diff --git a/field.go b/field.go
index e13831f69..01ee7a44a 100644
--- a/field.go
+++ b/field.go
@@ -1235,9 +1235,14 @@ func (f *Field) MutexCheck(ctx context.Context, qcx *Qcx, details bool, limit in
 	if f.Type() != FieldTypeMutex {
 		return nil, errors.New("mutex check only valid for mutex fields")
 	}
+
+	// Rather than deferring the unlock, we grab the standard view
+	// from the field's viewMap and unlock immediately. This avoids
+	// holding the rlock for a potentially long time which blocks any
+	// write lock, and pending write locks block other read locks.
 	f.mu.RLock()
-	defer f.mu.RUnlock()
 	standard := f.viewMap[viewStandard]
+	f.mu.RUnlock()
 	if standard == nil {
 		// no standard view present means we've never needed to create it,
 		// so it has no bits set, so it has no extra bits set.
diff --git a/view.go b/view.go
index af2753127..fb6a85c84 100644
--- a/view.go
+++ b/view.go
@@ -301,8 +301,8 @@ func (v *view) Fragment(shard uint64) *fragment {
 
 // allFragments returns a list of all fragments in the view.
 func (v *view) allFragments() []*fragment {
-	v.mu.Lock()
-	defer v.mu.Unlock()
+	v.mu.RLock()
+	defer v.mu.RUnlock()
 
 	other := make([]*fragment, 0, len(v.fragments))
 	for _, fragment := range v.fragments {