Disclosed embodiments relate to atomic memory operations. In one example, an apparatus includes multiple processor cores, a cache hierarchy, a local execution unit, and a remote execution unit, and an adaptive remote atomic operation unit. The cache hierarchy includes a local cache at a first level and a shared cache at a second level. The local execution unit is to perform an atomic operation at the first level if the local cache is a storing a cache line including data for the atomic operation. The remote execution unit is to perform the atomic operation at the second level. The adaptive remote atomic operation unit is to determine whether to perform the first atomic operation at the first level or at the second level and whether to copy the cache line from the shared cache to the local cache.