diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/HttpCache.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/HttpCache.php
index ec66dcd5fcbee..3b8d20c4eebb0 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/HttpCache.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/HttpCache.php
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ protected function lock(Request $request, Response $entry)
 
             // wait for the lock to be released
             $wait = 0;
-            while (is_file($lock) && $wait < 5000000) {
+            while ($this->store->isLocked($request) && $wait < 5000000) {
                 usleep(50000);
                 $wait += 50000;
             }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/Store.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/Store.php
index b60c647e743b2..6d45e5c5936c8 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/Store.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/Store.php
@@ -71,15 +71,20 @@ public function cleanup()
      */
     public function lock(Request $request)
     {
-        if (false !== $lock = @fopen($path = $this->getPath($this->getCacheKey($request).'.lck'), 'x')) {
+        $path = $this->getPath($this->getCacheKey($request).'.lck');
+        if (!is_dir(dirname($path)) && false === @mkdir(dirname($path), 0777, true)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        $lock = @fopen($path, 'x');
+        if (false !== $lock) {
             fclose($lock);
 
             $this->locks[] = $path;
 
             return true;
         }
-
-        return $path;
+        return !file_exists($path) ?: $path;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -92,6 +97,11 @@ public function unlock(Request $request)
         return @unlink($this->getPath($this->getCacheKey($request).'.lck'));
     }
 
+    public function isLocked(Request $request)
+    {
+        return is_file($this->getPath($this->getCacheKey($request).'.lck'));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Locates a cached Response for the Request provided.
      *
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/StoreInterface.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/StoreInterface.php
index dd8c8869798d5..483b6d6c68e5f 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/StoreInterface.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpCache/StoreInterface.php
@@ -69,6 +69,15 @@ public function lock(Request $request);
      */
     public function unlock(Request $request);
 
+    /**
+     * Returns whether or not a lock exists.
+     *
+     * @param Request $request A Request instance
+     *
+     * @return Boolean true if lock exists, false otherwise
+     */
+    public function isLocked(Request $request);
+
     /**
      * Purges data for the given URL.
      *
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/HttpCache/StoreTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/HttpCache/StoreTest.php
index 747d350f43808..46e5e6b630970 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/HttpCache/StoreTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/HttpCache/StoreTest.php
@@ -194,6 +194,18 @@ public function testOverwritesNonVaryingResponseWithStore()
         $this->assertCount(2, $this->getStoreMetadata($key));
     }
 
+    public function testLocking()
+    {
+        $req = Request::create('/test', 'get', array(), array(), array(), array('HTTP_FOO' => 'Foo', 'HTTP_BAR' => 'Bar'));
+        $this->assertTrue($this->store->lock($req));
+
+        $path = $this->store->lock($req);
+        $this->assertTrue($this->store->isLocked($req));
+
+        $this->store->unlock($req);
+        $this->assertFalse($this->store->isLocked($req));
+    }
+
     protected function storeSimpleEntry($path = null, $headers = array())
     {
         if (null === $path) {