diff --git a/lib/tdb/common/lock.c b/lib/tdb/common/lock.c
index 4dfefd563dc..486de797381 100644
--- a/lib/tdb/common/lock.c
+++ b/lib/tdb/common/lock.c
@@ -297,14 +297,17 @@ int tdb_nest_lock(struct tdb_context *tdb, uint32_t offset, int ltype,
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	new_lck = (struct tdb_lock_type *)realloc(
-		tdb->lockrecs,
-		sizeof(*tdb->lockrecs) * (tdb->num_lockrecs+1));
-	if (new_lck == NULL) {
-		errno = ENOMEM;
-		return -1;
+	if (tdb->num_lockrecs == tdb->lockrecs_array_length) {
+		new_lck = (struct tdb_lock_type *)realloc(
+			tdb->lockrecs,
+			sizeof(*tdb->lockrecs) * (tdb->num_lockrecs+1));
+		if (new_lck == NULL) {
+			errno = ENOMEM;
+			return -1;
+		}
+		tdb->lockrecs_array_length = tdb->num_lockrecs+1;
+		tdb->lockrecs = new_lck;
 	}
-	tdb->lockrecs = new_lck;
 
 	/* Since fcntl locks don't nest, we do a lock for the first one,
 	   and simply bump the count for future ones */
@@ -312,9 +315,11 @@ int tdb_nest_lock(struct tdb_context *tdb, uint32_t offset, int ltype,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	tdb->lockrecs[tdb->num_lockrecs].off = offset;
-	tdb->lockrecs[tdb->num_lockrecs].count = 1;
-	tdb->lockrecs[tdb->num_lockrecs].ltype = ltype;
+	new_lck = &tdb->lockrecs[tdb->num_lockrecs];
+
+	new_lck->off = offset;
+	new_lck->count = 1;
+	new_lck->ltype = ltype;
 	tdb->num_lockrecs++;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -481,10 +486,6 @@ int tdb_nest_unlock(struct tdb_context *tdb, uint32_t offset, int ltype,
 	 * a completely idle tdb we should get rid of the locked array.
 	 */
 
-	if (tdb->num_lockrecs == 0) {
-		SAFE_FREE(tdb->lockrecs);
-	}
-
 	if (ret)
 		TDB_LOG((tdb, TDB_DEBUG_ERROR, "tdb_unlock: An error occurred unlocking!\n"));
 	return ret;
@@ -894,9 +895,6 @@ void tdb_release_transaction_locks(struct tdb_context *tdb)
 		}
 	}
 	tdb->num_lockrecs = active;
-	if (tdb->num_lockrecs == 0) {
-		SAFE_FREE(tdb->lockrecs);
-	}
 }
 
 /* Following functions are added specifically to support CTDB. */
diff --git a/lib/tdb/common/open.c b/lib/tdb/common/open.c
index 05d7cae6beb..6ff37ca1f36 100644
--- a/lib/tdb/common/open.c
+++ b/lib/tdb/common/open.c
@@ -629,6 +629,7 @@ static int tdb_reopen_internal(struct tdb_context *tdb, bool active_lock)
 	/* We may still think we hold the active lock. */
 	tdb->num_lockrecs = 0;
 	SAFE_FREE(tdb->lockrecs);
+	tdb->lockrecs_array_length = 0;
 
 	if (active_lock && tdb_nest_lock(tdb, ACTIVE_LOCK, F_RDLCK, TDB_LOCK_WAIT) == -1) {
 		TDB_LOG((tdb, TDB_DEBUG_FATAL, "tdb_reopen: failed to obtain active lock\n"));
diff --git a/lib/tdb/common/tdb_private.h b/lib/tdb/common/tdb_private.h
index ce92188688b..7227b43d2c8 100644
--- a/lib/tdb/common/tdb_private.h
+++ b/lib/tdb/common/tdb_private.h
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ struct tdb_context {
 	struct tdb_lock_type allrecord_lock; /* .offset == upgradable */
 	int num_lockrecs;
 	struct tdb_lock_type *lockrecs; /* only real locks, all with count>0 */
+	int lockrecs_array_length;
 	enum TDB_ERROR ecode; /* error code for last tdb error */
 	uint32_t hash_size;
 	uint32_t flags; /* the flags passed to tdb_open */