diff --git a/lib/sidetiq.rb b/lib/sidetiq.rb
index 3e155c2..231621d 100644
--- a/lib/sidetiq.rb
+++ b/lib/sidetiq.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 require 'monitor'
 require 'ostruct'
 require 'singleton'
+require 'socket'
 
 # gems
 require 'ice_cube'
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ require 'sidekiq'
 # internal
 require 'sidetiq/config'
 require 'sidetiq/clock'
+require 'sidetiq/lock'
 require 'sidetiq/middleware'
 require 'sidetiq/schedule'
 require 'sidetiq/schedulable'
diff --git a/lib/sidetiq/clock.rb b/lib/sidetiq/clock.rb
index 77842ae..ce89412 100644
--- a/lib/sidetiq/clock.rb
+++ b/lib/sidetiq/clock.rb
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ module Sidetiq
       tick = gettime
       mon_synchronize do
         schedules.each do |worker, sched|
-          synchronize_clockworks(worker) do |redis|
+          Lock.new(worker).synchronize do |redis|
             if sched.backfill? && (last = worker.last_scheduled_occurrence) > 0
               last = Sidetiq.config.utc ? Time.at(last).utc : Time.at(last)
               sched.occurrences_between(last + 1, tick).each do |past_t|
@@ -150,24 +150,6 @@ module Sidetiq
       end
     end
 
-    def synchronize_clockworks(klass)
-      lock = "sidetiq:#{klass.name}:lock"
-
-      Sidekiq.redis do |redis|
-        if redis.setnx(lock, 1)
-          Sidetiq.logger.debug "Sidetiq::Clock lock #{lock}"
-
-          begin
-            redis.pexpire(lock, Sidetiq.config.lock_expire)
-            yield redis
-          ensure
-            redis.del(lock)
-            Sidetiq.logger.debug "Sidetiq::Clock unlock #{lock}"
-          end
-        end
-      end
-    end
-
     def clock
       loop do
         sleep_time = time { yield }
diff --git a/lib/sidetiq/lock.rb b/lib/sidetiq/lock.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..119c1b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/sidetiq/lock.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+module Sidetiq
+  class Lock # :nodoc: all
+    attr_reader :key, :timeout
+
+    OWNER = "#{Socket.gethostname}:#{Process.pid}"
+
+    def initialize(key, timeout = Sidetiq.config.lock_expire)
+      @key  = key.kind_of?(Class) ? "sidetiq:#{key.name}:lock" : "sidetiq:#{key}:lock"
+      @timeout   = timeout
+    end
+
+    def synchronize
+      Sidekiq.redis do |redis|
+        if lock(redis)
+
+          begin
+            yield redis
+          ensure
+            unlock(redis)
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    private
+
+    def lock(redis)
+      acquired = false
+
+      watch(redis, key) do
+        if !redis.exists(key)
+          acquired = !!redis.multi do |multi|
+            multi.psetex(key, timeout, OWNER)
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
+      Sidetiq.logger.info "Sidetiq::Clock lock #{key}" if acquired
+
+      acquired
+    end
+
+    def unlock(redis)
+      watch(redis, key) do
+        if redis.get(key) == OWNER
+          redis.multi do |multi|
+            multi.del(key)
+          end
+
+          Sidetiq.logger.info "Sidetiq::Clock unlock #{key}"
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    def watch(redis, *args)
+      redis.watch(*args)
+
+      begin
+        yield
+      ensure
+        redis.unwatch
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/test_lock.rb b/test/test_lock.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ab2505
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_lock.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+require_relative 'helper'
+
+class TestLock < Sidetiq::TestCase
+  def test_locking
+    lock_name = SecureRandom.hex(8)
+    key = SecureRandom.hex(8)
+
+    Sidekiq.redis do |redis|
+      redis.set(key, 0)
+
+      5.times.map do
+        Thread.start do
+          locked(lock_name) do |r|
+            sleep 0.1
+            r.incr(key)
+          end
+        end
+      end.each(&:join)
+
+      assert_equal "1", redis.get(key)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def locked(lock_name)
+    Sidetiq::Lock.new(lock_name).synchronize do |redis|
+      yield redis
+    end
+  end
+end
+