A simplified semaphore method and apparatus for simultaneous execution of multiple semaphore instructions and for enforcement of necessary ordering. A central processing unit having an instruction pipeline is coupled with a data cache arrangement including a semaphore buffer, a data cache, and the semaphore execution unit. An initial semaphore instruction having one or more operands and a semaphore address are transmitted from the instruction pipeline to the semaphore buffer, which in turn are transmitted from the semaphore buffer to the semaphore execution unit. The semaphore address of the initial semaphore instruction is transmitted from the instruction pipeline to the data cache to retrieve initial semaphore data stored within the data cache at a location in a data line of the data cache as identified by the semaphore address. The semaphore instruction is executed within the semaphore execution unit by operating upon the initial semaphore data and the one or more semaphore operands so as to produce processed semaphore data, which is then stored within the data cache. Since the semaphore buffer provides for entries of multiple semaphore instructions, the semaphore buffer initiates simultaneous execution of multiple semaphore instructions, as needed.