
+	cb.mutex.@lock()
 	C.XSetSelectionOwner(cb.display, cb.selection, C.Window(C.None), C.CurrentTime)
 	C.XFlush(cb.display)
 	cb.is_owner = false
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ pub fn (mut cb Clipboard) set_text(text string) bool {
 	if cb.window == C.Window(C.None) {
 		return false
 	}
-	cb.mutex.m_lock()
+	cb.mutex.@lock()
 	cb.text = text
 	cb.is_owner = true
 	cb.take_ownership()
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ fn (mut cb Clipboard) transmit_selection(xse &C.XSelectionEvent) bool {
 		C.XChangeProperty(xse.display, xse.requestor, xse.property, cb.get_atom(.xa_atom),
 			32, C.PropModeReplace, targets.data, targets.len)
 	} else if cb.is_supported_target(xse.target) && cb.is_owner && cb.text != '' {
-		cb.mutex.m_lock()
+		cb.mutex.@lock()
 		C.XChangeProperty(xse.display, xse.requestor, xse.property, xse.target, 8, C.PropModeReplace,
 			cb.text.str, cb.text.len)
 		cb.mutex.unlock()
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ fn (mut cb Clipboard) start_listener() {
 					event.xselectionclear.selection == cb.selection
 				}
 				{
-					cb.mutex.m_lock()
+					cb.mutex.@lock()
 					cb.is_owner = false
 					cb.text = ''
 					cb.mutex.unlock()
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ fn (mut cb Clipboard) start_listener() {
 					} else if unsafe { event.xselection.target == to_be_requested } {
 						sent_request = false
 						to_be_requested = C.Atom(0)
-						cb.mutex.m_lock()
+						cb.mutex.@lock()
 						prop := unsafe {
 							read_property(event.xselection.display, event.xselection.requestor,
 								event.xselection.property)
diff --git a/vlib/sync/pool.v b/vlib/sync/pool.v
index 07c08ba2da..06ea156a12 100644
--- a/vlib/sync/pool.v
+++ b/vlib/sync/pool.v
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ fn process_in_thread(mut pool PoolProcessor, task_id int) {
 		if pool.ntask >= ilen {
 			break
 		}
-		pool.ntask_mtx.m_lock()
+		pool.ntask_mtx.@lock()
 		idx = pool.ntask
 		pool.ntask++
 		pool.ntask_mtx.unlock()
diff --git a/vlib/sync/sync_default.c.v b/vlib/sync/sync_default.c.v
index 744fb15e15..1fa67aa807 100644
--- a/vlib/sync/sync_default.c.v
+++ b/vlib/sync/sync_default.c.v
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ pub fn (mut m RwMutex) init() {
 	C.pthread_rwlock_init(&m.mutex, &a.attr)
 }
 
-// m_lock(), for *manual* mutex handling, since `lock` is a keyword
-pub fn (mut m Mutex) m_lock() {
+// @lock(), for *manual* mutex handling, since `lock` is a keyword
+pub fn (mut m Mutex) @lock() {
 	C.pthread_mutex_lock(&m.mutex)
 }
 
@@ -79,21 +79,21 @@ pub fn (mut m Mutex) unlock() {
 }
 
 // RwMutex has separate read- and write locks
-pub fn (mut m RwMutex) r_lock() {
+pub fn (mut m RwMutex) @rlock() {
 	C.pthread_rwlock_rdlock(&m.mutex)
 }
 
-pub fn (mut m RwMutex) w_lock() {
+pub fn (mut m RwMutex) @lock() {
 	C.pthread_rwlock_wrlock(&m.mutex)
 }
 
 // Windows SRWLocks have different function to unlock
 // So provide two functions here, too, to have a common interface
-pub fn (mut m RwMutex) r_unlock() {
+pub fn (mut m RwMutex) runlock() {
 	C.pthread_rwlock_unlock(&m.mutex)
 }
 
-pub fn (mut m RwMutex) w_unlock() {
+pub fn (mut m RwMutex) unlock() {
 	C.pthread_rwlock_unlock(&m.mutex)
 }
 
diff --git a/vlib/sync/sync_macos.c.v b/vlib/sync/sync_macos.c.v
index c92d389087..1c93a7dfb4 100644
--- a/vlib/sync/sync_macos.c.v
+++ b/vlib/sync/sync_macos.c.v
@@ -80,8 +80,8 @@ pub fn (mut m RwMutex) init() {
 	C.pthread_rwlock_init(&m.mutex, &a.attr)
 }
 
-// m_lock(), for *manual* mutex handling, since `lock` is a keyword
-pub fn (mut m Mutex) m_lock() {
+// @lock(), for *manual* mutex handling, since `lock` is a keyword
+pub fn (mut m Mutex) @lock() {
 	C.pthread_mutex_lock(&m.mutex)
 }
 
@@ -90,21 +90,21 @@ pub fn (mut m Mutex) unlock() {
 }
 
 // RwMutex has separate read- and write locks
-pub fn (mut m RwMutex) r_lock() {
+pub fn (mut m RwMutex) @rlock() {
 	C.pthread_rwlock_rdlock(&m.mutex)
 }
 
-pub fn (mut m RwMutex) w_lock() {
+pub fn (mut m RwMutex) @lock() {
 	C.pthread_rwlock_wrlock(&m.mutex)
 }
 
 // Windows SRWLocks have different function to unlock
 // So provide two functions here, too, to have a common interface
-pub fn (mut m RwMutex) r_unlock() {
+pub fn (mut m RwMutex) runlock() {
 	C.pthread_rwlock_unlock(&m.mutex)
 }
 
