diff --git a/app/workers/stuck_ci_builds_worker.rb b/app/workers/stuck_ci_builds_worker.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index b70df5a1afa..00000000000
--- a/app/workers/stuck_ci_builds_worker.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-class StuckCiBuildsWorker
-  include Sidekiq::Worker
-  include CronjobQueue
-
-  BUILD_STUCK_TIMEOUT = 1.day
-
-  def perform
-    Rails.logger.info 'Cleaning stuck builds'
-
-    builds = Ci::Build.joins(:project).running_or_pending.where('ci_builds.updated_at < ?', BUILD_STUCK_TIMEOUT.ago)
-    builds.find_each(batch_size: 50).each do |build|
-      Rails.logger.debug "Dropping stuck #{build.status} build #{build.id} for runner #{build.runner_id}"
-      build.drop
-    end
-
-    # Update builds that failed to drop
-    builds.update_all(status: 'failed')
-  end
-end
diff --git a/app/workers/stuck_ci_jobs_worker.rb b/app/workers/stuck_ci_jobs_worker.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ae8c980c9e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/workers/stuck_ci_jobs_worker.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+class StuckCiJobsWorker
+  include Sidekiq::Worker
+  include CronjobQueue
+
+  EXCLUSIVE_LEASE_KEY = 'stuck_ci_builds_worker_lease'.freeze
+
+  BUILD_RUNNING_OUTDATED_TIMEOUT = 1.hour
+  BUILD_PENDING_OUTDATED_TIMEOUT = 1.day
+  BUILD_PENDING_STUCK_TIMEOUT = 1.hour
+
+  def perform
+    return unless try_obtain_lease
+
+    Rails.logger.info "#{self.class}: Cleaning stuck builds"
+
+    drop :running, BUILD_RUNNING_OUTDATED_TIMEOUT
+    drop :pending, BUILD_PENDING_OUTDATED_TIMEOUT
+    drop_stuck :pending, BUILD_PENDING_STUCK_TIMEOUT
+
+    remove_lease
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  def try_obtain_lease
+    @uuid = Gitlab::ExclusiveLease.new(EXCLUSIVE_LEASE_KEY, timeout: 30.minutes).try_obtain
+  end
+
+  def remove_lease
+    Gitlab::ExclusiveLease.cancel(EXCLUSIVE_LEASE_KEY, @uuid)
+  end
+
+  def drop(status, timeout)
+    search(status, timeout) do |build|
+      drop_build :outdated, build, status, timeout
+    end
+  end
+
+  def drop_stuck(status, timeout)
+    search(status, timeout) do |build|
+      return unless build.stuck?
+      drop_build :stuck, build, status, timeout
+    end
+  end
+
+  def search(status, timeout)
+    builds = Ci::Build.where(status: status).where('ci_builds.updated_at < ?', timeout.ago)
+    builds.joins(:project).includes(:tags, :runner, project: :namespace).find_each(batch_size: 50).each do |build|
+      yield(build)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def drop_build(type, build, status, timeout)
+    Rails.logger.info "#{self.class}: Dropping #{type} build #{build.id} for runner #{build.runner_id} (status: #{status}, timeout: #{timeout})"
+    Gitlab::OptimisticLocking.retry_lock(build, 3) do |b|
+      b.drop
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/27523-make-stuck-build-detection-more-performant.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/27523-make-stuck-build-detection-more-performant.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a4ef2b23aaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/27523-make-stuck-build-detection-more-performant.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+title: Make stuck builds detection more performant
+merge_request: 9025
+author:
diff --git a/config/gitlab.yml.example b/config/gitlab.yml.example
index a82ff605a70..8f99a4d541f 100644
--- a/config/gitlab.yml.example
+++ b/config/gitlab.yml.example
@@ -177,9 +177,9 @@ production: &base
   # Periodically executed jobs, to self-heal Gitlab, do external synchronizations, etc.
   # Please read here for more information: https://github.com/ondrejbartas/sidekiq-cron#adding-cron-job
   cron_jobs:
-    # Flag stuck CI builds as failed
-    stuck_ci_builds_worker:
-      cron: "0 0 * * *"
+    # Flag stuck CI jobs as failed
+    stuck_ci_jobs_worker:
+      cron: "0 * * * *"
     # Remove expired build artifacts
     expire_build_artifacts_worker:
       cron: "50 * * * *"
diff --git a/config/initializers/1_settings.rb b/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
index c64ae15fa92..5aeaa7eab81 100644
--- a/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
+++ b/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
@@ -308,9 +308,9 @@ Settings.gravatar['host']         = Settings.host_without_www(Settings.gravatar[
 # Cron Jobs
 #
 Settings['cron_jobs'] ||= Settingslogic.new({})
-Settings.cron_jobs['stuck_ci_builds_worker'] ||= Settingslogic.new({})
-Settings.cron_jobs['stuck_ci_builds_worker']['cron'] ||= '0 0 * * *'
-Settings.cron_jobs['stuck_ci_builds_worker']['job_class'] = 'StuckCiBuildsWorker'
+Settings.cron_jobs['stuck_ci_jobs_worker'] ||= Settingslogic.new({})
+Settings.cron_jobs['stuck_ci_jobs_worker']['cron'] ||= '0 * * * *'
+Settings.cron_jobs['stuck_ci_jobs_worker']['job_class'] = 'StuckCiJobsWorker'
 Settings.cron_jobs['expire_build_artifacts_worker'] ||= Settingslogic.new({})
 Settings.cron_jobs['expire_build_artifacts_worker']['cron'] ||= '50 * * * *'
 Settings.cron_jobs['expire_build_artifacts_worker']['job_class'] = 'ExpireBuildArtifactsWorker'
diff --git a/spec/workers/stuck_ci_builds_worker_spec.rb b/spec/workers/stuck_ci_builds_worker_spec.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index 801fa31b45d..00000000000
--- a/spec/workers/stuck_ci_builds_worker_spec.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,57 +0,0 @@
