diff --git a/lib/lockfile.c b/lib/lockfile.c
index e0f632871..c55be6616 100644
--- a/lib/lockfile.c
+++ b/lib/lockfile.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
- /* Copyright (c) 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Nicira, Inc.
+ /* Copyright (c) 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Nicira, Inc.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -221,41 +221,23 @@ lockfile_try_lock(const char *name, bool block, struct lockfile **lockfilep)
 
     *lockfilep = NULL;
 
-    /* Open the lock file, first creating it if necessary. */
-    for (;;) {
-        /* Check whether we've already got a lock on that file. */
-        if (!stat(name, &s)) {
-            if (lockfile_find(s.st_dev, s.st_ino)) {
-                return EDEADLK;
-            }
-        } else if (errno != ENOENT) {
-            VLOG_WARN("%s: failed to stat lock file: %s",
-                      name, strerror(errno));
-            return errno;
+    /* Check whether we've already got a lock on that file. */
+    if (!stat(name, &s)) {
+        if (lockfile_find(s.st_dev, s.st_ino)) {
+            return EDEADLK;
         }
+    } else if (errno != ENOENT) {
+        VLOG_WARN("%s: failed to stat lock file: %s",
+                  name, strerror(errno));
+        return errno;
+    }
 
-        /* Try to open an existing lock file. */
-        fd = open(name, O_RDWR);
-        if (fd >= 0) {
-            break;
-        } else if (errno != ENOENT) {
-            VLOG_WARN("%s: failed to open lock file: %s",
-                      name, strerror(errno));
-            return errno;
-        }
-
-        /* Try to create a new lock file. */
-        VLOG_INFO("%s: lock file does not exist, creating", name);
-        fd = open(name, O_RDWR | O_CREAT | O_EXCL, 0600);
-        if (fd >= 0) {
-            break;
-        } else if (errno != EEXIST) {
-            VLOG_WARN("%s: failed to create lock file: %s",
-                      name, strerror(errno));
-            return errno;
-        }
-
-        /* Someone else created the lock file.  Try again. */
+    /* Open the lock file. */
+    fd = open(name, O_RDWR | O_CREAT, 0600);
+    if (fd < 0) {
+        VLOG_WARN("%s: failed to open lock file: %s",
+                  name, strerror(errno));
+        return errno;
     }
 
     /* Get the inode and device number for the lock table. */
diff --git a/tests/lockfile.at b/tests/lockfile.at
index 9cc95a8f2..1fa0342f2 100644
--- a/tests/lockfile.at
+++ b/tests/lockfile.at
@@ -18,3 +18,4 @@ CHECK_LOCKFILE([lock_and_unlock_allows_other_process], [1])
 CHECK_LOCKFILE([lock_timeout_gets_the_lock], [1])
 CHECK_LOCKFILE([lock_timeout_runs_out], [1])
 CHECK_LOCKFILE([lock_multiple], [0])
+CHECK_LOCKFILE([lock_symlink], [0])
diff --git a/tests/test-lockfile.c b/tests/test-lockfile.c
index d28c1b4b7..808ed1e35 100644
--- a/tests/test-lockfile.c
+++ b/tests/test-lockfile.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2009, 2010, 2011 Nicira, Inc.
+ * Copyright (c) 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Nicira, Inc.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
@@ -214,6 +215,40 @@ run_lock_multiple(void)
     lockfile_unlock(a);
 }
 
+/* Checks that locking a dangling symlink works OK.  (It used to hang.) */
+static void
+run_lock_symlink(void)
+{
+    struct lockfile *a, *b, *dummy;
+    struct stat s;
+
+    /* Create a symlink .a.~lock~ pointing to .b.~lock~. */
+    CHECK(symlink(".b.~lock~", ".a.~lock~"), 0);
+    CHECK(lstat(".a.~lock~", &s), 0);
+    CHECK(S_ISLNK(s.st_mode) != 0, 1);
+    CHECK(stat(".a.~lock~", &s), -1);
+    CHECK(errno, ENOENT);
+    CHECK(stat(".b.~lock~", &s), -1);
+    CHECK(errno, ENOENT);
+
+    CHECK(lockfile_lock("a", 0, &a), 0);
+    CHECK(lockfile_lock("a", 0, &dummy), EDEADLK);
+    CHECK(lockfile_lock("b", 0, &dummy), EDEADLK);
+    lockfile_unlock(a);
+
+    CHECK(lockfile_lock("b", 0, &b), 0);
+    CHECK(lockfile_lock("b", 0, &dummy), EDEADLK);
+    CHECK(lockfile_lock("a", 0, &dummy), EDEADLK);
+    lockfile_unlock(b);
+
+    CHECK(lstat(".a.~lock~", &s), 0);
+    CHECK(S_ISLNK(s.st_mode) != 0, 1);
+    CHECK(stat(".a.~lock~", &s), 0);
+    CHECK(S_ISREG(s.st_mode) != 0, 1);
+    CHECK(stat(".b.~lock~", &s), 0);
+    CHECK(S_ISREG(s.st_mode) != 0, 1);
+}
+
 static void
 run_help(void)
 {
@@ -239,6 +274,7 @@ static const struct test tests[] = {
     TEST(lock_timeout_gets_the_lock),
     TEST(lock_timeout_runs_out),
     TEST(lock_multiple),
+    TEST(lock_symlink),
     TEST(help),
     { NULL, NULL }
 #undef TEST