diff --git a/daemons/lvmdbusd/lvm_shell_proxy.py.in b/daemons/lvmdbusd/lvm_shell_proxy.py.in
index 37d73218b..b8c8fa565 100755
--- a/daemons/lvmdbusd/lvm_shell_proxy.py.in
+++ b/daemons/lvmdbusd/lvm_shell_proxy.py.in
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import pty
 import sys
 import tempfile
 import time
+import threading
 import select
 
 try:
@@ -107,11 +108,14 @@ class LVMShellProxy(object):
 								else:
 									raise LvmBug(
 										"lvm returned no JSON output!")
-
-			except IOError as ioe:
-				log_debug(str(ioe))
-				self.exit_shell()
-				raise ioe
+			except Exception as e:
+				log_error("While reading from lvm shell we encountered an error %s" % str(e))
+				log_error("stdout= %s\nstderr= %s\n" % (stdout, stderr))
+				if self.lvm_shell.poll() is not None:
+					log_error("Underlying lvm shell process unexpectedly exited: %d" % self.lvm_shell.returncode)
+				else:
+					log_error("Underlying lvm shell process is still present!")
+				raise e
 
 		if keep_reading and cfg.run.value == 0:
 			# We didn't complete as we are shutting down
@@ -131,6 +135,10 @@ class LVMShellProxy(object):
 		tmp_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="lvmdbus_")
 		tmp_file = "%s/lvmdbus_report" % (tmp_dir)
 
+		# Create a lock so that we don't step on each other when we are waiting for a command
+		# to finish and some other request comes in concurrently, like to exit the shell.
+		self.shell_lock = threading.RLock()
+
 		# Create a fifo for the report output
 		os.mkfifo(tmp_file, 0o600)
 
@@ -188,7 +196,8 @@ class LVMShellProxy(object):
 			os.unlink(tmp_file)
 			os.rmdir(tmp_dir)
 
-	def get_last_log(self):
+	def _get_last_log(self):
+		# Precondition, lock is held
 		self._write_cmd('lastlog\n')
 		report_json = self._read_response()[1]
 		return get_error_msg(report_json)
@@ -209,28 +218,29 @@ class LVMShellProxy(object):
 		cmd += "\n"
 
 		# run the command by writing it to the shell's STDIN
-		self._write_cmd(cmd)
+		with self.shell_lock:
+			self._write_cmd(cmd)
 
-		# read everything from the STDOUT to the next prompt
-		stdout, report_json, stderr = self._read_response()
+			# read everything from the STDOUT to the next prompt
+			stdout, report_json, stderr = self._read_response()
 
-		# Parse the report to see what happened
-		if 'log' in report_json:
-			ret_code = int(report_json['log'][-1:][0]['log_ret_code'])
-			# If we have an exported vg we get a log_ret_code == 5 when
-			# we do a 'fullreport'
-			# Note: 0 == error
-			if (ret_code == 1) or (ret_code == 5 and argv[0] == 'fullreport'):
-				rc = 0
-			else:
-				# Depending on where lvm fails the command, it may not have anything
-				# to report for "lastlog", so we need to check for a message in the
-				# report json too.
-				error_msg = self.get_last_log()
-				if error_msg is None:
-					error_msg = get_error_msg(report_json)
+			# Parse the report to see what happened
+			if 'log' in report_json:
+				ret_code = int(report_json['log'][-1:][0]['log_ret_code'])
+				# If we have an exported vg we get a log_ret_code == 5 when
+				# we do a 'fullreport'
+				# Note: 0 == error
+				if (ret_code == 1) or (ret_code == 5 and argv[0] == 'fullreport'):
+					rc = 0
+				else:
+					# Depending on where lvm fails the command, it may not have anything
+					# to report for "lastlog", so we need to check for a message in the
+					# report json too.
+					error_msg = self._get_last_log()
 					if error_msg is None:
-						error_msg = 'No error reason provided! (missing "log" section)'
+						error_msg = get_error_msg(report_json)
+						if error_msg is None:
+							error_msg = 'No error reason provided! (missing "log" section)'
 
 		if debug or rc != 0:
 			log_error(("CMD= %s" % cmd))
@@ -240,12 +250,14 @@ class LVMShellProxy(object):
 		return rc, report_json, error_msg
 
 	def exit_shell(self):
-		try:
-			self._write_cmd('exit\n')
-			self.lvm_shell.wait(1)
-			self.lvm_shell = None
-		except Exception as _e:
-			log_error(str(_e))
+		with self.shell_lock:
+			try:
+				if self.lvm_shell is not None:
+					self._write_cmd('exit\n')
+					self.lvm_shell.wait(1)
+					self.lvm_shell = None
+			except Exception as _e:
+				log_error("exit_shell: %s" % (str(_e)))
 
 	def __del__(self):
 		# Note: When we are shutting down the daemon and the main process has already exited