diff --git a/lib/metadata/metadata.c b/lib/metadata/metadata.c
index 9b1942142..a471ed502 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/metadata.c
+++ b/lib/metadata/metadata.c
@@ -388,8 +388,14 @@ int vg_remove_single(vg_t *vg)
 	if (!archive(vg))
 		return 0;
 
+	if (!lock_vol(vg->cmd, VG_ORPHANS, LCK_VG_WRITE)) {
+		log_error("Can't get lock for orphan PVs");
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	if (!vg_remove(vg)) {
 		log_error("vg_remove %s failed", vg->name);
+		unlock_vg(vg->cmd, VG_ORPHANS);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -423,6 +429,7 @@ int vg_remove_single(vg_t *vg)
 	else
 		log_error("Volume group \"%s\" not properly removed", vg->name);
 
+	unlock_vg(vg->cmd, VG_ORPHANS);
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/vgremove.c b/tools/vgremove.c
index 1bfff1e8d..92c10fece 100644
--- a/tools/vgremove.c
+++ b/tools/vgremove.c
@@ -56,16 +56,9 @@ int vgremove(struct cmd_context *cmd, int argc, char **argv)
 		return EINVALID_CMD_LINE;
 	}
 
-	if (!lock_vol(cmd, VG_ORPHANS, LCK_VG_WRITE)) {
-		log_error("Can't get lock for orphan PVs");
-		return ECMD_FAILED;
-	}
-
 	ret = process_each_vg(cmd, argc, argv,
 			      READ_FOR_UPDATE,
 			      NULL, &vgremove_single);
 
-	unlock_vg(cmd, VG_ORPHANS);
-
 	return ret;
 }