diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_rigidbody.h b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_rigidbody.h
index e6a60a5a125..402337b7b4c 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_rigidbody.h
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_rigidbody.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
 struct RigidBodyOb;
 struct RigidBodyWorld;
+struct rbDynamicsWorld;
 
 struct Collection;
 struct Depsgraph;
@@ -114,6 +115,12 @@ void BKE_rigidbody_main_collection_object_add(struct Main *bmain,
 struct RigidBodyWorld *BKE_rigidbody_world_copy(struct RigidBodyWorld *rbw, int flag);
 void BKE_rigidbody_world_groups_relink(struct RigidBodyWorld *rbw);
 
+/**
+ * Runtime data.
+ */
+void BKE_rigidbody_world_init_runtime(struct RigidBodyWorld *rbw);
+struct rbDynamicsWorld *BKE_rigidbody_world_physics(struct RigidBodyWorld *rbw);
+
 /**
  * 'validate' (i.e. make new or replace old) Physics-Engine objects.
  */
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/rigidbody.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/rigidbody.cc
index c81e5219736..149e8a81493 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/rigidbody.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/rigidbody.cc
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <cmath>
 #include <cstdio>
 #include <cstring>
+#include <mutex>
 
 #include "CLG_log.h"
 
@@ -69,9 +70,24 @@ struct rbRigidBody;
 
 /* Freeing Methods --------------------- */
 
+struct RigidBodyWorld_Runtime {
+#ifdef WITH_BULLET
+  rbDynamicsWorld *physics_world = nullptr;
+#endif
+  std::mutex mutex;
+
+  ~RigidBodyWorld_Runtime()
+  {
+#ifdef WITH_BULLET
+    if (physics_world) {
+      RB_dworld_delete(physics_world);
+    }
+#endif
+  }
+};
+
 #ifdef WITH_BULLET
 static void rigidbody_update_ob_array(RigidBodyWorld *rbw);
-
 #else
 static void RB_dworld_remove_constraint(void * /*world*/, void * /*con*/) {}
 static void RB_dworld_remove_body(void * /*world*/, void * /*body*/) {}
@@ -82,6 +98,18 @@ static void RB_constraint_delete(void * /*con*/) {}
 
 #endif
 
+void BKE_rigidbody_world_init_runtime(RigidBodyWorld *rbw)
+{
+  if (rbw->shared) {
+    rbw->shared->runtime = MEM_new<RigidBodyWorld_Runtime>(__func__);
+  }
+}
+
+rbDynamicsWorld *BKE_rigidbody_world_physics(RigidBodyWorld *rbw)
+{
+  return (rbw->shared) ? rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world : nullptr;
+}
+
 void BKE_rigidbody_free_world(Scene *scene)
 {
   bool is_orig = (scene->id.tag & ID_TAG_COPIED_ON_EVAL) == 0;
@@ -93,7 +121,7 @@ void BKE_rigidbody_free_world(Scene *scene)
     return;
   }
 
-  if (is_orig && rbw->shared->physics_world) {
+  if (is_orig && rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world) {
     /* Free physics references,
      * we assume that all physics objects in will have been added to the world. */
     if (rbw->constraints) {
@@ -101,7 +129,7 @@ void BKE_rigidbody_free_world(Scene *scene)
         if (object->rigidbody_constraint) {
           RigidBodyCon *rbc = object->rigidbody_constraint;
           if (rbc->physics_constraint) {
-            RB_dworld_remove_constraint(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world),
+            RB_dworld_remove_constraint(rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world,
                                         static_cast<rbConstraint *>(rbc->physics_constraint));
           }
         }
@@ -115,8 +143,6 @@ void BKE_rigidbody_free_world(Scene *scene)
       }
       FOREACH_COLLECTION_OBJECT_RECURSIVE_END;
     }
-    /* free dynamics world */
-    RB_dworld_delete(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world));
   }
   if (rbw->objects) {
     free(rbw->objects);
@@ -127,6 +153,7 @@ void BKE_rigidbody_free_world(Scene *scene)
     BKE_ptcache_free_list(&(rbw->shared->ptcaches));
     rbw->shared->pointcache = nullptr;
 