-pub fn (mut m RwMutex) w_unlock() {
+pub fn (mut m RwMutex) unlock() {
 	C.pthread_rwlock_unlock(&m.mutex)
 }
 
diff --git a/vlib/sync/sync_windows.c.v b/vlib/sync/sync_windows.c.v
index 8f9cc31c28..aa3a0ba5a7 100644
--- a/vlib/sync/sync_windows.c.v
+++ b/vlib/sync/sync_windows.c.v
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ pub fn (mut m RwMutex) init() {
 	C.InitializeSRWLock(&m.mx)
 }
 
-pub fn (mut m Mutex) m_lock() {
+pub fn (mut m Mutex) @lock() {
 	C.AcquireSRWLockExclusive(&m.mx)
 }
 
@@ -66,21 +66,21 @@ pub fn (mut m Mutex) unlock() {
 }
 
 // RwMutex has separate read- and write locks
-pub fn (mut m RwMutex) r_lock() {
+pub fn (mut m RwMutex) @rlock() {
 	C.AcquireSRWLockShared(&m.mx)
 }
 
-pub fn (mut m RwMutex) w_lock() {
+pub fn (mut m RwMutex) @lock() {
 	C.AcquireSRWLockExclusive(&m.mx)
 }
 
 // Windows SRWLocks have different function to unlock
 // So provide two functions here, too, to have a common interface
-pub fn (mut m RwMutex) r_unlock() {
+pub fn (mut m RwMutex) runlock() {
 	C.ReleaseSRWLockShared(&m.mx)
 }
 
-pub fn (mut m RwMutex) w_unlock() {
+pub fn (mut m RwMutex) unlock() {
 	C.ReleaseSRWLockExclusive(&m.mx)
 }
 
diff --git a/vlib/sync/waitgroup.v b/vlib/sync/waitgroup.v
index 0fd73d02e9..f61cd11e8c 100644
--- a/vlib/sync/waitgroup.v
+++ b/vlib/sync/waitgroup.v
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ pub fn new_waitgroup() &WaitGroup {
 // add panics if task count drops below zero.
 pub fn (mut wg WaitGroup) add(delta int) {
 	// protect task_count
-	wg.task_count_mutex.m_lock()
+	wg.task_count_mutex.@lock()
 	defer {
 		wg.task_count_mutex.unlock()
 	}
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v b/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
index 40c287bf4b..207f02110a 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
@@ -2756,7 +2756,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) expr(node ast.Expr) {
 		}
 		ast.PostfixExpr {
 			if node.auto_locked != '' {
-				g.writeln('sync__RwMutex_w_lock(&$node.auto_locked->mtx);')
+				g.writeln('sync__RwMutex_lock(&$node.auto_locked->mtx);')
 			}
 			g.inside_map_postfix = true
 			g.expr(node.expr)
@@ -2764,7 +2764,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) expr(node ast.Expr) {
 			g.write(node.op.str())
 			if node.auto_locked != '' {
 				g.writeln(';')
-				g.write('sync__RwMutex_w_unlock(&$node.auto_locked->mtx)')
+				g.write('sync__RwMutex_unlock(&$node.auto_locked->mtx)')
 			}
 		}
 		ast.PrefixExpr {
@@ -3019,7 +3019,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) infix_expr(node ast.InfixExpr) {
 	// string + string, string == string etc
 	// g.infix_op = node.op
 	if node.auto_locked != '' {
-		g.writeln('sync__RwMutex_w_lock(&$node.auto_locked->mtx);')
+		g.writeln('sync__RwMutex_lock(&$node.auto_locked->mtx);')
 	}
 	left_type := g.unwrap_generic(node.left_type)
 	left_sym := g.table.get_type_symbol(left_type)
@@ -3409,18 +3409,18 @@ fn (mut g Gen) infix_expr(node ast.InfixExpr) {
 	}
 	if node.auto_locked != '' {
 		g.writeln(';')
-		g.write('sync__RwMutex_w_unlock(&$node.auto_locked->mtx)')
+		g.write('sync__RwMutex_unlock(&$node.auto_locked->mtx)')
 	}
 }
 
 fn (mut g Gen) lock_expr(node ast.LockExpr) {
-	mut lock_prefixes := []byte{len: 0, cap: node.lockeds.len}
+	mut lock_prefixes := []string{len: 0, cap: node.lockeds.len}
 	for id in node.lockeds {
 		name := id.name
 		deref := if id.is_mut { '->' } else { '.' }
-		lock_prefix := if node.is_rlock { `r` } else { `w` }
+		lock_prefix := if node.is_rlock { 'r' } else { '' }
 		lock_prefixes << lock_prefix // keep for unlock
-		g.writeln('sync__RwMutex_${lock_prefix:c}_lock(&$name${deref}mtx);')
+		g.writeln('sync__RwMutex_${lock_prefix}lock(&$name${deref}mtx);')
 	}
 	g.stmts(node.stmts)
 	// unlock in reverse order
@@ -3429,7 +3429,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) lock_expr(node ast.LockExpr) {
 		lock_prefix := lock_prefixes[i]
 		name := id.name
 		deref := if id.is_mut { '->' } else { '.' }
-		g.writeln('sync__RwMutex_${lock_prefix:c}_unlock(&$name${deref}mtx);')
+		g.writeln('sync__RwMutex_${lock_prefix}unlock(&$name${deref}mtx);')
 	}
 }