diff --git a/unwind/db.py b/unwind/db.py
index 21e9728..c8ef3a0 100644
--- a/unwind/db.py
+++ b/unwind/db.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
+import asyncio
+import contextlib
 import logging
 import re
+import threading
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Iterable, Literal, Optional, Type, TypeVar, Union
 
@@ -173,7 +176,44 @@ async def set_import_progress(progress: float) -> Progress:
     else:
         await add(current)
 
-    return current
+
+_lock = threading.Lock()
+_prelock = threading.Lock()
+
+
+@contextlib.asynccontextmanager
+async def single_threaded():
+    """Ensure the nested code is run only by a single thread at a time."""
+    wait = 1e-5  # XXX not sure if there's a better magic value here
+
+    # The pre-lock (a lock for the lock) allows for multiple threads to hand of
+    # the main lock.
+    # With only a single lock the contending thread will spend most of its time
+    # in the asyncio.sleep and the reigning thread will have time to finish
+    # whatever it's doing and simply acquire the lock again before the other
+    # thread has had a change to try.
+    # By having another lock (and the same sleep time!) the contending thread
+    # will always have a chance to acquire the main lock.
+    while not _prelock.acquire(blocking=False):
+        await asyncio.sleep(wait)
+
+    try:
+        while not _lock.acquire(blocking=False):
+            await asyncio.sleep(wait)
+    finally:
+        _prelock.release()
+
+    try:
+        yield
+
+    finally:
+        _lock.release()
+
+
+@contextlib.asynccontextmanager
+async def locked_connection():
+    async with single_threaded():
+        yield shared_connection()
 
 
 def shared_connection() -> Database:
@@ -195,7 +235,8 @@ async def add(item):
     keys = ", ".join(f"{k}" for k in values)
     placeholders = ", ".join(f":{k}" for k in values)
     query = f"INSERT INTO {item._table} ({keys}) VALUES ({placeholders})"
-    await shared_connection().execute(query=query, values=values)
+    async with locked_connection() as conn:
+        await conn.execute(query=query, values=values)
 
 
 ModelType = TypeVar("ModelType")
@@ -213,7 +254,8 @@ async def get(
     query = f"SELECT {fields_} FROM {model._table} WHERE {cond}"
     if order_by:
         query += f" ORDER BY {order_by}"
-    row = await shared_connection().fetch_one(query=query, values=values)
+    async with locked_connection() as conn:
+        row = await conn.fetch_one(query=query, values=values)
     return fromplain(model, row) if row else None
 
 
@@ -232,7 +274,8 @@ async def get_many(model: Type[ModelType], **kwds) -> Iterable[ModelType]:
         f"{k} IN ({','.join(':'+n for n in ns)})" for k, ns in keys.items()
     )
     query = f"SELECT {fields_} FROM {model._table} WHERE {cond}"
-    rows = await shared_connection().fetch_all(query=query, values=values)
+    async with locked_connection() as conn:
+        rows = await conn.fetch_all(query=query, values=values)
     return (fromplain(model, row) for row in rows)
 
 
@@ -242,7 +285,8 @@ async def get_all(model: Type[ModelType], **kwds) -> Iterable[ModelType]:
     fields_ = ", ".join(f.name for f in fields(model))
     cond = " AND ".join(f"{k}=:{k}" for k in values) or "1=1"
     query = f"SELECT {fields_} FROM {model._table} WHERE {cond}"
-    rows = await shared_connection().fetch_all(query=query, values=values)
+    async with locked_connection() as conn:
+        rows = await conn.fetch_all(query=query, values=values)
     return (fromplain(model, row) for row in rows)
 
 
@@ -254,13 +298,15 @@ async def update(item):
     values = asplain(item)
     keys = ", ".join(f"{k}=:{k}" for k in values if k != "id")
     query = f"UPDATE {item._table} SET {keys} WHERE id=:id"
-    await shared_connection().execute(query=query, values=values)
+    async with locked_connection() as conn:
+        await conn.execute(query=query, values=values)
 
 
 async def remove(item):
     values = asplain(item, fields_={"id"})
     query = f"DELETE FROM {item._table} WHERE id=:id"
-    await shared_connection().execute(query=query, values=values)
+    async with locked_connection() as conn:
+        await conn.execute(query=query, values=values)
 
 
 async def add_or_update_user(user: User):
@@ -456,7 +502,8 @@ async def find_ratings(
         LEFT JOIN {Movie._table} ON {Movie._table}.id={source_table}.movie_id
     """
 
-    rows = await shared_connection().fetch_all(bindparams(query, values))
+    async with locked_connection() as conn:
+        rows = await conn.fetch_all(bindparams(query, values))
     return tuple(dict(r) for r in rows)
 
 
@@ -507,7 +554,8 @@ async def ratings_for_movies(
         WHERE {' AND '.join(f'({c})' for c in conditions) if conditions else '1=1'}
     """
 
-    rows = await shared_connection().fetch_all(query, values)
+    async with locked_connection() as conn:
+        rows = await conn.fetch_all(query, values)
 
     return (fromplain(Rating, row) for row in rows)
 
@@ -573,7 +621,8 @@ async def find_movies(
             {Movie._table}.release_year DESC
         LIMIT :skip_rows, :limit_rows
     """
-    rows = await shared_connection().fetch_all(bindparams(query, values))
+    async with locked_connection() as conn:
+        rows = await conn.fetch_all(bindparams(query, values))
 
     movies = [fromplain(Movie, row) for row in rows]