diff --git a/mercurial/localrepo.py b/mercurial/localrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/localrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/localrepo.py
@@ -1204,6 +1204,11 @@ class localrepository(object):
         '''Lock the non-store parts of the repository (everything under
         .hg except .hg/store) and return a weak reference to the lock.
         Use this before modifying files in .hg.'''
+        l = self._wlockref and self._wlockref()
+        if l is not None and l.held:
+            l.lock()
+            return l
+
         if (self.ui.configbool('devel', 'all')
                 or self.ui.configbool('devel', 'check-locks')):
             l = self._lockref and self._lockref()
@@ -1213,10 +1218,6 @@ class localrepository(object):
                     util.debugstacktrace(msg, 1)
                 else:
                     self.ui.write_err(msg)
-        l = self._wlockref and self._wlockref()
-        if l is not None and l.held:
-            l.lock()
-            return l
 
         def unlock():
             if self.dirstate.pendingparentchange():
diff --git a/tests/test-devel-warnings.t b/tests/test-devel-warnings.t
--- a/tests/test-devel-warnings.t
+++ b/tests/test-devel-warnings.t
@@ -15,6 +15,22 @@
   >     wl = repo.wlock()
   >     wl.release()
   >     lo.release()
+  > 
+  > @command('properlocking', [], '')
+  > def properlocking(ui, repo):
+  >     """check that reentrance is fine"""
+  >     wl = repo.wlock()
+  >     lo = repo.lock()
+  >     tr = repo.transaction('proper')
+  >     tr2 = repo.transaction('proper')
+  >     lo2 = repo.lock()
+  >     wl2 = repo.wlock()
+  >     wl2.release()
+  >     lo2.release()
+  >     tr2.close()
+  >     tr.close()
+  >     lo.release()
+  >     wl.release()
   > EOF
 
   $ cat << EOF >> $HGRCPATH
@@ -64,4 +80,5 @@
    */mercurial/dispatch.py:* in <lambda> (glob)
    */mercurial/util.py:* in check (glob)
    $TESTTMP/buggylocking.py:* in buggylocking (glob)
+  $ hg properlocking
   $ cd ..