+    MEM_delete(rbw->shared->runtime);
     MEM_freeN(rbw->shared);
   }
 
@@ -152,11 +179,11 @@ void BKE_rigidbody_free_object(Object *ob, RigidBodyWorld *rbw)
   /* free physics references */
   if (is_orig) {
     if (rbo->shared->physics_object) {
-      if (rbw != nullptr && rbw->shared->physics_world != nullptr) {
+      if (rbw != nullptr && rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world != nullptr) {
         /* We can only remove the body from the world if the world is known.
          * The world is generally only unknown if it's an evaluated copy of
          * an object that's being freed, in which case this code isn't run anyway. */
-        RB_dworld_remove_body(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world),
+        RB_dworld_remove_body(rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world,
                               static_cast<rbRigidBody *>(rbo->shared->physics_object));
       }
       else {
@@ -166,8 +193,8 @@ void BKE_rigidbody_free_object(Object *ob, RigidBodyWorld *rbw)
              scene = static_cast<Scene *>(scene->id.next))
         {
           RigidBodyWorld *scene_rbw = scene->rigidbody_world;
-          if (scene_rbw != nullptr && scene_rbw->shared->physics_world != nullptr) {
-            RB_dworld_remove_body(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(scene_rbw->shared->physics_world),
+          if (scene_rbw != nullptr && scene_rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world != nullptr) {
+            RB_dworld_remove_body(scene_rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world,
                                   static_cast<rbRigidBody *>(rbo->shared->physics_object));
           }
         }
@@ -695,7 +722,7 @@ static void rigidbody_validate_sim_object(RigidBodyWorld *rbw, Object *ob, bool
   if (rbo->shared->physics_object && !rebuild) {
     /* Don't remove body on rebuild as it has already been removed when deleting and rebuilding the
      * world. */
-    RB_dworld_remove_body(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world),
+    RB_dworld_remove_body(rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world,
                           static_cast<rbRigidBody *>(rbo->shared->physics_object));
   }
   if (!rbo->shared->physics_object || rebuild) {
@@ -747,8 +774,8 @@ static void rigidbody_validate_sim_object(RigidBodyWorld *rbw, Object *ob, bool
                                 rbo->flag & RBO_FLAG_KINEMATIC || rbo->flag & RBO_FLAG_DISABLED);
   }
 
-  if (rbw && rbw->shared->physics_world && rbo->shared->physics_object) {
-    RB_dworld_add_body(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world),
+  if (rbw && rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world && rbo->shared->physics_object) {
+    RB_dworld_add_body(rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world,
                        static_cast<rbRigidBody *>(rbo->shared->physics_object),
                        rbo->col_groups);
   }
@@ -908,7 +935,7 @@ static void rigidbody_validate_sim_constraint(RigidBodyWorld *rbw, Object *ob, b
 
   if (ELEM(nullptr, rbc->ob1, rbc->ob1->rigidbody_object, rbc->ob2, rbc->ob2->rigidbody_object)) {
     if (rbc->physics_constraint) {
-      RB_dworld_remove_constraint(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world),
+      RB_dworld_remove_constraint(rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world,
                                   static_cast<rbConstraint *>(rbc->physics_constraint));
       RB_constraint_delete(static_cast<rbConstraint *>(rbc->physics_constraint));
       rbc->physics_constraint = nullptr;
@@ -917,7 +944,7 @@ static void rigidbody_validate_sim_constraint(RigidBodyWorld *rbw, Object *ob, b
   }
 
   if (rbc->physics_constraint && rebuild == false) {
-    RB_dworld_remove_constraint(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world),
+    RB_dworld_remove_constraint(rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world,
                                 static_cast<rbConstraint *>(rbc->physics_constraint));
   }
   if (rbc->physics_constraint == nullptr || rebuild) {
@@ -1070,8 +1097,8 @@ static void rigidbody_validate_sim_constraint(RigidBodyWorld *rbw, Object *ob, b
     }
   }
 
