diff --git a/pkg/locks/locks.go b/pkg/locks/locks.go
index b3330a036..d8d7b8050 100644
--- a/pkg/locks/locks.go
+++ b/pkg/locks/locks.go
@@ -29,14 +29,13 @@ type NamedLocker interface {
 
 type namedLocker struct {
 	locks   map[string]*namedLock
-	mapLock *sync.Mutex
+	mapLock namedLock
 }
 
 // NewNamedLocker returns a new Named Locker
 func NewNamedLocker() NamedLocker {
 	return &namedLocker{
-		locks:   make(map[string]*namedLock),
-		mapLock: &sync.Mutex{},
+		locks: make(map[string]*namedLock),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -44,148 +43,103 @@ func NewNamedLocker() NamedLocker {
 type NamedLock interface {
 	Release() error
 	RRelease() error
-	Upgrade() (NamedLock, error)
-	WriteLockCounter() int
-	WriteLockMode() bool
+	Upgrade() bool
 }
 
 func newNamedLock(name string, locker *namedLocker) *namedLock {
 	return &namedLock{
-		name:    name,
-		RWMutex: &sync.RWMutex{},
-		locker:  locker,
+		name:   name,
+		locker: locker,
 	}
 }
 
 type namedLock struct {
-	*sync.RWMutex
-	name           string
-	queueSize      int32
-	writeLockMode  int32
-	writeLockCount int
-	locker         *namedLocker
+	sync.RWMutex
+	name             string
+	queueSize        int32
+	locker           *namedLocker
+	subsequentWriter bool
 }
 
-// Release releases the write lock on the subject Named Lock
-func (nl *namedLock) Release() error {
-
-	if nl.name == "" {
-		return errInvalidLockName(nl.name)
-	}
-
+func (nl *namedLock) release(unlockFunc func()) {
 	qs := atomic.AddInt32(&nl.queueSize, -1)
 	if qs == 0 {
 		nl.locker.mapLock.Lock()
-		delete(nl.locker.locks, nl.name)
+		// recheck queue size after getting the lock since another client
+		// might have joined since the map lock was acquired
+		if nl.queueSize == 0 {
+			delete(nl.locker.locks, nl.name)
+		}
 		nl.locker.mapLock.Unlock()
 	}
+	unlockFunc()
+}
 
-	atomic.AddInt32(&nl.writeLockMode, -1)
-	nl.Unlock()
+// Release releases the write lock on the subject Named Lock
+func (nl *namedLock) Release() error {
+	nl.release(nl.Unlock)
 	return nil
 }
 
 // RRelease releases the read lock on the subject Named Lock
 func (nl *namedLock) RRelease() error {
-
-	if nl.name == "" {
-		return errInvalidLockName(nl.name)
-	}
-
-	qs := atomic.AddInt32(&nl.queueSize, -1)
-	if qs == 0 {
-		nl.locker.mapLock.Lock()
-		delete(nl.locker.locks, nl.name)
-		nl.locker.mapLock.Unlock()
-	}
-
-	nl.RUnlock()
+	nl.release(nl.RUnlock)
 	return nil
 }
 
-// WriteLockCounter returns the number of write locks acquired by the namedLock
-// This function should only be called by a goroutine actively holding a write lock,
-// as it is otherwise not atomic
-func (nl *namedLock) WriteLockCounter() int {
-	return nl.writeLockCount
-}
-
-// WriteLockMode returns true if a caller is waiting for a write lock
-func (nl *namedLock) WriteLockMode() bool {
-	return atomic.LoadInt32(&nl.writeLockMode) > 0
-}
-
-// Upgrade will upgrade the current read-lock to a write lock without losing the reference to the
-// underlying sync map, enabling goroutines, after receiving a write lock, to know how many other
-// goroutines acquired a write lock (naturally or upgraded) during the time this routine released
-// it's read lock and got a write lock. This helps the receiver of the write lock know if any extra
-// state checks are required (e.g., re-querying a cache that might have changed) before proceeding.
-func (nl *namedLock) Upgrade() (NamedLock, error) {
-
-	ch := make(chan bool, 1)
-	wg := &sync.WaitGroup{}
-	wg.Add(1)
-	go func() {
-		atomic.AddInt32(&nl.queueSize, 1)
-		ch <- true
-		atomic.AddInt32(&nl.writeLockMode, 1)
-		nl.Lock()
-		nl.writeLockCount++
-		wg.Done()
-	}()
-
-	// once we know the write lock queueSize is incremented, we can release our read lock
-	<-ch
-	close(ch)
-	nl.RRelease()
-
-	// wait until write mode is set, read lock is released, and write lock is acquired
-	wg.Wait()
-
-	return nl, nil
+// Upgrade will upgrade the current read lock to a write lock. This method will
+// always succeed unless a read lock did not already exist, which panics like a
+// normal mutex. the return value indicates whether the requesting goroutine was
+// first to receive a lock, and will be false when multiple goroutines upgraded
+// concurrently and the caller was not the first in the queue to receive it.
+// This helps the caller know if any extra state checks are required
+// (e.g., re-querying a cache that might have changed) before proceeding.
+func (nl *namedLock) Upgrade() bool {
+	nl.RUnlock()
+	nl.Lock()
+	if nl.subsequentWriter {
+		return false
+	}
+	nl.subsequentWriter = true
+	return true
 }
 
