diff --git a/crates/bevy_ecs/src/system/exclusive_function_system.rs b/crates/bevy_ecs/src/system/exclusive_function_system.rs
index 349f48af2e..08b4b678bd 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_ecs/src/system/exclusive_function_system.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_ecs/src/system/exclusive_function_system.rs
@@ -124,9 +124,7 @@ where
             let out = self.func.run(world, input, params);
 
             world.flush();
-            let change_tick = world.change_tick.get_mut();
-            self.system_meta.last_run.set(*change_tick);
-            *change_tick = change_tick.wrapping_add(1);
+            self.system_meta.last_run = world.increment_change_tick();
 
             out
         })
diff --git a/crates/bevy_ecs/src/world/mod.rs b/crates/bevy_ecs/src/world/mod.rs
index f47aa55ae5..c7a66c86a7 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_ecs/src/world/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_ecs/src/world/mod.rs
@@ -2063,9 +2063,16 @@ impl World {
     }
 
     /// Increments the world's current change tick and returns the old value.
+    ///
+    /// If you need to call this method, but do not have `&mut` access to the world,
+    /// consider using [`as_unsafe_world_cell_readonly`](Self::as_unsafe_world_cell_readonly)
+    /// to obtain an [`UnsafeWorldCell`] and calling [`increment_change_tick`](UnsafeWorldCell::increment_change_tick) on that.
+    /// Note that this *can* be done in safe code, despite the name of the type.
     #[inline]
-    pub fn increment_change_tick(&self) -> Tick {
-        let prev_tick = self.change_tick.fetch_add(1, Ordering::AcqRel);
+    pub fn increment_change_tick(&mut self) -> Tick {
+        let change_tick = self.change_tick.get_mut();
+        let prev_tick = *change_tick;
+        *change_tick = change_tick.wrapping_add(1);
         Tick::new(prev_tick)
     }
 
diff --git a/crates/bevy_ecs/src/world/unsafe_world_cell.rs b/crates/bevy_ecs/src/world/unsafe_world_cell.rs
index 8de3d3af3e..bbcc4b58ba 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_ecs/src/world/unsafe_world_cell.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_ecs/src/world/unsafe_world_cell.rs
@@ -276,7 +276,10 @@ impl<'w> UnsafeWorldCell<'w> {
     pub fn increment_change_tick(self) -> Tick {
         // SAFETY:
         // - we only access world metadata
-        unsafe { self.world_metadata() }.increment_change_tick()
+        let change_tick = unsafe { &self.world_metadata().change_tick };
+        // NOTE: We can used a relaxed memory ordering here, since nothing
+        // other than the atomic value itself is relying on atomic synchronization
+        Tick::new(change_tick.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed))
     }
 
     /// Provides unchecked access to the internal data stores of the [`World`].