-  if (rbw && rbw->shared->physics_world && rbc->physics_constraint) {
-    RB_dworld_add_constraint(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world),
+  if (rbw && rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world && rbc->physics_constraint) {
+    RB_dworld_add_constraint(rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world,
                              static_cast<rbConstraint *>(rbc->physics_constraint),
                              rbc->flag & RBC_FLAG_DISABLE_COLLISIONS);
   }
@@ -1087,16 +1114,15 @@ void BKE_rigidbody_validate_sim_world(Scene *scene, RigidBodyWorld *rbw, bool re
   }
 
   /* create new sim world */
-  if (rebuild || rbw->shared->physics_world == nullptr) {
-    if (rbw->shared->physics_world) {
-      RB_dworld_delete(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world));
+  if (rebuild || rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world == nullptr) {
+    if (rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world) {
+      RB_dworld_delete(rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world);
     }
-    rbw->shared->physics_world = RB_dworld_new(scene->physics_settings.gravity);
+    rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world = RB_dworld_new(scene->physics_settings.gravity);
   }
 
-  RB_dworld_set_solver_iterations(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world),
-                                  rbw->num_solver_iterations);
-  RB_dworld_set_split_impulse(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world),
+  RB_dworld_set_solver_iterations(rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world, rbw->num_solver_iterations);
+  RB_dworld_set_split_impulse(rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world,
                               rbw->flag & RBW_FLAG_USE_SPLIT_IMPULSE);
 }
 
@@ -1136,6 +1162,8 @@ RigidBodyWorld *BKE_rigidbody_create_world(Scene *scene)
   rbw->shared->pointcache = BKE_ptcache_add(&(rbw->shared->ptcaches));
   rbw->shared->pointcache->step = 1;
 
+  BKE_rigidbody_world_init_runtime(rbw);
+
   /* return this sim world */
   return rbw;
 }
@@ -1162,6 +1190,7 @@ RigidBodyWorld *BKE_rigidbody_world_copy(RigidBodyWorld *rbw, const int flag)
         MEM_callocN(sizeof(*rbw_copy->shared), "RigidBodyWorld_Shared"));
     BKE_ptcache_copy_list(&rbw_copy->shared->ptcaches, &rbw->shared->ptcaches, LIB_ID_COPY_CACHES);
     rbw_copy->shared->pointcache = static_cast<PointCache *>(rbw_copy->shared->ptcaches.first);
+    BKE_rigidbody_world_init_runtime(rbw_copy);
   }
 
   rbw_copy->objects = nullptr;
@@ -1561,8 +1590,8 @@ void BKE_rigidbody_remove_constraint(Main *bmain, Scene *scene, Object *ob, cons
     }
 
     /* remove from rigidbody world, free object won't do this */
-    if (rbw->shared->physics_world && rbc->physics_constraint) {
-      RB_dworld_remove_constraint(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world),
+    if (rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world && rbc->physics_constraint) {
+      RB_dworld_remove_constraint(rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world,
                                   static_cast<rbConstraint *>(rbc->physics_constraint));
     }
   }
@@ -1632,7 +1661,7 @@ static void rigidbody_update_sim_world(Scene *scene, RigidBodyWorld *rbw)
   }
 
   /* update gravity, since this RNA setting is not part of RigidBody settings */
-  RB_dworld_set_gravity(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world), adj_gravity);
+  RB_dworld_set_gravity(rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world, adj_gravity);
 
