diff --git a/src/lib/locks.ts b/src/lib/locks.ts
index 90765a79..40f91e14 100644
--- a/src/lib/locks.ts
+++ b/src/lib/locks.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 import {messageAllTabs} from "@src/lib/messaging"
 
 import {v1 as uuid} from "uuid"
+import * as Logging from "@src/lib/logging"
+
+const logger = new Logging.Logger("locks")
 
 export const OWNED_LOCKS = new Set()
 
@@ -11,24 +14,41 @@ export const ID = uuid()
 
 const now = () => (new Date()).getTime() + Math.random() // getTime is accurate only to ms, so fake microseconds with random
 
-export async function acquire(lockname: string, timeout= 2000) {
+export async function acquire(lockname: string) {
     if (OWNED_LOCKS.has(lockname) || DESIRED_LOCKS.hasOwnProperty(lockname)) return;
     const time = now()
 
     DESIRED_LOCKS[lockname] = time
 
-    await Promise.race([
-        Promise.all([
-            browser.runtime.sendMessage({type: "lock", command: "acquire", args: [lockname, time, ID]}),
-            messageAllTabs("lock", "acquire", [lockname, time, ID]),
-        ]),
-        new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, timeout)), // Take lock anyway after timeout
+    await Promise.all([
+        browser.runtime.sendMessage({type: "lock", command: "acquire", args: [lockname, time, ID]}),
+        messageAllTabs("lock", "acquire", [lockname, time, ID]),
     ])
 
     delete DESIRED_LOCKS[lockname]
     OWNED_LOCKS.add(lockname)
 }
 
+/**
+ * Execute func after acquiring a named lock. If func takes longer than timeout, release the lock early.
+ * Returns the value of func.
+ */
+export async function withlock(lockname: string, func, timeout= 2000) {
+    await acquire(lockname)
+    const p = (async () => func())() // Ensure function is promisified
+    const a = await Promise.race([
+        p,
+        new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(
+            () => {
+                resolve("ERROR: LOST THE RACE")
+            },
+        timeout)), // Release the lock anyway after timeout
+    ])
+    if (a === "ERROR: LOST THE RACE") {logger.warning("lock " + lockname + " was released early")}
+    release(lockname)
+    return p
+}
+
 export async function release(lockname: string) {
     OWNED_LOCKS.delete(lockname)
 }