-// Acquire locks the named lock for writing, and blocks until the wlock is acquired
-func (lk *namedLocker) Acquire(lockName string) (NamedLock, error) {
+func (lk *namedLocker) acquire(lockName string, isWrite bool) (NamedLock, error) {
 	if lockName == "" {
 		return nil, errInvalidLockName(lockName)
 	}
-
-	lk.mapLock.Lock()
+	lk.mapLock.RLock()
 	nl, ok := lk.locks[lockName]
+	mapUnlockFunc := lk.mapLock.RUnlock
 	if !ok {
-		nl = newNamedLock(lockName, lk)
+		mapUnlockFunc = lk.mapLock.Unlock
+		lk.mapLock.Upgrade()
+		// check again in case we weren't the first to upgrade
+		nl, ok = lk.locks[lockName]
+		if !ok {
+			nl = newNamedLock(lockName, lk)
+		}
 		lk.locks[lockName] = nl
 	}
 	atomic.AddInt32(&nl.queueSize, 1)
-	lk.mapLock.Unlock()
-	atomic.AddInt32(&nl.writeLockMode, 1)
+	mapUnlockFunc()
 
-	nl.Lock()
-
-	nl.writeLockCount++
+	if isWrite {
+		nl.Lock()
+	} else {
+		nl.RLock()
+	}
 	return nl, nil
 }
 
+// Acquire locks the named lock for writing, and blocks until the wlock is acquired
+func (lk *namedLocker) Acquire(lockName string) (NamedLock, error) {
+	return lk.acquire(lockName, true)
+}
+
 // RAcquire locks the named lock for reading, and blocks until the rlock is acquired
 func (lk *namedLocker) RAcquire(lockName string) (NamedLock, error) {
-	if lockName == "" {
-		return nil, errInvalidLockName(lockName)
-	}
-
-	lk.mapLock.Lock()
-	nl, ok := lk.locks[lockName]
-	if !ok {
-		nl = newNamedLock(lockName, lk)
-		lk.locks[lockName] = nl
-	}
-
-	atomic.AddInt32(&nl.queueSize, 1)
-	lk.mapLock.Unlock()
-	atomic.StoreInt32(&nl.writeLockMode, 0)
-
-	nl.RLock()
-	return nl, nil
+	return lk.acquire(lockName, false)
 }
 
 func errInvalidLockName(name string) error {
diff --git a/pkg/locks/locks_test.go b/pkg/locks/locks_test.go
index 8e188da38..30526f01c 100644
--- a/pkg/locks/locks_test.go
+++ b/pkg/locks/locks_test.go
@@ -56,19 +56,6 @@ func TestLocks(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("got %s expected %s", err.Error(), expected)
 	}
 
-	nl3, _ := lk.Acquire("test1")
-	nl3.(*namedLock).name = ""
-	err = nl3.RRelease()
-	if err.Error() != expected {
-		t.Errorf("got %s expected %s", err.Error(), expected)
-	}
-
-	nl = &namedLock{}
-
-	err = nl.Release()
-	if err.Error() != expected {
-		t.Errorf("got %s expected %s", err.Error(), expected)
-	}
 }
 
 func TestLocksConcurrent(t *testing.T) {
@@ -82,8 +69,9 @@ func TestLocksConcurrent(t *testing.T) {
 
 	rand.Seed(time.Now().UnixNano())
 
+	wg.Add(size)
+
 	for i := 0; i < size; i++ {
-		wg.Add(1)
 		go func() {
 			nl, err := lk.Acquire(testKey)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -142,49 +130,26 @@ func TestLockReadAndWrite(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("expected error for invalid lock name")
 	}
 
-	nl, _ = lk.RAcquire("testKeyReadOnly")
-	nl.(*namedLock).name = ""
-
-	err = nl.Release()
-	if err == nil || !strings.HasPrefix(err.Error(), "invalid lock name:") {
-		t.Error("expected error for invalid lock name")
-	}
-}
-
-func TestWriteLockCounter(t *testing.T) {
-
-	const expected = 50
-	nl := newNamedLock("testKey", nil)
-	nl.writeLockCount = expected
-	v := nl.WriteLockCounter()
-	if v != expected {
-		t.Errorf("expected %d got %d", expected, v)
-	}
-
-}
-
-func TestWriteLockMode(t *testing.T) {
-
-	nl := newNamedLock("testKey", nil)
-	if nl.WriteLockMode() {
-		t.Error("expected false")
-	}
-	nl.writeLockMode = 1
-	if !nl.WriteLockMode() {
-		t.Error("expected true")
-	}
-
 }
 
