diff --git a/db.go b/db.go
index 404047709..db9564375 100644
--- a/db.go
+++ b/db.go
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/go-kit/kit/log"
 	"github.com/go-kit/kit/log/level"
-	"github.com/nightlyone/lockfile"
 	"github.com/oklog/ulid"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
@@ -94,7 +93,7 @@ type Appender interface {
 // a hashed partition of a seriedb.
 type DB struct {
 	dir   string
-	lockf *lockfile.Lockfile
+	lockf fileutil.Releaser
 
 	logger    log.Logger
 	metrics   *dbMetrics
@@ -210,14 +209,11 @@ func Open(dir string, l log.Logger, r prometheus.Registerer, opts *Options) (db
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		lockf, err := lockfile.New(filepath.Join(absdir, "lock"))
+		lockf, _, err := fileutil.Flock(filepath.Join(absdir, "lock"))
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		if err := lockf.TryLock(); err != nil {
-			return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "open DB in %s", dir)
+			return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "lock DB directory")
 		}
-		db.lockf = &lockf
+		db.lockf = lockf
 	}
 
 	db.compactor, err = NewLeveledCompactor(r, l, opts.BlockRanges, db.chunkPool)
@@ -719,7 +715,7 @@ func (db *DB) Close() error {
 	merr.Add(g.Wait())
 
 	if db.lockf != nil {
-		merr.Add(db.lockf.Unlock())
+		merr.Add(db.lockf.Release())
 	}
 	merr.Add(db.head.Close())
 	return merr.Err()
diff --git a/fileutil/flock.go b/fileutil/flock.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d5eaa7ca2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fileutil/flock.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+// Copyright 2016 The Prometheus Authors
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package fileutil
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+)
+
+// Releaser provides the Release method to release a file lock.
+type Releaser interface {
+	Release() error
+}
+
+// Flock locks the file with the provided name. If the file does not exist, it is
+// created. The returned Releaser is used to release the lock. existed is true
+// if the file to lock already existed. A non-nil error is returned if the
+// locking has failed. Neither this function nor the returned Releaser is
+// goroutine-safe.
+func Flock(fileName string) (r Releaser, existed bool, err error) {
+	if err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(fileName), 0755); err != nil {
+		return nil, false, err
+	}
+
+	_, err = os.Stat(fileName)
+	existed = err == nil
+
+	r, err = newLock(fileName)
+	return r, existed, err
+}
diff --git a/fileutil/flock_plan9.go b/fileutil/flock_plan9.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8a3d44c5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fileutil/flock_plan9.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+// Copyright 2016 The Prometheus Authors
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package fileutil
+
+import "os"
+
+type plan9Lock struct {
+	f *os.File
+}
+
+func (l *plan9Lock) Release() error {
+	return l.f.Close()
+}
+
+func newLock(fileName string) (Releaser, error) {
+	f, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE, os.ModeExclusive|0644)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &plan9Lock{f}, nil
+}
diff --git a/fileutil/flock_solaris.go b/fileutil/flock_solaris.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7f527ae6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fileutil/flock_solaris.go
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+// Copyright 2016 The Prometheus Authors
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+// +build solaris
+
+package fileutil
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"syscall"
+)
+
+type unixLock struct {
+	f *os.File
+}
+
+func (l *unixLock) Release() error {
+	if err := l.set(false); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return l.f.Close()
+}
+
+func (l *unixLock) set(lock bool) error {
+	flock := syscall.Flock_t{
+		Type:   syscall.F_UNLCK,
+		Start:  0,
+		Len:    0,
+		Whence: 1,
+	}
+	if lock {
+		flock.Type = syscall.F_WRLCK
+	}
+	return syscall.FcntlFlock(l.f.Fd(), syscall.F_SETLK, &flock)
+}
+
+func newLock(fileName string) (Releaser, error) {
+	f, err := os.OpenFile(fileName, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE, 0644)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	l := &unixLock{f}
+	err = l.set(true)
+	if err != nil {
+		f.Close()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return l, nil
+}
diff --git a/fileutil/flock_test.go b/fileutil/flock_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f9cbbcf2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fileutil/flock_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+// Copyright 2016 The Prometheus Authors
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package fileutil
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/util/testutil"
+)
+
+func TestLocking(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := testutil.NewTemporaryDirectory("test_flock", t)
+	defer dir.Close()
+
+	fileName := filepath.Join(dir.Path(), "LOCK")
+
+	if _, err := os.Stat(fileName); err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("File %q unexpectedly exists.", fileName)
+	}
+
+	lock, existed, err := Flock(fileName)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error locking file %q: %s", fileName, err)
+	}
+	if existed {
+		t.Errorf("File %q reported as existing during locking.", fileName)
+	}
+
+	// File must now exist.
+	if _, err = os.Stat(fileName); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Could not stat file %q expected to exist: %s", fileName, err)
+	}
+
+	// Try to lock again.
+	lockedAgain, existed, err := Flock(fileName)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("File %q locked twice.", fileName)
+	}
+	if lockedAgain != nil {
+		t.Error("Unsuccessful locking did not return nil.")
+	}
+	if !existed {
+		t.Errorf("Existing file %q not recognized.", fileName)
+	}
+
+	if err := lock.Release(); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Error releasing lock for file %q: %s", fileName, err)
+	}
+
+	// File must still exist.
+	if _, err = os.Stat(fileName); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Could not stat file %q expected to exist: %s", fileName, err)
+	}
+
+	// Lock existing file.
+	lock, existed, err = Flock(fileName)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error locking file %q: %s", fileName, err)
+	}
+	if !existed {
+		t.Errorf("Existing file %q not recognized.", fileName)
+	}
+
+	if err := lock.Release(); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Error releasing lock for file %q: %s", fileName, err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/fileutil/flock_unix.go b/fileutil/flock_unix.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f493fbd83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fileutil/flock_unix.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+// Copyright 2016 The Prometheus Authors
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+// +build darwin dragonfly freebsd linux netbsd openbsd
+
+package fileutil
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"syscall"
+)
+
+type unixLock struct {
+	f *os.File
+}
+
+func (l *unixLock) Release() error {
+	if err := l.set(false); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return l.f.Close()
+}
+
+func (l *unixLock) set(lock bool) error {
+	how := syscall.LOCK_UN
+	if lock {
+		how = syscall.LOCK_EX
+	}
+	return syscall.Flock(int(l.f.Fd()), how|syscall.LOCK_NB)
+}
+
+func newLock(fileName string) (Releaser, error) {
+	f, err := os.OpenFile(fileName, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE, 0644)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	l := &unixLock{f}
+	err = l.set(true)
+	if err != nil {
+		f.Close()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return l, nil
+}
diff --git a/fileutil/flock_windows.go b/fileutil/flock_windows.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1c17ff4ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fileutil/flock_windows.go
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+// Copyright 2016 The Prometheus Authors
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package fileutil
+
+import "syscall"
+
+type windowsLock struct {
+	fd syscall.Handle
+}
+
+func (fl *windowsLock) Release() error {
+	return syscall.Close(fl.fd)
+}
+
+func newLock(fileName string) (Releaser, error) {
+	pathp, err := syscall.UTF16PtrFromString(fileName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	fd, err := syscall.CreateFile(pathp, syscall.GENERIC_READ|syscall.GENERIC_WRITE, 0, nil, syscall.CREATE_ALWAYS, syscall.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &windowsLock{fd}, nil
+}