diff --git a/rhodecode/lib/vcs/utils/lockfiles.py b/rhodecode/lib/vcs/utils/lockfiles.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rhodecode/lib/vcs/utils/lockfiles.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import os
+
+
+class LockFile(object):
+	"""Provides methods to obtain, check for, and release a file based lock which
+	should be used to handle concurrent access to the same file.
+
+	As we are a utility class to be derived from, we only use protected methods.
+
+	Locks will automatically be released on destruction"""
+	__slots__ = ("_file_path", "_owns_lock")
+
+	def __init__(self, file_path):
+		self._file_path = file_path
+		self._owns_lock = False
+
+	def __del__(self):
+		self._release_lock()
+
+	def _lock_file_path(self):
+		""":return: Path to lockfile"""
+		return "%s.lock" % (self._file_path)
+
+	def _has_lock(self):
+		""":return: True if we have a lock and if the lockfile still exists
+		:raise AssertionError: if our lock-file does not exist"""
+		if not self._owns_lock:
+			return False
+
+		return True
+
+	def _obtain_lock_or_raise(self):
+		"""Create a lock file as flag for other instances, mark our instance as lock-holder
+
+		:raise IOError: if a lock was already present or a lock file could not be written"""
+		if self._has_lock():
+			return
+		lock_file = self._lock_file_path()
+		if os.path.isfile(lock_file):
+			raise IOError("Lock for file %r did already exist, delete %r in case the lock is illegal" % (self._file_path, lock_file))
+
+		try:
+			fd = os.open(lock_file, os.O_WRONLY | os.O_CREAT | os.O_EXCL, 0)
+			os.close(fd)
+		except OSError,e:
+			raise IOError(str(e))
+
+		self._owns_lock = True
+
+	def _obtain_lock(self):
+		"""The default implementation will raise if a lock cannot be obtained.
+		Subclasses may override this method to provide a different implementation"""
+		return self._obtain_lock_or_raise()
+
+	def _release_lock(self):
+		"""Release our lock if we have one"""
+		if not self._has_lock():
+			return
+
+		# if someone removed our file beforhand, lets just flag this issue
+		# instead of failing, to make it more usable.
+		lfp = self._lock_file_path()
+		try:
+			# on bloody windows, the file needs write permissions to be removable.
+			# Why ...
+			if os.name == 'nt':
+				os.chmod(lfp, 0777)
+			# END handle win32
+			os.remove(lfp)
+		except OSError:
+			pass
+		self._owns_lock = False