diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5a4ae70..71a327f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ install : $(PROGRAMS)
 	cp $^ $(HOME)/bin/
 
 dlight : dlight.o env.o http.o rss.o filter.o cconf.o dlhist.o
-dlight-compile : compile.o env.o filter.o cconf.o
+dlight-compile : compile.o env.o lockfile.o filter.o cconf.o
 dlight-read-config : read-config.o env.o cconf.o
 
 dlight-% : %.o
diff --git a/compile.c b/compile.c
index 9ea3f2a..cf4508b 100644
--- a/compile.c
+++ b/compile.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include "env.h"
 #include "cconf.h"
+#include "lockfile.h"
 #include "filter.h"
 
 #define error(...) fprintf(stderr, "error: " __VA_ARGS__)
@@ -237,48 +238,30 @@ static int parse_config_file(const char *file) {
 	return -1;
 }
 
-static int commit_lock(const char *file) {
-
-	char target[4096];
-	int len;
-
-	len = strlen(file) - 5; /* .lock */
-
-	memcpy(target, file, len);
-	target[len] = '\0';
-
-	return rename(file, target);
-}
-
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
-	int lockfd;
-	char lockfile[4096];
+	int lockfd, force = 0;
+	struct lockfile lock = LOCKFILE_INIT;
+	char filename[4096];
 
-	snprintf(lockfile, sizeof(lockfile), "%s/%s",
-		env_get_dir(), "config.lock");
+	snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%s/%s",
+		env_get_dir(), "config");
 
 	/* Remove lockfile if forced */
 	if (argc > 1 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-f"))
-		unlink(lockfile);
+		force = 1;
 
-	lockfd = open(lockfile, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_EXCL, 0600);
-	if (lockfd < 0) {
-		if (errno == EEXIST) {
-			error("config is locked\n");
-		} else {
-			perror("unable to create new configfile");
-		}
+	lockfd = hold_lock(&lock, filename, force);
+	if (lockfd < 0)
 		return 1;
-	}
 
 	if (parse_config_file("./config") < 0)
 		goto error;
 
 	if (!cconf_write(lockfd, &cconf) &&
-		!commit_lock(lockfile))
+		!commit_lock(&lock))
 		return 0;
 error:
-	unlink(lockfile);
+	release_lock(&lock);
 	return 1;
 }
diff --git a/lockfile.c b/lockfile.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ac0a233
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lockfile.c
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include "lockfile.h"
+
+#define locked(x) ((x)->fd >= 0)
+
+int hold_lock(struct lockfile *lock, const char *filename, int force) {
+
+	int rc, mask = O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC;
+
+	if (locked(lock))
+		return -1;
+
+	if (!force)
+		mask |= O_EXCL;
+
+	rc = snprintf(lock->name, sizeof(lock->name), "%s.lock", filename);
+	if (rc > sizeof(lock->name))
+		return -1;
+
+	lock->fd = open(lock->name, mask, 0600);
+	if (lock->fd < 0) {
+		if (errno == EEXIST) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "'%s' is locked\n", lock->name);
+		} else {
+			fprintf(stderr, "unable to create lockfile '%s'",
+				lock->name);
+		}
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return lock->fd;
+}
+
+int commit_lock(struct lockfile *lock) {
+
+	char target[4096];
+	int len;
+
+	if (!locked(lock))
+		return 0;
+
+	len = strlen(lock->name) - 5; /* .lock */
+
+	memcpy(target, lock->name, len);
+	target[len] = '\0';
+
+	if (rename(lock->name, target))
+		return -1;
+	lock->name[0] = '\0';
+	close(lock->fd);
+	lock->fd = -1;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int release_lock(struct lockfile *lock) {
+
+	int rc;
+
+	if (!locked(lock))
+		return 0;
+	rc = unlink(lock->name);
+	if (rc == 0) {
+		lock->name[0] = '\0';
+		close(lock->fd);
+		lock->fd = -1;
+	}
+	return rc;
+}
diff --git a/lockfile.h b/lockfile.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f6393c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lockfile.h
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+
+#ifndef LOCKFILE_H
+#define LOCKFILE_H
+
+struct lockfile {
+	int fd;
+	char name[4096];
+};
+
+#define LOCKFILE_INIT { -1, { 0 } }
+
+int hold_lock(struct lockfile *lock, const char *filename, int force);
+
+int commit_lock(struct lockfile *lock);
+
+int release_lock(struct lockfile *lock);
+
+#endif /* LOCKFILE_H */
\ No newline at end of file