diff --git a/src/backup/chunk_store.rs b/src/backup/chunk_store.rs
index 12826216..fc9d3670 100644
--- a/src/backup/chunk_store.rs
+++ b/src/backup/chunk_store.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 use failure::*;
+
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::io::{Read, Write};
-use std::time::Duration;
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+use std::os::unix::io::AsRawFd;
 
 use openssl::sha;
-use std::sync::Mutex;
-
-use std::fs::File;
-use std::os::unix::io::AsRawFd;
 
 use crate::tools;
 
@@ -35,7 +33,7 @@ pub struct ChunkStore {
     pub (crate) base: PathBuf,
     chunk_dir: PathBuf,
     mutex: Mutex<bool>,
-    _lockfile: File,
+    locker: Arc<Mutex<tools::ProcessLocker>>,
 }
 
 // TODO: what about sysctl setting vm.vfs_cache_pressure (0 - 100) ?
@@ -131,15 +129,13 @@ impl ChunkStore {
         let mut lockfile_path = base.clone();
         lockfile_path.push(".lock");
 
-        // make sure only one process/thread/task can use it
-        let lockfile = tools::open_file_locked(
-            lockfile_path, Duration::from_secs(10))?;
+        let locker = tools::ProcessLocker::new(&lockfile_path)?;
 
         Ok(ChunkStore {
             name: name.to_owned(),
             base,
             chunk_dir,
-            _lockfile: lockfile,
+            locker,
             mutex: Mutex::new(false)
         })
     }
@@ -369,6 +365,14 @@ impl ChunkStore {
     pub fn base_path(&self) -> PathBuf {
         self.base.clone()
     }
+
+    pub fn try_shared_lock(&self) -> Result<tools::ProcessLockSharedGuard, Error> {
+        tools::ProcessLocker::try_shared_lock(self.locker.clone())
+    }
+
+    pub fn try_exclusive_lock(&self) -> Result<tools::ProcessLockExclusiveGuard, Error> {
+        tools::ProcessLocker::try_exclusive_lock(self.locker.clone())
+    }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/backup/datastore.rs b/src/backup/datastore.rs
index 3c0222ca..ca078798 100644
--- a/src/backup/datastore.rs
+++ b/src/backup/datastore.rs
@@ -227,6 +227,8 @@ impl DataStore {
 
         if let Ok(ref mut _mutex) = self.gc_mutex.try_lock() {
 
+            let _exclusive_lock =  self.chunk_store.try_exclusive_lock()?;
+
             let mut gc_status = GarbageCollectionStatus::default();
             gc_status.used_bytes = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/backup/dynamic_index.rs b/src/backup/dynamic_index.rs
index 195fd0bc..91994aa7 100644
--- a/src/backup/dynamic_index.rs
+++ b/src/backup/dynamic_index.rs
@@ -340,6 +340,8 @@ impl std::io::Seek for  BufferedDynamicReader {
 
 pub struct DynamicIndexWriter {
     store: Arc<ChunkStore>,
+    _lock: tools::ProcessLockSharedGuard,
+
     chunker: Chunker,
     writer: BufWriter<File>,
     closed: bool,
@@ -366,6 +368,8 @@ impl DynamicIndexWriter {
 
     pub fn create(store: Arc<ChunkStore>, path: &Path, chunk_size: usize) -> Result<Self, Error> {
 
+        let shared_lock = store.try_shared_lock()?;
+
         let full_path = store.relative_path(path);
         let mut tmp_path = full_path.clone();
         tmp_path.set_extension("tmp_didx");
@@ -400,6 +404,7 @@ impl DynamicIndexWriter {
 
         Ok(Self {
             store,
+            _lock: shared_lock,
             chunker: Chunker::new(chunk_size),
             writer: writer,
             closed: false,
diff --git a/src/backup/fixed_index.rs b/src/backup/fixed_index.rs
index c8880ab7..869ecbe9 100644
--- a/src/backup/fixed_index.rs
+++ b/src/backup/fixed_index.rs
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ impl IndexFile for FixedIndexReader {
 
 pub struct FixedIndexWriter {
     store: Arc<ChunkStore>,
+    _lock: tools::ProcessLockSharedGuard,
     filename: PathBuf,
     tmp_filename: PathBuf,
     chunk_size: usize,
@@ -204,6 +205,8 @@ impl FixedIndexWriter {
 
     pub fn create(store: Arc<ChunkStore>, path: &Path, size: usize, chunk_size: usize) -> Result<Self, Error> {
 
+        let shared_lock = store.try_shared_lock()?;
+
         let full_path = store.relative_path(path);
         let mut tmp_path = full_path.clone();
         tmp_path.set_extension("tmp_fidx");
@@ -250,6 +253,7 @@ impl FixedIndexWriter {
 
         Ok(Self {
             store,
+            _lock: shared_lock,
             filename: full_path,
             tmp_filename: tmp_path,
             chunk_size,