diff --git a/internal/api/v1/gems_handler_test.go b/internal/api/v1/gems_handler_test.go
index 110b735..c1cc0cc 100644
--- a/internal/api/v1/gems_handler_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/v1/gems_handler_test.go
@@ -231,8 +231,9 @@ func TestGemsLockTimeoutIs503(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	if ok, err := redis.AcquireLock(context.Background(), repo, "_gemlock/busy-1.0.0", time.Minute); !ok || err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("hold lock = %v %v", ok, err)
+	token, err := redis.AcquireLock(context.Background(), repo, "_gemlock/busy-1.0.0", time.Minute)
+	if token == "" || err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("hold lock = %q %v", token, err)
 	}
 	prev := gemsLockWait
 	gemsLockWait = 100 * time.Millisecond
@@ -244,7 +245,7 @@ func TestGemsLockTimeoutIs503(t *testing.T) {
 	if code, _ := npmDo(t, http.MethodDelete, base+"api/v1/gems/yank?gem_name=busy&version=1.0.0", ""); code != http.StatusServiceUnavailable {
 		t.Fatalf("yank under held lock = %d, want 503", code)
 	}
-	if err := redis.ReleaseLock(context.Background(), repo, "_gemlock/busy-1.0.0"); err != nil {
+	if err := redis.ReleaseLock(context.Background(), repo, "_gemlock/busy-1.0.0", token); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	if code, body := npmDo(t, http.MethodPost, base+"api/v1/gems", string(testGemFile(t, "busy", "1.0.0", "ruby"))); code != http.StatusOK {
diff --git a/internal/cache/cache_test.go b/internal/cache/cache_test.go
index 8bcb380..a1e1dd3 100644
--- a/internal/cache/cache_test.go
+++ b/internal/cache/cache_test.go
@@ -61,18 +61,54 @@ func TestTTL(t *testing.T) {
 func TestLock(t *testing.T) {
 	requireRedis(t)
 	ctx := context.Background()
-	ok, err := testRedis.AcquireLock(ctx, "r", "lockpath", time.Minute)
-	if err != nil || !ok {
-		t.Fatalf("first acquire should succeed: %v %v", ok, err)
+	token, err := testRedis.AcquireLock(ctx, "r", "lockpath", time.Minute)
+	if err != nil || token == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("first acquire should succeed: %q %v", token, err)
 	}
-	if ok, _ := testRedis.AcquireLock(ctx, "r", "lockpath", time.Minute); ok {
+	if again, _ := testRedis.AcquireLock(ctx, "r", "lockpath", time.Minute); again != "" {
 		t.Error("second acquire should fail while held")
 	}
-	if err := testRedis.ReleaseLock(ctx, "r", "lockpath"); err != nil {
+	if err := testRedis.ReleaseLock(ctx, "r", "lockpath", "not-the-owner"); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	if ok, _ := testRedis.AcquireLock(ctx, "r", "lockpath", time.Minute); !ok {
-		t.Error("acquire should succeed after release")
+	if again, _ := testRedis.AcquireLock(ctx, "r", "lockpath", time.Minute); again != "" {
+		t.Error("release with a foreign token must not drop the lock")
+	}
+	if err := testRedis.ReleaseLock(ctx, "r", "lockpath", token); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	next, _ := testRedis.AcquireLock(ctx, "r", "lockpath", time.Minute)
+	if next == "" {
+		t.Fatal("acquire should succeed after release")
+	}
+	if next == token {
+		t.Error("tokens must differ between holders")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStaleReleaseKeepsNextHolder(t *testing.T) {
+	requireRedis(t)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	stale, err := testRedis.AcquireLock(ctx, "r", "stale", 50*time.Millisecond)
+	if err != nil || stale == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("acquire: %q %v", stale, err)
+	}
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+	fresh, err := testRedis.AcquireLock(ctx, "r", "stale", time.Minute)
+	if err != nil || fresh == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("acquire after expiry: %q %v", fresh, err)
+	}
+	if err := testRedis.ReleaseLock(ctx, "r", "stale", stale); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if again, _ := testRedis.AcquireLock(ctx, "r", "stale", time.Minute); again != "" {
+		t.Fatal("stale holder's release dropped the second holder's lock")
+	}
+	if err := testRedis.ReleaseLock(ctx, "r", "stale", fresh); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if again, _ := testRedis.AcquireLock(ctx, "r", "stale", time.Minute); again == "" {
+		t.Error("owner release should free the lock")
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/cache/redis.go b/internal/cache/redis.go
index eeca6c5..c120745 100644
--- a/internal/cache/redis.go
+++ b/internal/cache/redis.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package cache
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"crypto/rand"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -46,15 +47,23 @@ func (r *Redis) CheckTTL(ctx context.Context, remote, path string) (bool, error)
 	return exists > 0, nil
 }
 
