diff --git a/eval_intern.h b/eval_intern.h
index 0e5a8ae692..48e9c890c7 100644
--- a/eval_intern.h
+++ b/eval_intern.h
@@ -127,16 +127,6 @@ LONG WINAPI rb_w32_stack_overflow_handler(struct _EXCEPTION_POINTERS *);
       rb_fiber_start(); \
   } while (0)
 
-void rb_ec_vm_lock_rec_release(rb_execution_context_t *ec, int lock_rec);
-
-static inline void
-rb_ec_vm_lock_rec_check(rb_execution_context_t *ec, int lock_rec)
-{
-    if (rb_ec_vm_lock_rec(ec) != lock_rec) {
-        rb_ec_vm_lock_rec_release(ec, lock_rec);
-    }
-}
-
 #define EC_PUSH_TAG(ec) do { \
   rb_execution_context_t * const _ec = (ec); \
   struct rb_vm_tag _tag; \
@@ -146,7 +136,6 @@ rb_ec_vm_lock_rec_check(rb_execution_context_t *ec, int lock_rec)
   _tag.lock_rec = rb_ec_vm_lock_rec(_ec); \
 
 #define EC_POP_TAG() \
-  rb_ec_vm_lock_rec_check(_ec, _tag.lock_rec); \
   _ec->tag = _tag.prev; \
 } while (0)
 
@@ -169,12 +158,23 @@ rb_ec_vm_lock_rec_check(rb_execution_context_t *ec, int lock_rec)
 # define VAR_NOCLOBBERED(var) var
 #endif
 
+static inline void
+rb_ec_vm_lock_rec_check(const rb_execution_context_t *ec, unsigned int recorded_lock_rec)
+{
+    unsigned int current_lock_rec = rb_ec_vm_lock_rec(ec);
+    if (current_lock_rec != recorded_lock_rec) {
+        rb_ec_vm_lock_rec_release(ec, recorded_lock_rec, current_lock_rec);
+    }
+}
+
 /* clear ec->tag->state, and return the value */
 static inline int
 rb_ec_tag_state(const rb_execution_context_t *ec)
 {
-    enum ruby_tag_type state = ec->tag->state;
-    ec->tag->state = TAG_NONE;
+    struct rb_vm_tag *tag = ec->tag;
+    enum ruby_tag_type state = tag->state;
+    tag->state = TAG_NONE;
+    rb_ec_vm_lock_rec_check(ec, tag->lock_rec);
     return state;
 }
 
diff --git a/vm_core.h b/vm_core.h
index f783bd5b99..e62d43d4aa 100644
--- a/vm_core.h
+++ b/vm_core.h
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ struct rb_vm_tag {
     rb_jmpbuf_t buf;
     struct rb_vm_tag *prev;
     enum ruby_tag_type state;
-    int lock_rec;
+    unsigned int lock_rec;
 };
 
 STATIC_ASSERT(rb_vm_tag_buf_offset, offsetof(struct rb_vm_tag, buf) > 0);
@@ -1798,8 +1798,12 @@ rb_current_vm(void)
     return ruby_current_vm_ptr;
 }
 
-static inline int
-rb_ec_vm_lock_rec(rb_execution_context_t *ec)
+void rb_ec_vm_lock_rec_release(const rb_execution_context_t *ec,
+                               unsigned int recorded_lock_rec,
+                               unsigned int current_lock_rec);
+
+static inline unsigned int
+rb_ec_vm_lock_rec(const rb_execution_context_t *ec)
 {
     rb_vm_t *vm = rb_ec_vm_ptr(ec);
 
diff --git a/vm_sync.c b/vm_sync.c
index 6b17ce83b5..b670984a13 100644
--- a/vm_sync.c
+++ b/vm_sync.c
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ vm_lock_leave(rb_vm_t *vm, unsigned int *lev APPEND_LOCATION_ARGS)
     VM_ASSERT(vm->ractor.sync.lock_rec == *lev);
 
     vm->ractor.sync.lock_rec--;
+    *lev = vm->ractor.sync.lock_rec;
 
     if (vm->ractor.sync.lock_rec == 0) {
         vm->ractor.sync.lock_owner = NULL;
@@ -248,21 +249,19 @@ rb_vm_barrier(void)
 }
 
 void
-rb_ec_vm_lock_rec_release(rb_execution_context_t *ec, int recorded_lock_rec)
+rb_ec_vm_lock_rec_release(const rb_execution_context_t *ec,
+                          unsigned int recorded_lock_rec,
+                          unsigned int current_lock_rec)
 {
-    int current_lock_rec = rb_ec_vm_lock_rec(ec);
-    unsigned int lev;
+    VM_ASSERT(recorded_lock_rec != current_lock_rec);
 
-    bp();
-
-    if (recorded_lock_rec > current_lock_rec) {
-        for (; recorded_lock_rec > current_lock_rec; current_lock_rec++) {
-            RB_VM_LOCK_ENTER_LEV(&lev);
-        }
+    if (UNLIKELY(recorded_lock_rec > current_lock_rec)) {
+        rb_bug("unexpected situation - recordd:%u current:%u",
+               recorded_lock_rec, current_lock_rec);
     }
     else {
-        for (; recorded_lock_rec < current_lock_rec; current_lock_rec--) {
-            RB_VM_LOCK_LEAVE_LEV(&lev);
+        while (recorded_lock_rec < current_lock_rec) {
+            RB_VM_LOCK_LEAVE_LEV(&current_lock_rec);
         }
     }