 func TestUpgrade(t *testing.T) {
 
 	locker := NewNamedLocker()
 	nl, _ := locker.RAcquire("test")
-	if nl.WriteLockCounter() != 0 {
-		t.Errorf("expected 0 got %d", nl.WriteLockCounter())
+
+	b := nl.Upgrade()
+	nl.Release()
+	if !b {
+		t.Errorf("expected firstWrite to be true")
 	}
-	nl, _ = nl.Upgrade()
-	if nl.WriteLockCounter() != 1 {
-		t.Errorf("expected 1 got %d", nl.WriteLockCounter())
+
+	nl, _ = locker.RAcquire("test2")
+	nl1 := nl.(*namedLock)
+	nl1.subsequentWriter = true
+	b = nl.Upgrade()
+	nl.Release()
+	if b {
+		t.Errorf("expected firstWrite to be false")
 	}
+
 }
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/engines/deltaproxycache.go b/pkg/proxy/engines/deltaproxycache.go
index 98a7b0511..589bd056e 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/engines/deltaproxycache.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/engines/deltaproxycache.go
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ func DeltaProxyCacheRequest(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	var elapsed time.Duration
 
 	coReq := GetRequestCachingPolicy(r.Header)
+checkCache:
 	if coReq.NoCache {
 		if span != nil {
 			span.AddEvent(
@@ -236,27 +237,20 @@ func DeltaProxyCacheRequest(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		// which will have the same cacheStatus, from causing the same or similar HTTP requests
 		// to be made against the origin, since just one should do.
 
-		// to do this we can ask the lock object how many write locks have been acquired. since
-		// we have a read lock, this number can't be updated again until all reads are released.
-		cwc := pr.cacheLock.WriteLockCounter()
-		// acquire a write lock via the Upgrade method, which will swap your read lock for a
-		// write lock, ensuring that write lock counter state is intact during the upgrade
-		pr.cacheLock, _ = pr.cacheLock.Upgrade()
-		// now we have the write lock. so we can check if the write lock counter incremented by 1
-		// or more. If the difference is just 1, that means this request was the first to acquire
-		// a write lock following all of the read locks being released. That means it is good to
-		// proceed with upstream communications and caching. when the difference is > 1, it means
-		// another requests was first to acquire the mutex, and we have no idea what changed in
-		// the cache since between when we queried, and the other requests with the lock serviced
-		// so in that case, we will just send the request back through the DPC from the top in
-		// case the updated cache might benefit them.
-
-		// now check if we were the first request for this url to upgrade from a reader to writer
-		if pr.cacheLock.WriteLockCounter()-cwc != 1 {
+		// acquire a write lock via the Upgrade method, which will swap the read lock for a
+		// write lock, and return true if this client was the only one, or otherwise the first
+		// client in a concurrent read lock group to request an Upgrade.
+		wasFirst := pr.cacheLock.Upgrade()
+
+		// if this request was first, it is good to proceed with upstream communications and caching.
+		// when another requests was first to acquire the mutex, we will jump up to checkCache
+		// to get the refreshed version. after 3 reiterations, we'll proceed anyway to avoid long loops.
+		if !wasFirst && pr.rerunCount < 3 {
 			// we weren't first, so quickly drop our write lock, and re-run the request
 			pr.cacheLock.Release()
-			DeltaProxyCacheRequest(w, r)
-			return
+			pr.cacheLock, _ = locker.RAcquire(key)
+			pr.rerunCount++
+			goto checkCache
 		}
 		writeLock = pr.cacheLock
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/engines/objectproxycache.go b/pkg/proxy/engines/objectproxycache.go
index a14fd1f0e..42607ff7d 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/engines/objectproxycache.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/engines/objectproxycache.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func handleCachePartialHit(pr *proxyRequest) error {
 	}
 
 	b1, b2 := upgradeLock(pr)
-	if b1 && !b2 {
+	if b1 && !b2 && pr.rerunCount < 3 {
 		rerunRequest(pr)
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -485,14 +485,13 @@ func recordOPCResult(pr *proxyRequest, cacheStatus status.LookupStatus, httpStat
 
 func upgradeLock(pr *proxyRequest) (bool, bool) {
 	if pr.hasReadLock && !pr.hasWriteLock {
-		cwc := pr.cacheLock.WriteLockCounter()
-		pr.cacheLock.Upgrade()
+		wasFirst := pr.cacheLock.Upgrade()
 		pr.hasReadLock = false
 		pr.hasWriteLock = true
-		if pr.cacheLock.WriteLockCounter()-cwc != 1 {
-			return true, false
+		if wasFirst {
+			return true, true
 		}
-		return true, true
+		return true, false
 	}
 	return false, false
 }
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/engines/proxy_request.go b/pkg/proxy/engines/proxy_request.go
index cf6894b19..5eadc3dcc 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/engines/proxy_request.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/engines/proxy_request.go
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ type proxyRequest struct {
 	revalidationResponse *http.Response
 	revalidationReader   io.ReadCloser
 
+	rerunCount int
+
 	cacheDocument *HTTPDocument
 	cacheBuffer   *bytes.Buffer
 	cacheLock     locks.NamedLock