-func (r *Redis) AcquireLock(ctx context.Context, remote, path string, ttl time.Duration) (bool, error) {
+// AcquireLock returns the owner token on success and "" when the lock is held.
+func (r *Redis) AcquireLock(ctx context.Context, remote, path string, ttl time.Duration) (string, error) {
 	key := fmt.Sprintf("lock:%s:%s", remote, path)
-	ok, err := r.client.SetNX(ctx, key, "1", ttl).Result()
-	return ok, err
+	token := rand.Text()
+	ok, err := r.client.SetNX(ctx, key, token, ttl).Result()
+	if err != nil || !ok {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return token, nil
 }
 
-func (r *Redis) ReleaseLock(ctx context.Context, remote, path string) error {
+var releaseScript = redis.NewScript(`if redis.call('get',KEYS[1])==ARGV[1] then return redis.call('del',KEYS[1]) else return 0 end`)
+
+// ReleaseLock deletes the lock only while token still owns it.
+func (r *Redis) ReleaseLock(ctx context.Context, remote, path, token string) error {
 	key := fmt.Sprintf("lock:%s:%s", remote, path)
-	return r.client.Del(ctx, key).Err()
+	return releaseScript.Run(ctx, r.client, []string{key}, token).Err()
 }
 
 // SetETag stores etag for path, or drops the stored one when etag is empty.
diff --git a/internal/proxy/engine.go b/internal/proxy/engine.go
index d097733..99d24b7 100644
--- a/internal/proxy/engine.go
+++ b/internal/proxy/engine.go
@@ -134,10 +134,11 @@ func (e *Engine) Fetch(ctx context.Context, remote models.Remote, path string, p
 		slog.Warn("cache hit but S3 miss, re-fetching", "remote", remote.Name, "path", path)
 	}
 
-	locked, err := e.cache.AcquireLock(ctx, remote.Name, path, fetchLockTTL)
+	token, err := e.cache.AcquireLock(ctx, remote.Name, path, fetchLockTTL)
 	if err != nil {
 		slog.Warn("lock acquire failed", "error", err)
 	}
+	locked := token != ""
 
 	if !locked {
 		// Another request holds the fetch lock. Poll the store until the leader
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@ func (e *Engine) Fetch(ctx context.Context, remote models.Remote, path string, p
 	}
 
 	if locked {
-		defer e.cache.ReleaseLock(ctx, remote.Name, path)
+		defer func() { _ = e.cache.ReleaseLock(context.WithoutCancel(ctx), remote.Name, path, token) }()
 	}
 
 	if class == ClassMutable && remote.CheckMutable {
@@ -257,31 +258,32 @@ func (e *Engine) Evict(ctx context.Context, remoteName, path string) error {
 // release. It fails with a 503 when the lock cannot be taken within wait or
 // Redis errors.
 func (e *Engine) Lock(ctx context.Context, remoteName, path string, wait, ttl time.Duration) (func(), error) {
-	if err := e.waitForLock(ctx, remoteName, path, wait, ttl); err != nil {
+	token, err := e.waitForLock(ctx, remoteName, path, wait, ttl)
+	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return func() { _ = e.cache.ReleaseLock(context.WithoutCancel(ctx), remoteName, path) }, nil
+	return func() { _ = e.cache.ReleaseLock(context.WithoutCancel(ctx), remoteName, path, token) }, nil
 }
 
