1. A method, comprising: buffering local memory writes during execution of an atomic block, wherein said buffering is performed responsive to a first user-level programming instruction; updating a trap field of a status register to a trap value in response to an interrupt during execution of the atomic block; maintaining the buffered local memory writes as persistent state during handling of the interrupt; updating a failure field of the status register, after handling the interrupt, to a failure value in response to the trap field of the status register not being cleared to a default value by a transaction safe handler during handling the interrupt; and resuming execution of the atomic block after handling the interrupt in response to the failure field of the status register not holding the failure value.