diff --git a/crates/idx-core/src/investor.rs b/crates/idx-core/src/investor.rs
index 3d233d1..0b34596 100644
--- a/crates/idx-core/src/investor.rs
+++ b/crates/idx-core/src/investor.rs
@@ -54,32 +54,23 @@ impl Investor {
     fn lock_file(&self, exclusive: bool) -> Result<fs::File, IdxError> {
         // Every path to one database (symlinks included) shares one lock.
         let real = db::resolve_db_path(&self.db_path()?)?;
-        let mut lock_name = real.into_os_string();
-        lock_name.push(".lock");
-        let file = fs::OpenOptions::new()
-            .create(true)
-            .truncate(false)
-            .write(true)
-            .open(PathBuf::from(lock_name))
-            .map_err(|e| IdxError::Io(format!("failed to open ownership lock: {e}")))?;
-        if exclusive {
-            file.lock()
-        } else {
-            file.lock_shared()
-        }
-        .map_err(|e| IdxError::Io(format!("failed to lock ownership database: {e}")))?;
-        Ok(file)
+        lock_at(&real, exclusive)
     }
 
     fn write_lock(&self) -> Result<fs::File, IdxError> {
         self.lock_file(true)
     }
 
-    /// A read connection holding the shared lock for its lifetime. Where no
-    /// lock file can be created (a read-only filesystem), nothing can replace
-    /// the database either, so reads go ahead unlocked.
+    /// A read connection holding the shared lock for its lifetime.
     fn connect(&self) -> Result<ReadConnection, IdxError> {
-        let lock = self.lock_file(false).ok();
+        let real = db::resolve_db_path(&self.db_path()?)?;
+        let lock = match lock_at(&real, false) {
+            Ok(lock) => Some(lock),
+            // No lock file and none can be created (a read-only filesystem):
+            // no writer can lock it to replace the database either.
+            Err(_) if unlockable(&real) => None,
+            Err(err) => return Err(err),
+        };
         Ok(ReadConnection {
             conn: self.open_db()?,
             _lock: lock,
@@ -258,10 +249,7 @@ impl Investor {
         force: bool,
     ) -> Result<OwnershipSyncResult, IdxError> {
         let manifest_source = snapshot::resolve_manifest_source(manifest)?;
-        let db_path = self.db_path()?;
-        snapshot::sync_snapshot(&manifest_source, &db_path, force, |exclusive| {
-            self.lock_file(exclusive)
-        })
+        snapshot::sync_snapshot(&manifest_source, &self.db_path()?, force, lock_at)
     }
 
     /// Imports one report. A release already imported (same SHA-256) is
@@ -459,6 +447,47 @@ pub struct OwnershipStatus {
     pub releases: Vec<OwnershipRelease>,
 }
 
+fn lock_path(db_path: &Path) -> PathBuf {
+    let mut name = db_path.as_os_str().to_os_string();
+    name.push(".lock");
+    PathBuf::from(name)
+}
+
+/// Locks `<db>.lock` beside the resolved database path. A shared lock does
+/// not need write access, so readers fall back to opening an existing lock
+/// file read-only (e.g. one created by another user).
+fn lock_at(db_path: &Path, exclusive: bool) -> Result<fs::File, IdxError> {
+    let path = lock_path(db_path);
+    let opened = fs::OpenOptions::new()
+        .create(true)
+        .truncate(false)
+        .write(true)
+        .open(&path);
+    let file = match opened {
+        Ok(file) => file,
+        Err(_) if !exclusive && path.exists() => fs::File::open(&path)
+            .map_err(|e| IdxError::Io(format!("failed to open ownership lock: {e}")))?,
+        Err(e) => return Err(IdxError::Io(format!("failed to open ownership lock: {e}"))),
+    };
+    if exclusive {
+        file.lock()
+    } else {
+        file.lock_shared()
+    }
+    .map_err(|e| IdxError::Io(format!("failed to lock ownership database: {e}")))?;
+    Ok(file)
+}
+
+/// True when the lock file is absent and cannot be created.
+fn unlockable(db_path: &Path) -> bool {
+    let path = lock_path(db_path);
+    !path.exists()
+        && matches!(
+            fs::OpenOptions::new().create(true).truncate(false).write(true).open(&path),
+            Err(e) if matches!(e.kind(), std::io::ErrorKind::PermissionDenied | std::io::ErrorKind::ReadOnlyFilesystem)
+        )
+}
+
 struct ReadConnection {
     // Dropped (closed) before the lock it is declared ahead of.
     conn: Connection,
diff --git a/crates/idx-core/src/ownership/snapshot.rs b/crates/idx-core/src/ownership/snapshot.rs
index 781a691..9c4e6fb 100644
--- a/crates/idx-core/src/ownership/snapshot.rs
+++ b/crates/idx-core/src/ownership/snapshot.rs
@@ -144,14 +144,15 @@ pub fn parse_manifest(raw: &str) -> Result<OwnershipSnapshotManifest, IdxError>
     Ok(manifest)
 }
 
-/// `lock(exclusive)` takes the database's lock: shared while inspecting the
-/// local database, exclusive while rechecking and installing, and never held
-/// during the downloads.
+/// `lock(resolved_db_path, exclusive)` takes the database's lock: shared
+/// while inspecting the local database, exclusive while rechecking and
+/// installing, and never held during the downloads. The path is resolved
+/// once, so the lock and the replaced file are always the same database.
 pub fn sync_snapshot<L>(
     manifest_source: &str,
     db_path: &Path,
     force: bool,
-    lock: impl Fn(bool) -> Result<L, IdxError>,
+    lock: impl Fn(&Path, bool) -> Result<L, IdxError>,
 ) -> Result<OwnershipSyncResult, IdxError> {
     // Results report the configured path; files are read and replaced at the
     // resolved one, so a symlinked path updates its target instead of being
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ pub fn sync_snapshot<L>(
     let db_path = resolved_db_path.as_path();
     let manifest = fetch_manifest(manifest_source)?;
     let local_state = {
-        let _shared = lock(false)?;
+        let _shared = lock(db_path, false)?;
         inspect_local_db(db_path)?
     };
     let decision = build_sync_decision(local_state.as_ref(), &manifest.snapshot, force);
@@ -215,7 +216,7 @@ pub fn sync_snapshot<L>(
 
     let install_result = (|| -> Result<(), IdxError> {
         validate_snapshot_db(&temp_path, &manifest.snapshot)?;
-        let _lock = lock(true)?;
+        let _lock = lock(db_path, true)?;
         // The decision was made before the download; an import or edit that
         // landed since must not be overwritten without --force.
         if !force && !same_local_state(local_state.as_ref(), inspect_local_db(db_path)?.as_ref()) {