diff --git a/src/main/java/com/hextremelabs/cloudwatchappender/CloudWatchAppender.java b/src/main/java/com/hextremelabs/cloudwatchappender/CloudWatchAppender.java
index 77cc827..786b649 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/hextremelabs/cloudwatchappender/CloudWatchAppender.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/hextremelabs/cloudwatchappender/CloudWatchAppender.java
@@ -1,26 +1,31 @@
 package com.hextremelabs.cloudwatchappender;
 
+import com.amazonaws.annotation.ThreadSafe;
 import org.apache.log4j.AppenderSkeleton;
 import org.apache.log4j.spi.LoggingEvent;
 
 import java.util.Collection;
-import java.util.LinkedList;
-import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Queue;
-import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentLinkedQueue;
+import java.util.concurrent.PriorityBlockingQueue;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 
 import static java.util.Comparator.comparing;
 
 /**
  * @author oladeji
  */
+@ThreadSafe
 public class CloudWatchAppender extends AppenderSkeleton {
-
-  private static final Queue<LoggingEvent> LOGS = new ConcurrentLinkedQueue<>();
+  private static final int INITIAL_CAPACITY = 11; // copied from PBQ implementation
+  private static final AtomicReference<Queue<LoggingEvent>> LOGS = new AtomicReference<>(
+          new PriorityBlockingQueue<>(INITIAL_CAPACITY, comparing(LoggingEvent::getTimeStamp)));
 
   @Override
   protected void append(LoggingEvent loggingEvent) {
-    LOGS.add(loggingEvent);
+    LOGS.updateAndGet(queue -> {
+      queue.add(loggingEvent);
+      return queue;
+    });
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -32,10 +37,8 @@ public boolean requiresLayout() {
     return true;
   }
 
-  public static Collection<LoggingEvent> retrieveLogsAndClear() {
-    final List<LoggingEvent> events = new LinkedList<>();
-    LOGS.removeIf(e -> events.add(e));
-    events.sort(comparing(LoggingEvent::getTimeStamp));
-    return events;
+  static Collection<LoggingEvent> retrieveLogsAndClear() {
+      Queue<LoggingEvent> queue = new PriorityBlockingQueue<>(INITIAL_CAPACITY, comparing(LoggingEvent::getTimeStamp));
+      return LOGS.getAndSet(queue);
   }
 }