-require "spec_helper"
-
-describe StuckCiBuildsWorker do
-  let!(:build) { create :ci_build }
-  let(:worker) { described_class.new }
-
-  subject do
-    build.reload
-    build.status
-  end
-
-  %w(pending running).each do |status|
-    context "#{status} build" do
-      before do
-        build.update!(status: status)
-      end
-
-      it 'gets dropped if it was updated over 2 days ago' do
-        build.update!(updated_at: 2.days.ago)
-        worker.perform
-        is_expected.to eq('failed')
-      end
-
-      it "is still #{status}" do
-        build.update!(updated_at: 1.minute.ago)
-        worker.perform
-        is_expected.to eq(status)
-      end
-    end
-  end
-
-  %w(success failed canceled).each do |status|
-    context "#{status} build" do
-      before do
-        build.update!(status: status)
-      end
-
-      it "is still #{status}" do
-        build.update!(updated_at: 2.days.ago)
-        worker.perform
-        is_expected.to eq(status)
-      end
-    end
-  end
-
-  context "for deleted project" do
-    before do
-      build.update!(status: :running, updated_at: 2.days.ago)
-      build.project.update(pending_delete: true)
-    end
-
-    it "does not drop build" do
-      expect_any_instance_of(Ci::Build).not_to receive(:drop)
-      worker.perform
-    end
-  end
-end
diff --git a/spec/workers/stuck_ci_jobs_worker_spec.rb b/spec/workers/stuck_ci_jobs_worker_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8434b0c8e5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/workers/stuck_ci_jobs_worker_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe StuckCiJobsWorker do
+  let!(:runner) { create :ci_runner }
+  let!(:job) { create :ci_build, runner: runner }
+  let(:worker) { described_class.new }
+  let(:exclusive_lease_uuid) { SecureRandom.uuid }
+
+  subject do
+    job.reload
+    job.status
+  end
+
+  before do
+    job.update!(status: status, updated_at: updated_at)
+    allow_any_instance_of(Gitlab::ExclusiveLease).to receive(:try_obtain).and_return(exclusive_lease_uuid)
+  end
+
+  shared_examples 'job is dropped' do
+    it 'changes status' do
+      worker.perform
+      is_expected.to eq('failed')
+    end
+  end
+
+  shared_examples 'job is unchanged' do
+    it "doesn't change status" do
+      worker.perform
+      is_expected.to eq(status)
+    end
+  end
+
+  context 'when job is pending' do
+    let(:status) { 'pending' }
+
+    context 'when job is not stuck' do
+      before { allow_any_instance_of(Ci::Build).to receive(:stuck?).and_return(false) }
+
+      context 'when job was not updated for more than 1 day ago' do
+        let(:updated_at) { 2.days.ago }
+        it_behaves_like 'job is dropped'
+      end
+
+      context 'when job was updated in less than 1 day ago' do
+        let(:updated_at) { 6.hours.ago }
+        it_behaves_like 'job is unchanged'
+      end
+
+      context 'when job was not updated for more than 1 hour ago' do
+        let(:updated_at) { 2.hours.ago }
+        it_behaves_like 'job is unchanged'
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when job is stuck' do
+      before { allow_any_instance_of(Ci::Build).to receive(:stuck?).and_return(true) }
+
+      context 'when job was not updated for more than 1 hour ago' do
+        let(:updated_at) { 2.hours.ago }
+        it_behaves_like 'job is dropped'
+      end
+
+      context 'when job was updated in less than 1 hour ago' do
+        let(:updated_at) { 30.minutes.ago }
+        it_behaves_like 'job is unchanged'
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  context 'when job is running' do
+    let(:status) { 'running' }
+
+    context 'when job was not updated for more than 1 hour ago' do
+      let(:updated_at) { 2.hours.ago }
+      it_behaves_like 'job is dropped'
+    end
+
+    context 'when job was updated in less than 1 hour ago' do
+      let(:updated_at) { 30.minutes.ago }
+      it_behaves_like 'job is unchanged'
+    end
+  end
+
+  %w(success skipped failed canceled).each do |status|
+    context "when job is #{status}" do
+      let(:status) { status }
+      let(:updated_at) { 2.days.ago }
+      it_behaves_like 'job is unchanged'
+    end
+  end
+
+  context 'for deleted project' do
+    let(:status) { 'running' }
+    let(:updated_at) { 2.days.ago }
+
+    before { job.project.update(pending_delete: true) }
+
+    it 'does not drop job' do
+      expect_any_instance_of(Ci::Build).not_to receive(:drop)
+      worker.perform
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe 'exclusive lease' do
+    let(:status) { 'running' }
+    let(:updated_at) { 2.days.ago }
+    let(:worker2) { described_class.new }
+
+    it 'is guard by exclusive lease when executed concurrently' do
+      expect(worker).to receive(:drop).at_least(:once)
+      expect(worker2).not_to receive(:drop)
+      worker.perform
+      allow_any_instance_of(Gitlab::ExclusiveLease).to receive(:try_obtain).and_return(false)
+      worker2.perform
+    end
+
+    it 'can be executed in sequence' do
+      expect(worker).to receive(:drop).at_least(:once)
+      expect(worker2).to receive(:drop).at_least(:once)
+      worker.perform
+      worker2.perform
+    end
+
+    it 'cancels exclusive lease after worker perform' do
+      expect(Gitlab::ExclusiveLease).to receive(:cancel).with(described_class::EXCLUSIVE_LEASE_KEY, exclusive_lease_uuid)
+      worker.perform
+    end
+  end
+end