diff --git a/include/alpaka/atomic/AtomicGenericSycl.hpp b/include/alpaka/atomic/AtomicGenericSycl.hpp
index 8ebf608dc570..bdfa53baf250 100644
--- a/include/alpaka/atomic/AtomicGenericSycl.hpp
+++ b/include/alpaka/atomic/AtomicGenericSycl.hpp
@@ -51,47 +51,14 @@ namespace alpaka
             static constexpr auto value = sycl::memory_scope::work_group;
         };
 
-        template<typename T>
-        inline auto get_global_ptr(T* const addr)
-        {
-            return sycl::address_space_cast<sycl::access::address_space::global_space, sycl::access::decorated::no>(
-                addr);
-        }
-
-        template<typename T>
-        inline auto get_local_ptr(T* const addr)
-        {
-            return sycl::address_space_cast<sycl::access::address_space::local_space, sycl::access::decorated::no>(
-                addr);
-        }
-
-        template<typename T, typename THierarchy>
-        using global_ref = sycl::atomic_ref<
-            T,
-            sycl::memory_order::relaxed,
-            SyclMemoryScope<THierarchy>::value,
-            sycl::access::address_space::global_space>;
-
         template<typename T, typename THierarchy>
-        using local_ref = sycl::atomic_ref<
-            T,
-            sycl::memory_order::relaxed,
-            SyclMemoryScope<THierarchy>::value,
-            sycl::access::address_space::local_space>;
+        using sycl_atomic_ref = sycl::atomic_ref<T, sycl::memory_order::relaxed, SyclMemoryScope<THierarchy>::value>;
 
         template<typename THierarchy, typename T, typename TOp>
         inline auto callAtomicOp(T* const addr, TOp&& op)
         {
-            if(auto ptr = get_global_ptr(addr); ptr != nullptr)
-            {
-                auto ref = global_ref<T, THierarchy>{*addr};
-                return op(ref);
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                auto ref = local_ref<T, THierarchy>{*addr};
-                return op(ref);
-            }
+            auto ref = sycl_atomic_ref<T, THierarchy>{*addr};
+            return op(ref);
         }
 
         template<typename TRef, typename T, typename TEval>
@@ -178,7 +145,7 @@ namespace alpaka::trait
     struct AtomicOp<AtomicExch, AtomicGenericSycl, T, THierarchy>
     {
         static_assert(
-            (std::is_integral_v<T> || std::is_floating_point_v<T>) &&(sizeof(T) == 4 || sizeof(T) == 8),
+            (std::is_integral_v<T> || std::is_floating_point_v<T>) and(sizeof(T) == 4 || sizeof(T) == 8),
             "SYCL atomics do not support this type");
 
         static auto atomicOp(AtomicGenericSycl const&, T* const addr, T const& value) -> T
@@ -200,10 +167,7 @@ namespace alpaka::trait
         {
             auto inc = [&value](auto old_val)
             { return (old_val >= value) ? static_cast<T>(0) : (old_val + static_cast<T>(1)); };
-            if(auto ptr = alpaka::detail::get_global_ptr(addr); ptr != nullptr)
-                return alpaka::detail::casWithCondition<alpaka::detail::global_ref<T, THierarchy>>(addr, inc);
-            else
-                return alpaka::detail::casWithCondition<alpaka::detail::local_ref<T, THierarchy>>(addr, inc);
+            return alpaka::detail::casWithCondition<alpaka::detail::sycl_atomic_ref<T, THierarchy>>(addr, inc);
         }
     };
 
@@ -220,10 +184,7 @@ namespace alpaka::trait
         {
             auto dec = [&value](auto& old_val)
             { return ((old_val == 0) || (old_val > value)) ? value : (old_val - static_cast<T>(1)); };
-            if(auto ptr = alpaka::detail::get_global_ptr(addr); ptr != nullptr)
-                return alpaka::detail::casWithCondition<alpaka::detail::global_ref<T, THierarchy>>(addr, dec);
-            else
-                return alpaka::detail::casWithCondition<alpaka::detail::local_ref<T, THierarchy>>(addr, dec);
+            return alpaka::detail::casWithCondition<alpaka::detail::sycl_atomic_ref<T, THierarchy>>(addr, dec);
         }
     };
 
@@ -294,16 +255,7 @@ namespace alpaka::trait
                 return expected_;
             };
 
-            if(auto ptr = alpaka::detail::get_global_ptr(addr); ptr != nullptr)
-            {
-                auto ref = alpaka::detail::global_ref<T, THierarchy>{*addr};
-                return cas(ref);
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                auto ref = alpaka::detail::local_ref<T, THierarchy>{*addr};
-                return cas(ref);
-            }
+            return alpaka::detail::callAtomicOp<THierarchy>(addr, cas);
         }
     };
 } // namespace alpaka::trait