diff --git a/mercurial/localrepo.py b/mercurial/localrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/localrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/localrepo.py
@@ -1194,13 +1194,16 @@ class localrepository(object):
         return l
 
     def _afterlock(self, callback):
-        """add a callback to the current repository lock.
+        """add a callback to be run when the repository is fully unlocked
 
-        The callback will be executed on lock release."""
-        l = self._lockref and self._lockref()
-        if l:
-            l.postrelease.append(callback)
-        else:
+        The callback will be executed when the outermost lock is released
+        (with wlock being higher level than 'lock')."""
+        for ref in (self._wlockref, self._lockref):
+            l = ref and ref()
+            if l and l.held:
+                l.postrelease.append(callback)
+                break
+        else: # no lock have been found.
             callback()
 
     def lock(self, wait=True):
diff --git a/tests/test-hook.t b/tests/test-hook.t
--- a/tests/test-hook.t
+++ b/tests/test-hook.t
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 commit hooks can see env vars
+(and post-transaction one are run unlocked)
 
   $ hg init a
   $ cd a
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ commit hooks can see env vars
   > pretxnclose = sh -c "HG_LOCAL= HG_TAG= python \"$TESTDIR/printenv.py\" pretxnclose"
   > txnclose = sh -c "HG_LOCAL= HG_TAG= python \"$TESTDIR/printenv.py\" txnclose"
   > txnabort = sh -c "HG_LOCAL= HG_TAG= python \"$TESTDIR/printenv.py\" txnabort"
+  > txnclose.checklock = hg debuglock > /dev/null
   > EOF
   $ echo a > a
   $ hg add a