   /* update object array in case there are changes */
   rigidbody_update_ob_array(rbw);
@@ -1711,7 +1740,7 @@ static void rigidbody_update_simulation(Depsgraph *depsgraph,
   /* update world */
   /* Note physics_world can get nullptr when undoing the deletion of the last object in it (see
    * #70667). */
-  if (rebuild || rbw->shared->physics_world == nullptr) {
+  if (rebuild || rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world == nullptr) {
     BKE_rigidbody_validate_sim_world(scene, rbw, rebuild);
     /* We have rebuilt the world so we need to make sure the rest is rebuilt as well. */
     rebuild = true;
@@ -1729,7 +1758,7 @@ static void rigidbody_update_simulation(Depsgraph *depsgraph,
     FOREACH_COLLECTION_OBJECT_RECURSIVE_BEGIN (rbw->constraints, ob) {
       RigidBodyCon *rbc = ob->rigidbody_constraint;
       if (rbc && rbc->physics_constraint) {
-        RB_dworld_remove_constraint(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world),
+        RB_dworld_remove_constraint(rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world,
                                     static_cast<rbConstraint *>(rbc->physics_constraint));
         RB_constraint_delete(static_cast<rbConstraint *>(rbc->physics_constraint));
         rbc->physics_constraint = nullptr;
@@ -2146,6 +2175,9 @@ void BKE_rigidbody_rebuild_world(Depsgraph *depsgraph, Scene *scene, float ctime
   PTCacheID pid;
   int startframe, endframe;
 
+  /* Avoid multiple depsgraph evaluations accessing the same shared data. */
+  std::unique_lock lock(rbw->shared->runtime->mutex);
+
   BKE_ptcache_id_from_rigidbody(&pid, nullptr, rbw);
   BKE_ptcache_id_time(&pid, scene, ctime, &startframe, &endframe, nullptr);
   cache = rbw->shared->pointcache;
@@ -2164,7 +2196,7 @@ void BKE_rigidbody_rebuild_world(Depsgraph *depsgraph, Scene *scene, float ctime
   }
   FOREACH_COLLECTION_OBJECT_RECURSIVE_END;
 
-  if (rbw->shared->physics_world == nullptr || rbw->numbodies != n) {
+  if (rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world == nullptr || rbw->numbodies != n) {
     cache->flag |= PTCACHE_OUTDATED;
   }
 
@@ -2198,7 +2230,7 @@ void BKE_rigidbody_do_simulation(Depsgraph *depsgraph, Scene *scene, float ctime
   ctime = std::min<float>(ctime, endframe);
 
   /* don't try to run the simulation if we don't have a world yet but allow reading baked cache */
-  if (rbw->shared->physics_world == nullptr && !(cache->flag & PTCACHE_BAKED)) {
+  if (rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world == nullptr && !(cache->flag & PTCACHE_BAKED)) {
     return;
   }
   if (rbw->objects == nullptr) {
@@ -2245,8 +2277,7 @@ void BKE_rigidbody_do_simulation(Depsgraph *depsgraph, Scene *scene, float ctime
     for (int i = 0; i < rbw->substeps_per_frame; i++) {
       rigidbody_update_external_forces(depsgraph, scene, rbw);
       rigidbody_update_kinematic_obj_substep(&kinematic_substep_targets, cur_interp_val);
-      RB_dworld_step_simulation(
-          static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world), substep, 0, substep);
+      RB_dworld_step_simulation(rbw->shared->runtime->physics_world, substep, 0, substep);
       cur_interp_val += interp_step;
     }
     rigidbody_free_substep_data(&kinematic_substep_targets);
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/scene.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/scene.cc
index f08897cd09d..ee0e72e0b5d 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/scene.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/scene.cc
@@ -1449,11 +1449,6 @@ static void scene_blend_read_data(BlendDataReader *reader, ID *id)
       }
     }
     else {
-      /* must nullify the reference to physics sim object, since it no-longer exist
-       * (and will need to be recalculated)
-       */
-      rbw->shared->physics_world = nullptr;
-
       /* link caches */
       BKE_ptcache_blend_read_data(reader, &rbw->shared->ptcaches, &rbw->shared->pointcache, false);
 
@@ -1462,6 +1457,8 @@ static void scene_blend_read_data(BlendDataReader *reader, ID *id)
         rbw->ltime = float(rbw->shared->pointcache->startframe);
       }
     }
+
+    BKE_rigidbody_world_init_runtime(rbw);
     rbw->objects = nullptr;
     rbw->numbodies = 0;
 
