diff --git a/builtin/reset.c b/builtin/reset.c
index d72c7d1c96..f1af9345e4 100644
--- a/builtin/reset.c
+++ b/builtin/reset.c
@@ -367,8 +367,8 @@ int cmd_reset(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		die_if_unmerged_cache(reset_type);
 
 	if (reset_type != SOFT) {
-		struct lock_file *lock = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*lock));
-		hold_locked_index(lock, LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR);
+		struct lock_file lock = LOCK_INIT;
+		hold_locked_index(&lock, LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR);
 		if (reset_type == MIXED) {
 			int flags = quiet ? REFRESH_QUIET : REFRESH_IN_PORCELAIN;
 			if (read_from_tree(&pathspec, &oid, intent_to_add))
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ int cmd_reset(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 				die(_("Could not reset index file to revision '%s'."), rev);
 		}
 
-		if (write_locked_index(&the_index, lock, COMMIT_LOCK))
+		if (write_locked_index(&the_index, &lock, COMMIT_LOCK))
 			die(_("Could not write new index file."));
 	}
 
diff --git a/builtin/update-index.c b/builtin/update-index.c
index d562f2ec69..655e6d60d3 100644
--- a/builtin/update-index.c
+++ b/builtin/update-index.c
@@ -915,7 +915,7 @@ int cmd_update_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	struct refresh_params refresh_args = {0, &has_errors};
 	int lock_error = 0;
 	int split_index = -1;
-	struct lock_file *lock_file;
+	struct lock_file lock_file = LOCK_INIT;
 	struct parse_opt_ctx_t ctx;
 	strbuf_getline_fn getline_fn;
 	int parseopt_state = PARSE_OPT_UNKNOWN;
@@ -1014,11 +1014,8 @@ int cmd_update_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	git_config(git_default_config, NULL);
 
-	/* We can't free this memory, it becomes part of a linked list parsed atexit() */
-	lock_file = xcalloc(1, sizeof(struct lock_file));
-
 	/* we will diagnose later if it turns out that we need to update it */
-	newfd = hold_locked_index(lock_file, 0);
+	newfd = hold_locked_index(&lock_file, 0);
 	if (newfd < 0)
 		lock_error = errno;
 
@@ -1153,11 +1150,11 @@ int cmd_update_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 				exit(128);
 			unable_to_lock_die(get_index_file(), lock_error);
 		}
-		if (write_locked_index(&the_index, lock_file, COMMIT_LOCK))
+		if (write_locked_index(&the_index, &lock_file, COMMIT_LOCK))
 			die("Unable to write new index file");
 	}
 
-	rollback_lock_file(lock_file);
+	rollback_lock_file(&lock_file);
 
 	return has_errors ? 1 : 0;
 }
diff --git a/cache-tree.c b/cache-tree.c
index 2690113a6a..71d092ed51 100644
--- a/cache-tree.c
+++ b/cache-tree.c
@@ -603,16 +603,10 @@ static struct cache_tree *cache_tree_find(struct cache_tree *it, const char *pat
 int write_index_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, struct index_state *index_state, const char *index_path, int flags, const char *prefix)
 {
 	int entries, was_valid, newfd;
-	struct lock_file *lock_file;
+	struct lock_file lock_file = LOCK_INIT;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	/*
-	 * We can't free this memory, it becomes part of a linked list
-	 * parsed atexit()
-	 */
-	lock_file = xcalloc(1, sizeof(struct lock_file));
-
-	newfd = hold_lock_file_for_update(lock_file, index_path, LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR);
+	newfd = hold_lock_file_for_update(&lock_file, index_path, LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR);
 
 	entries = read_index_from(index_state, index_path);
 	if (entries < 0) {
@@ -632,7 +626,7 @@ int write_index_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, struct index_state *index_state, co
 			goto out;
 		}
 		if (0 <= newfd) {
-			if (!write_locked_index(index_state, lock_file, COMMIT_LOCK))
+			if (!write_locked_index(index_state, &lock_file, COMMIT_LOCK))
 				newfd = -1;
 		}
 		/* Not being able to write is fine -- we are only interested
@@ -657,7 +651,7 @@ int write_index_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, struct index_state *index_state, co
 
 out:
 	if (0 <= newfd)
-		rollback_lock_file(lock_file);
+		rollback_lock_file(&lock_file);
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index d0d8ce823a..7931182a54 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -2450,7 +2450,7 @@ int git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(const char *config_filename,
 {
 	int fd = -1, in_fd = -1;
 	int ret;
-	struct lock_file *lock = NULL;
+	struct lock_file lock = LOCK_INIT;
 	char *filename_buf = NULL;
 	char *contents = NULL;
 	size_t contents_sz;
@@ -2469,8 +2469,7 @@ int git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(const char *config_filename,
 	 * The lock serves a purpose in addition to locking: the new
 	 * contents of .git/config will be written into it.
 	 */
-	lock = xcalloc(1, sizeof(struct lock_file));
-	fd = hold_lock_file_for_update(lock, config_filename, 0);
+	fd = hold_lock_file_for_update(&lock, config_filename, 0);
 	if (fd < 0) {
 		error_errno("could not lock config file %s", config_filename);
 		free(store.key);
@@ -2583,8 +2582,8 @@ int git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(const char *config_filename,
 		close(in_fd);
 		in_fd = -1;
 
-		if (chmod(get_lock_file_path(lock), st.st_mode & 07777) < 0) {
-			error_errno("chmod on %s failed", get_lock_file_path(lock));
+		if (chmod(get_lock_file_path(&lock), st.st_mode & 07777) < 0) {
+			error_errno("chmod on %s failed", get_lock_file_path(&lock));
 			ret = CONFIG_NO_WRITE;
 			goto out_free;
 		}
@@ -2639,28 +2638,19 @@ int git_config_set_multivar_in_file_gently(const char *config_filename,
 		contents = NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (commit_lock_file(lock) < 0) {
+	if (commit_lock_file(&lock) < 0) {
 		error_errno("could not write config file %s", config_filename);
 		ret = CONFIG_NO_WRITE;
-		lock = NULL;
 		goto out_free;
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * lock is committed, so don't try to roll it back below.
-	 * NOTE: Since lockfile.c keeps a linked list of all created
-	 * lock_file structures, it isn't safe to free(lock).  It's
-	 * better to just leave it hanging around.
-	 */
-	lock = NULL;
 	ret = 0;
 
 	/* Invalidate the config cache */
 	git_config_clear();
 
 out_free:
-	if (lock)
-		rollback_lock_file(lock);
+	rollback_lock_file(&lock);
 	free(filename_buf);
 	if (contents)
 		munmap(contents, contents_sz);
@@ -2669,7 +2659,7 @@ out_free:
 	return ret;
 
 write_err_out:
-	ret = write_error(get_lock_file_path(lock));
+	ret = write_error(get_lock_file_path(&lock));
 	goto out_free;
 
 }