diff --git a/internal/local/lock.go b/internal/local/lock.go
index c44d6c9..d0b3d60 100644
--- a/internal/local/lock.go
+++ b/internal/local/lock.go
@@ -32,21 +32,17 @@ func NewLockFile(path string) (*LockFile, error) {
 		path: path,
 		temp: temp,
 	}
-	// If the lock file already exists, return an error.
-	if _, err := os.Stat(temp); err == nil {
-		f, err := os.Open(temp)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, transfer.ErrConflict
-		}
+
+	if f, err := os.OpenFile(temp, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_EXCL, 0666); err == nil {
 		lf.tempFile = f
-		return lf, transfer.ErrConflict
-	}
-	f, err := os.Create(temp)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return lf, nil
+	} else if os.IsExist(err) {
+		if f, err = os.OpenFile(temp, os.O_RDONLY, 0666); err == nil {
+			lf.tempFile = f
+			return lf, transfer.ErrConflict
+		}
 	}
-	lf.tempFile = f
-	return lf, nil
+	return nil, transfer.ErrConflict
 }
 
 // Write writes the given data to the lock file.
diff --git a/internal/local/lock_test.go b/internal/local/lock_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68d28e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/local/lock_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package local_test
+
+import (
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+
+	"github.com/charmbracelet/git-lfs-transfer/internal/local"
+	"github.com/charmbracelet/git-lfs-transfer/transfer"
+)
+
+func TestTakeLock(t *testing.T) {
+	tb := testing.TB(t)
+	tb.Helper()
+	path := filepath.Join(tb.TempDir(), "test_subject")
+	testfile, err := local.NewLockFile(path)
+	defer func() { _ = testfile.Close() }()
+	assert.Equal(t, err, nil)
+	assert.NotEqual(t, testfile, nil)
+}
+
+func TestMissLock(t *testing.T) {
+	tb := testing.TB(t)
+	tb.Helper()
+	path := filepath.Join(tb.TempDir(), "test_subject")
+	testfile, err := local.NewLockFile(path)
+	defer testfile.Close()
+	assert.Equal(t, err, nil)
+	assert.NotEqual(t, testfile, nil)
+	t2, e2 := local.NewLockFile(path)
+	if t2 != nil {
+		defer t2.Close()
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, e2, transfer.ErrConflict)
+	assert.NotEqual(t, t2, nil)
+}