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/physics/rigidbody_world.cc b/source/blender/editors/physics/rigidbody_world.cc
index 8987ced177a..e846677a9dc 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/physics/rigidbody_world.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/physics/rigidbody_world.cc
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@ static int rigidbody_world_export_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
     BKE_report(op->reports, RPT_ERROR, "No Rigid Body World to export");
     return OPERATOR_CANCELLED;
   }
-  if (rbw->shared->physics_world == nullptr) {
+  rbDynamicsWorld *physics_world = BKE_rigidbody_world_physics(rbw);
+  if (physics_world == nullptr) {
     BKE_report(
         op->reports, RPT_ERROR, "Rigid Body World has no associated physics data to export");
     return OPERATOR_CANCELLED;
@@ -148,7 +149,7 @@ static int rigidbody_world_export_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
 
   RNA_string_get(op->ptr, "filepath", filepath);
 #ifdef WITH_BULLET
-  RB_dworld_export(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world), filepath);
+  RB_dworld_export(physics_world, filepath);
 #endif
   return OPERATOR_FINISHED;
 }
diff --git a/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_rigidbody_types.h b/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_rigidbody_types.h
index 8010e40e777..056970958c2 100644
--- a/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_rigidbody_types.h
+++ b/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_rigidbody_types.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 struct Collection;
 
 struct EffectorWeights;
+struct RigidBodyWorld_Runtime;
 
 /* ******************************** */
 /* RigidBody World */
@@ -25,9 +26,8 @@ typedef struct RigidBodyWorld_Shared {
   struct PointCache *pointcache;
   struct ListBase ptcaches;
 
-  /* References to Physics Sim objects. Exist at runtime only ---------------------- */
-  /** Physics sim world (i.e. #btDiscreteDynamicsWorld). */
-  void *physics_world;
+  /* Runtime data. */
+  struct RigidBodyWorld_Runtime *runtime;
 } RigidBodyWorld_Shared;
 
 /* RigidBodyWorld (rbw)
diff --git a/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_rigidbody.cc b/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_rigidbody.cc
index 0068d81ca16..75367fe2a00 100644
--- a/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_rigidbody.cc
+++ b/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_rigidbody.cc
@@ -159,9 +159,9 @@ static void rna_RigidBodyWorld_num_solver_iterations_set(PointerRNA *ptr, int va
   rbw->num_solver_iterations = value;
 
 #  ifdef WITH_BULLET
-  if (rbw->shared->physics_world) {
-    RB_dworld_set_solver_iterations(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world),
-                                    value);
+  rbDynamicsWorld *physics_world = BKE_rigidbody_world_physics(rbw);
+  if (physics_world) {
+    RB_dworld_set_solver_iterations(physics_world, value);
   }
 #  endif
 }
@@ -173,8 +173,9 @@ static void rna_RigidBodyWorld_split_impulse_set(PointerRNA *ptr, bool value)
   SET_FLAG_FROM_TEST(rbw->flag, value, RBW_FLAG_USE_SPLIT_IMPULSE);
 
 #  ifdef WITH_BULLET
-  if (rbw->shared->physics_world) {
-    RB_dworld_set_split_impulse(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world), value);
+  rbDynamicsWorld *physics_world = BKE_rigidbody_world_physics(rbw);
+  if (physics_world) {
+    RB_dworld_set_split_impulse(physics_world, value);
   }
 #  endif
 }
@@ -826,9 +827,10 @@ static void rna_RigidBodyWorld_convex_sweep_test(RigidBodyWorld *rbw,
 {
 #  ifdef WITH_BULLET
   RigidBodyOb *rob = object->rigidbody_object;
+  rbDynamicsWorld *physics_world = BKE_rigidbody_world_physics(rbw);
 
-  if (rbw->shared->physics_world != nullptr && rob->shared->physics_object != nullptr) {
-    RB_world_convex_sweep_test(static_cast<rbDynamicsWorld *>(rbw->shared->physics_world),
+  if (physics_world != nullptr && rob->shared->physics_object != nullptr) {
+    RB_world_convex_sweep_test(physics_world,
                                static_cast<rbRigidBody *>(rob->shared->physics_object),
                                ray_start,
                                ray_end,