diff --git a/lix/libstore/build/derivation-goal.cc b/lix/libstore/build/derivation-goal.cc
index 12eac38cf..2f90df95b 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/build/derivation-goal.cc
+++ b/lix/libstore/build/derivation-goal.cc
@@ -756,7 +756,6 @@ retry:
 
     if (buildMode != bmCheck && allValid) {
         debug("skipping build of derivation '%s', someone beat us to it", worker.store.printStorePath(drvPath));
-        outputLocks.setDeletion(true);
         co_return done(BuildResult::AlreadyValid, std::move(validOutputs));
     }
 
@@ -1087,7 +1086,6 @@ try {
            lockers will see that the output paths are valid; they will
            not create new lock files with the same names as the old
            (unlinked) lock files. */
-        outputLocks.setDeletion(true);
         outputLocks.unlock();
 
         co_return done(BuildResult::Built, std::move(builtOutputs));
diff --git a/lix/libstore/build/local-derivation-goal.cc b/lix/libstore/build/local-derivation-goal.cc
index 7ae6474a3..554edfc5b 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/build/local-derivation-goal.cc
+++ b/lix/libstore/build/local-derivation-goal.cc
@@ -2296,7 +2296,6 @@ try {
            floating CA derivations and hash-mismatching fixed-output
            derivations. */
         PathLocks dynamicOutputLock;
-        dynamicOutputLock.setDeletion(true);
         auto optFixedPath = output->path(worker.store, drv->name, outputName);
         if (!optFixedPath ||
             worker.store.printStorePath(*optFixedPath) != finalDestPath)
diff --git a/lix/libstore/local-store.cc b/lix/libstore/local-store.cc
index 1fd23af41..92c4c6e07 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/local-store.cc
+++ b/lix/libstore/local-store.cc
@@ -1272,8 +1272,6 @@ void LocalStore::addToStore(const ValidPathInfo & info, Source & source,
 
             registerValidPath(info);
         }
-
-        outputLock.setDeletion(true);
     }
 }
 
@@ -1414,8 +1412,6 @@ StorePath LocalStore::addToStoreFromDump(Source & source0, std::string_view name
             info.narSize = narHash.second;
             registerValidPath(info);
         }
-
-        outputLock.setDeletion(true);
     }
 
     return dstPath;
@@ -1466,8 +1462,6 @@ StorePath LocalStore::addTextToStore(
             };
             registerValidPath(info);
         }
-
-        outputLock.setDeletion(true);
     }
 
     return dstPath;
diff --git a/lix/libstore/pathlocks.cc b/lix/libstore/pathlocks.cc
index 0d4cc1a81..28e995d5b 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/pathlocks.cc
+++ b/lix/libstore/pathlocks.cc
@@ -26,18 +26,6 @@ AutoCloseFD openLockFile(const Path & path, bool create)
 }
 
 
-void deleteLockFile(const Path & path, int fd)
-{
-    /* Get rid of the lock file.  Have to be careful not to introduce
-       races.  Write a (meaningless) token to the file to indicate to
-       other processes waiting on this lock that the lock is stale
-       (deleted). */
-    unlink(path.c_str());
-    writeFull(fd, "d");
-    /* Note that the result of unlink() is ignored; removing the lock
-       file is an optimisation, not a necessity. */
-}
-
 static int convertLockType(LockType lockType)
 {
     if (lockType == ltRead) return LOCK_SH;
@@ -144,13 +132,11 @@ void unlockFile(int fd)
 
 
 PathLocks::PathLocks()
-    : deletePaths(false)
 {
 }
 
 
 PathLocks::PathLocks(const PathSet & paths, const std::string & waitMsg)
-    : deletePaths(false)
 {
     lockPaths(paths, waitMsg);
 }
@@ -200,7 +186,7 @@ bool PathLocks::lockPathsImpl(const PathSet & paths,
             struct stat st;
             if (fstat(fd.get(), &st) == -1)
                 throw SysError("statting lock file '%1%'", lockPath);
-            if (st.st_size != 0)
+            if (st.st_nlink == 0)
                 /* This lock file has been unlinked, so we're holding
                    a lock on a deleted file.  This means that other
                    processes may create and acquire a lock on
@@ -231,12 +217,17 @@ PathLocks::~PathLocks()
 void PathLocks::unlock()
 {
     for (auto & i : fds) {
-        if (deletePaths) deleteLockFile(i.second, i.first);
+        // delete the file. if another file descriptor is used to acquire a lock on
+        // this file it will figure out that the file is stale once it calls stat()
+        // and inspects the link count. if unlink fails we merely leave around some
+        // stale lock file paths that can be reused or cleaned up by other threads.
+        unlink(i.second.c_str());
+        // clobber file contents for compatibility wither other nix implementations
+        writeFull(i.first, "d");
 
-        if (close(i.first) == -1)
-            printError(
-                "error (ignored): cannot close lock file on '%1%'",
-                i.second);
+        if (close(i.first) == -1) {
+            printError("error (ignored): cannot close lock file on '%1%'", i.second);
+        }
 
         debug("lock released on '%1%'", i.second);
     }
@@ -245,12 +236,6 @@ void PathLocks::unlock()
 }
 
 
-void PathLocks::setDeletion(bool deletePaths)
-{
-    this->deletePaths = deletePaths;
-}
-
-
 FdLock::FdLock(AutoCloseFD & fd, LockType lockType, DontWait)
 {
     if (tryLockFile(fd.get(), lockType)) {
diff --git a/lix/libstore/pathlocks.hh b/lix/libstore/pathlocks.hh
index 51928ee10..0220858d8 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/pathlocks.hh
+++ b/lix/libstore/pathlocks.hh
@@ -17,11 +17,6 @@ namespace nix {
  */
 AutoCloseFD openLockFile(const Path & path, bool create);
 
-/**
- * Delete an open lock file.
- */
-void deleteLockFile(const Path & path, int fd);
-
 enum LockType { ltRead, ltWrite };
 
 void lockFile(int fd, LockType lockType);
@@ -41,7 +36,6 @@ class PathLocks
 private:
     typedef std::pair<int, Path> FDPair;
     std::list<FDPair> fds;
-    bool deletePaths;
 
     bool lockPathsImpl(const PathSet & _paths, const std::string & waitMsg, bool wait);
 
@@ -58,7 +52,6 @@ public:
     }
     ~PathLocks();
     void unlock();
-    void setDeletion(bool deletePaths);
 };
 
 class FdLock
diff --git a/lix/libstore/profiles.cc b/lix/libstore/profiles.cc
index 50c0dc47e..fd29eee78 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/profiles.cc
+++ b/lix/libstore/profiles.cc
@@ -294,7 +294,6 @@ void switchGeneration(
 void lockProfile(PathLocks & lock, const Path & profile)
 {
     lock.lockPaths({profile}, fmt("waiting for lock on profile '%1%'", profile));
-    lock.setDeletion(true);
 }