diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 101f5df..d0d459e 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ services:
       - AWS_DEFAULT_REGION=us-east-1
       - AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=dummy
       - AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=dummy
+    volumes:
+      - "./test:/usr/test"
     depends_on:
       localstack-persist:
         condition: service_healthy
diff --git a/src/localstack_persist/state.py b/src/localstack_persist/state.py
index d5c2772..a4ce735 100644
--- a/src/localstack_persist/state.py
+++ b/src/localstack_persist/state.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 from localstack.services.plugins import SERVICE_PLUGINS
 from localstack.aws.api import RequestContext
 from collections import defaultdict
-from threading import Thread, Condition
+from threading import Thread, Condition, Timer
 from readerwriterlock.rwlock import RWLockWrite, Lockable
 from .visitors import LoadStateVisitor, SaveStateVisitor
 from .config import BASE_DIR, is_persistence_enabled, PERSIST_FREQUENCY
@@ -71,10 +71,16 @@ def on_request(self, chain, context: RequestContext, response):
                 if service_name not in self.loaded_services:
                     self._load_service_state(service_name)
 
-        # Prevent persistence from running for this service while handling this request
+        # Prevent persistence from running for this service while handling this request...
         rlock = self.rwlocks[service_name].gen_rlock()
         setattr(context, "localstack-persist_rlock", rlock)
         rlock.acquire()
+        # ...unless the request takes over 1 second, in which case we force release the lock to
+        # prevent long-running requests from blocking persistence which would in turn block other
+        # requests
+        timer = Timer(1, try_release, [rlock])
+        setattr(context, "localstack-persist_rlock_timer", timer)
+        timer.start()
 
     def on_response(self, chain, context: RequestContext, response):
         if not context.service or not context.request or not context.operation:
@@ -94,8 +100,15 @@ def on_response(self, chain, context: RequestContext, response):
         self.add_affected_service(service_name)
 
     def on_finalize(self, chain, context: RequestContext, response):
-        if rlock := getattr(context, "localstack-persist_rlock", None):
-            cast(Lockable, rlock).release()
+        if rlock := cast(
+            Lockable | None, getattr(context, "localstack-persist_rlock", None)
+        ):
+            try_release(rlock)
+
+        if timer := cast(
+            Timer | None, getattr(context, "localstack-persist_rlock_timer", None)
+        ):
+            timer.cancel()
 
     def load_all_services_state(self):
         LOG.info("Loading persisted state of all services...")
@@ -182,3 +195,11 @@ def _save_service_state(self, service_name: str):
 
 
 STATE_TRACKER = StateTracker()
+
+
+def try_release(lock: Lockable):
+    if lock and lock.locked():
+        try:
+            lock.release()
+        except:
+            pass
diff --git a/test/Dockerfile b/test/Dockerfile
index 2ac23fe..f8db352 100644
--- a/test/Dockerfile
+++ b/test/Dockerfile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 FROM python
 
-RUN pip3 install boto3==1.28.80 botocore==1.31.80
+WORKDIR /usr/test
 
-COPY . .
+RUN pip3 install boto3==1.28.80 botocore==1.31.80
 
 ENTRYPOINT [ "python", "./main.py" ]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/main.py b/test/main.py
index 0226b0d..ace86d6 100644
--- a/test/main.py
+++ b/test/main.py
@@ -107,8 +107,8 @@ def wait_until_es_ready(domain_name: str):
     assert_equal(queue.attributes["ApproximateNumberOfMessages"], "0")
 
     table = dynamodb.Table("test-table")
-    item = table.get_item(Key={"id": 123})["Item"]
-    assert_equal(item["foo"], "bar")
+    item = table.get_item(Key={"id": 123}).get("Item", {})
+    assert_equal(item.get("foo"), "bar")
 
     bucket = s3.Bucket("test-bucket")
     obj = bucket.Object("test-object")