An object structure's header (40) allocates a two-bit synchronization-state field (42) solely to monitor data for implementing synchronization on that object. When the object is locked by a particular execution thread, or when one or more execution threads are waiting for a lock or notification on that object, its header contains a pointer to monitor resources in the form of a linked list of lock records (50, 52, 54) associated with the threads involved. The synchronization-state field (42) ordinarily contains an indication of whether such a linked list exists and, if so, whether its first member is associated with a thread that has a lock on the object. When a thread attempts to gain access to that linked list, it employs an atomic swap operation to place a special busy value in that lock-state field (42) and write its execution-environment pointer into the object's header (40). If the previous value of that field was not the special busy value, the thread uses the header's previous contents to perform its intended synchronization operation. Otherwise, it obtains that information through its own execution environment (44, 46, or 48) or that of the thread whose identifier the object header previously contained. When the thread completes its synchronization operation, it employs an atomic compare-and-swap operation to write the results into the object's header if that header still contains the thread identifier that the thread originally wrote there. Otherwise, it communicates that information to its successor thread if the thread identifier is different and thereby indicates that at least one successor is contending for access to the linked list.