A configurable cap on how long a lock attempt may wait

Locks wait politely when a transaction grabs them

A lock wait can be healthy coordination or an expensive queue. PostgreSQL’s lock_timeout lets an operation stop waiting, but it does not diagnose why the holder is slow or decide whether retrying is appropriate. Choose the timeout from the operation’s latency budget, and inspect the blocking transaction before increasing the limit or multiplying attempts. ...

February 16, 2028 · 4 min · XB Field Notes