diff --git a/ocaml/database/db_backend.ml b/ocaml/database/db_backend.ml
index 92954540c33..0b99caf5e0a 100644
--- a/ocaml/database/db_backend.ml
+++ b/ocaml/database/db_backend.ml
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
  *)
 open Db_cache_types
 
+let () = Xapi_stdext_threads.Threadext.init_lowlatency ()
+
 (* --------------------- Constants/data-structures for storing db contents *)
 
 let db_FLUSH_TIMER = 2.0
diff --git a/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/dune b/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/dune
index f7e9141c3a9..158c6496c82 100644
--- a/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/dune
+++ b/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/dune
@@ -7,7 +7,12 @@
     unix
     xapi-stdext-unix
     xapi-stdext-pervasives)
+  (foreign_stubs
+    (language c)
+    (names runtime_lock_waiters)
+  )
 )
+
 (test
   (name threadext_test)
   (package xapi-stdext-threads)
diff --git a/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/threadext.ml b/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/threadext.ml
index 1ca5e916ef4..11dcd251fdf 100644
--- a/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/threadext.ml
+++ b/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/threadext.ml
@@ -12,13 +12,35 @@
  * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
  *)
 
+
+external init : unit -> unit = "caml_runtime_lock_waiters_init"
+external runtime_lock_waiters_get: unit -> int = "caml_runtime_lock_waiters_get"
+
+let () =
+  let _force_linking = Sys.opaque_identity (Thread.self ()) in
+  init ()
+
+let holding_lock = Atomic.make 0
+
+let periodic_hook _ =
+  if Atomic.get holding_lock = 0 && runtime_lock_waiters_get () > 0 then
+    (* TODO: also ratelimit *)
+    Thread.yield ();
+  None
+
+let periodic = Gc.Memprof.{null_tracker with alloc_minor = periodic_hook; alloc_major = periodic_hook}
+
+let init_lowlatency ?(sampling_rate=1e-4) () =
+  Gc.Memprof.start ~sampling_rate ~callstack_size:0 periodic
+
 module M = Mutex
 
 module Mutex = struct
   (** execute the function f with the mutex hold *)
   let execute lock f =
     Mutex.lock lock ;
-    Xapi_stdext_pervasives.Pervasiveext.finally f (fun () -> Mutex.unlock lock)
+    Atomic.incr holding_lock;
+    Xapi_stdext_pervasives.Pervasiveext.finally f (fun () -> Atomic.decr holding_lock; Mutex.unlock lock)
 end
 
 (** Parallel List.iter. Remembers all exceptions and returns an association list mapping input x to an exception.
diff --git a/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/threadext.mli b/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/threadext.mli
index 057aedfa700..9375263e180 100644
--- a/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/threadext.mli
+++ b/ocaml/libs/xapi-stdext/lib/xapi-stdext-threads/threadext.mli
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ module Mutex : sig
   val execute : Mutex.t -> (unit -> 'a) -> 'a
 end
 
+val runtime_lock_waiters_get : unit -> int
+
+val init_lowlatency: ?sampling_rate:float -> unit -> unit
+
 val thread_iter_all_exns : ('a -> unit) -> 'a list -> ('a * exn) list
 
 val thread_iter : ('a -> unit) -> 'a list -> unit