-func (e *Engine) waitForLock(ctx context.Context, remoteName, path string, wait, ttl time.Duration) error {
+func (e *Engine) waitForLock(ctx context.Context, remoteName, path string, wait, ttl time.Duration) (string, error) {
 	deadline := time.Now().Add(wait)
 	for {
-		ok, err := e.cache.AcquireLock(ctx, remoteName, path, ttl)
-		if ok {
-			return nil
+		token, err := e.cache.AcquireLock(ctx, remoteName, path, ttl)
+		if token != "" {
+			return token, nil
 		}
 		if ctx.Err() != nil {
-			return ctx.Err()
+			return "", ctx.Err()
 		}
 		if err != nil {
-			return &ProxyError{Status: http.StatusServiceUnavailable, Message: fmt.Sprintf("fetch lock: %v", err)}
+			return "", &ProxyError{Status: http.StatusServiceUnavailable, Message: fmt.Sprintf("lock: %v", err)}
 		}
 		if time.Now().After(deadline) {
-			return &ProxyError{Status: http.StatusServiceUnavailable, Message: "fetch in progress, retry evict"}
+			return "", &ProxyError{Status: http.StatusServiceUnavailable, Message: "resource busy, retry later"}
 		}
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
-			return ctx.Err()
+			return "", ctx.Err()
 		case <-time.After(50 * time.Millisecond):
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/internal/proxy/evict_test.go b/internal/proxy/evict_test.go
index 622cc35..55635f4 100644
--- a/internal/proxy/evict_test.go
+++ b/internal/proxy/evict_test.go
@@ -152,13 +152,15 @@ func TestEvictUnknownRemote(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func holdLock(t *testing.T, remote, path string) {
+func holdLock(t *testing.T, remote, path string) string {
 	t.Helper()
 	ctx := context.Background()
-	if ok, err := testCache.AcquireLock(ctx, remote, path, time.Minute); !ok || err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("acquire: %v %v", ok, err)
+	token, err := testCache.AcquireLock(ctx, remote, path, time.Minute)
+	if token == "" || err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("acquire: %q %v", token, err)
 	}
-	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = testCache.ReleaseLock(ctx, remote, path) })
+	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = testCache.ReleaseLock(ctx, remote, path, token) })
+	return token
 }
 
 func TestEvictWaitsForFetchLock(t *testing.T) {
@@ -167,7 +169,7 @@ func TestEvictWaitsForFetchLock(t *testing.T) {
 	r := rpmRemote(t, "evict-lock", srv.URL)
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	const path = "8/Everything/x86_64/repodata/repomd.xml"
-	holdLock(t, r.Name, path)
+	token := holdLock(t, r.Name, path)
 	done := make(chan error, 1)
 	go func() { done <- testEngine.Evict(ctx, r.Name, path) }()
 	select {
@@ -175,13 +177,13 @@ func TestEvictWaitsForFetchLock(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("evict returned while fetch lock held: %v", err)
 	case <-time.After(200 * time.Millisecond):
 	}
-	_ = testCache.ReleaseLock(ctx, r.Name, path)
+	_ = testCache.ReleaseLock(ctx, r.Name, path, token)
 	if err := <-done; err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("evict: %v", err)
 	}
-	ok, err := testCache.AcquireLock(ctx, r.Name, path, time.Second)
-	if !ok || err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("lock still held after evict: %v %v", ok, err)
+	token, err := testCache.AcquireLock(ctx, r.Name, path, time.Second)
+	if token == "" || err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("lock still held after evict: %q %v", token, err)
 	}
 }