diff --git a/M2/Macaulay2/d/binding.d b/M2/Macaulay2/d/binding.d
index a2b9049d0c7..a34e8adb3c8 100644
--- a/M2/Macaulay2/d/binding.d
+++ b/M2/Macaulay2/d/binding.d
@@ -321,6 +321,7 @@ bumpPrecedence();
      export profileS       := special("profile",       unaryop, precSpace, wide);
      export shieldS        := special("shield",        unaryop, precSpace, wide);
      export trapS          := special("trap",          unaryop, precSpace, wide);
+     export withLockS      := special("withLock",      unaryop, precSpace, wide);
      export throwS         := special("throw",        nunaryop, precSpace, wide);
      export returnS        := special("return",       nunaryop, precSpace, wide);
      export breakS         := special("break",        nunaryop, precSpace, wide);
diff --git a/M2/Macaulay2/d/pthread.d b/M2/Macaulay2/d/pthread.d
index f047ee10a1b..06d04c51355 100644
--- a/M2/Macaulay2/d/pthread.d
+++ b/M2/Macaulay2/d/pthread.d
@@ -279,6 +279,20 @@ unlock(e:Expr):Expr := (
     else WrongArgMutex());
 setupfun("unlock0", unlock);
 
+withLock(c:Code):Expr := (
+    when c
+    is a:sequenceCode do (
+	if length(a.x) == 2 then (
+	    e := eval(a.x.0);
+	    l := lock(e);
+	    when l is Error do return l else nothing;
+	    r := eval(a.x.1);
+	    u := unlock(e);
+	    when u is Error do u else r)
+	else WrongNumArgs(2))
+    else WrongNumArgs(2));
+setupop(withLockS, withLock);
+
 -- Local Variables:
 -- compile-command: "echo \"make: Entering directory \\`$M2BUILDDIR/Macaulay2/d'\" && make -C $M2BUILDDIR/Macaulay2/d pthread.o "
 -- End:
diff --git a/M2/Macaulay2/m2/exports.m2 b/M2/Macaulay2/m2/exports.m2
index 2e35f433c19..b5eb2021310 100644
--- a/M2/Macaulay2/m2/exports.m2
+++ b/M2/Macaulay2/m2/exports.m2
@@ -1278,6 +1278,7 @@ export {
 	"when",
 	"while",
 	"width",
+	"withLock",
 	"wrap",
 	"xor",
 	"youngest",
diff --git a/M2/Macaulay2/packages/Macaulay2Doc/doc_mutex.m2 b/M2/Macaulay2/packages/Macaulay2Doc/doc_mutex.m2
index d9cc1315d0e..11251d0c8fe 100644
--- a/M2/Macaulay2/packages/Macaulay2Doc/doc_mutex.m2
+++ b/M2/Macaulay2/packages/Macaulay2Doc/doc_mutex.m2
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ doc ///
     (lock, Mutex)
     (tryLock, Mutex)
     (unlock, Mutex)
+    symbol withLock
 ///
 
 doc ///
@@ -136,3 +137,29 @@ doc ///
     (lock, Mutex)
     (tryLock, Mutex)
 ///
+
+doc ///
+  Key
+    symbol withLock
+  Headline
+    evaluate an expression while holding a mutex lock
+  Usage
+    withLock(m, c)
+  Inputs
+    m:Mutex
+    c: -- code to evaluate
+  Description
+    Text
+      @M2CODE "withLock"@ is a keyword that locks the mutex @VAR "m"@, evaluates
+      the code @VAR "c"@, unlocks the mutex, and returns the result of
+      evaluating @VAR "c"@.
+
+      Using @M2CODE "withLock"@ is equivalent to surrounding the code with
+      calls to @TO lock@ and @TO unlock@, but with the added guarantee that the
+      mutex is unlocked even if the code raises an error.
+    Example
+      m = new Mutex
+      last trap withLock(m, (print last trap tryLock m; 1/0))
+      tryLock m
+      unlock m
+///
diff --git a/M2/Macaulay2/packages/Macaulay2Doc/ov_threads.m2 b/M2/Macaulay2/packages/Macaulay2Doc/ov_threads.m2
index 04ecae20005..34417deaa63 100644
--- a/M2/Macaulay2/packages/Macaulay2Doc/ov_threads.m2
+++ b/M2/Macaulay2/packages/Macaulay2Doc/ov_threads.m2
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ Node
  SeeAlso
   "parallelism in engine computations"
   "elapsedTime"
+  AtomicInt
+  Mutex
  Description
   Text
     The simplest way to run computations in parallel is to use @ TO parallelApply @. This works
diff --git a/M2/Macaulay2/tests/normal/threads.m2 b/M2/Macaulay2/tests/normal/threads.m2
index 87a34b7fdb0..5a549c88527 100644
--- a/M2/Macaulay2/tests/normal/threads.m2
+++ b/M2/Macaulay2/tests/normal/threads.m2
@@ -101,6 +101,10 @@ assert try tryLock m then true else false
 assert try tryLock m then false else true
 unlock m
 
+withLock(m, assert try tryLock m then false else true)
+assert try tryLock m then true else false
+unlock m
+
 -- Local Variables:
 -- compile-command: "make -C $M2BUILDDIR/Macaulay2/packages/Macaulay2Doc/test threads.out"
 -- End: