diff --git a/src/repo/sqlite.rs b/src/repo/sqlite.rs
index 7615ec5..3a91783 100644
--- a/src/repo/sqlite.rs
+++ b/src/repo/sqlite.rs
@@ -251,8 +251,11 @@ impl SqliteRepo {
 impl NostrRepo for SqliteRepo {
 
     async fn start(&self) -> Result<()> {
-        db_checkpoint_task(self.maint_pool.clone(), Duration::from_secs(60), self.checkpoint_in_progress.clone()).await?;
-        cleanup_expired(self.maint_pool.clone(), Duration::from_secs(600), self.write_in_progress.clone()).await
+        db_checkpoint_task(self.maint_pool.clone(), Duration::from_secs(60),
+                           self.write_in_progress.clone(),
+                           self.checkpoint_in_progress.clone()).await?;
+        cleanup_expired(self.maint_pool.clone(), Duration::from_secs(600),
+                        self.write_in_progress.clone()).await
     }
 
     async fn migrate_up(&self) -> Result<usize> {
@@ -510,6 +513,7 @@ impl NostrRepo for SqliteRepo {
         let e = hex::decode(event_id).ok();
         let n = name.to_owned();
         let mut conn = self.write_pool.get()?;
+        let _write_guard = self.write_in_progress.lock().await;
         tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
             let tx = conn.transaction()?;
             {
@@ -537,6 +541,7 @@ impl NostrRepo for SqliteRepo {
     /// Update verification timestamp
     async fn update_verification_timestamp(&self, id: u64) -> Result<()> {
         let mut conn = self.write_pool.get()?;
+        let _write_guard = self.write_in_progress.lock().await;
         tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
             // add some jitter to the verification to prevent everything from stacking up together.
             let verif_time = now_jitter(600);
@@ -559,6 +564,7 @@ impl NostrRepo for SqliteRepo {
     /// Update verification record as failed
     async fn fail_verification(&self, id: u64) -> Result<()> {
         let mut conn = self.write_pool.get()?;
+        let _write_guard = self.write_in_progress.lock().await;
         tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
             // add some jitter to the verification to prevent everything from stacking up together.
             let fail_time = now_jitter(600);
@@ -578,6 +584,7 @@ impl NostrRepo for SqliteRepo {
     /// Delete verification record
     async fn delete_verification(&self, id: u64) -> Result<()> {
         let mut conn = self.write_pool.get()?;
+        let _write_guard = self.write_in_progress.lock().await;
         tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
             let tx = conn.transaction()?;
             {
@@ -996,7 +1003,7 @@ pub fn delete_expired(conn: &mut PooledConnection) -> Result<usize> {
 }
 
 /// Perform database WAL checkpoint on a regular basis
-pub async fn db_checkpoint_task(pool: SqlitePool, frequency: Duration, checkpoint_in_progress: Arc<Mutex<u64>>) -> Result<()> {
+pub async fn db_checkpoint_task(pool: SqlitePool, frequency: Duration, write_in_progress: Arc<Mutex<u64>>, checkpoint_in_progress: Arc<Mutex<u64>>) -> Result<()> {
     // TODO; use acquire_many on the reader semaphore to stop them from interrupting this.
     tokio::task::spawn(async move {
         // WAL size in pages.
@@ -1011,6 +1018,8 @@ pub async fn db_checkpoint_task(pool: SqlitePool, frequency: Duration, checkpoin
             tokio::select! {
                 _ = tokio::time::sleep(frequency) => {
                     if let Ok(mut conn) = pool.get() {
+                        // block all other writers
+                        let _write_guard = write_in_progress.lock().await;
                         let mut _guard:Option<MutexGuard<u64>> = None;
                         // the busy timer will block writers, so don't set
                         // this any higher than you want max latency for event