diff --git a/blockstore/splitstore/markset_badger.go b/blockstore/splitstore/markset_badger.go
index 9e76dfb09..1593b150d 100644
--- a/blockstore/splitstore/markset_badger.go
+++ b/blockstore/splitstore/markset_badger.go
@@ -100,71 +100,91 @@ func (s *BadgerMarkSet) Has(c cid.Cid) (bool, error) {
 	s.mx.RLock()
 	defer s.mx.RUnlock()
 
-	if s.pend == nil {
-		return false, errMarkSetClosed
-	}
-
 	key := c.Hash()
 	pendKey := string(key)
-	_, ok := s.pend[pendKey]
-	if ok {
-		return true, nil
+
+	has, err := s.tryPending(pendKey)
+	if has || err != nil {
+		return has, err
 	}
 
-	for _, wr := range s.writing {
-		_, ok := wr[pendKey]
-		if ok {
-			return true, nil
-		}
-	}
-
-	err := s.db.View(func(txn *badger.Txn) error {
-		_, err := txn.Get(key)
-		return err
-	})
-
-	switch err {
-	case nil:
-		return true, nil
-
-	case badger.ErrKeyNotFound:
-		return false, nil
-
-	default:
-		return false, xerrors.Errorf("error checking badger markset: %w", err)
-	}
+	return s.tryDB(key)
 }
 
 func (s *BadgerMarkSet) Visit(c cid.Cid) (bool, error) {
 	key := c.Hash()
 	pendKey := string(key)
 
-	checkPending := func() (bool, error) {
-		if s.pend == nil {
-			return false, errMarkSetClosed
-		}
+	s.mx.RLock()
 
-		if _, ok := s.pend[pendKey]; ok {
-			return false, nil
-		}
+	has, err := s.tryPending(pendKey)
+	if has || err != nil {
+		s.mx.RUnlock()
+		return false, err
+	}
 
-		for _, wr := range s.writing {
-			if _, ok := wr[pendKey]; ok {
-				return false, nil
-			}
-		}
+	has, err = s.tryDB(key)
+	if has || err != nil {
+		s.mx.RUnlock()
+		return false, err
+	}
 
+	// we need to upgrade the lock to exclusive in order to write; take the version count to see
+	// if there was another write while we were upgrading
+	version := s.version
+	s.mx.RUnlock()
+
+	s.mx.Lock()
+
+	// we have to do the check dance again
+	has, err = s.tryPending(pendKey)
+	if has || err != nil {
+		s.mx.Unlock()
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	if version != s.version {
+		// something was written to the db, we need to check it
+		has, err = s.tryDB(key)
+		if has || err != nil {
+			s.mx.Unlock()
+			return false, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	s.pend[pendKey] = struct{}{}
+	if len(s.pend) < badgerMarkSetBatchSize {
+		s.mx.Unlock()
 		return true, nil
 	}
 
-	s.mx.RLock()
-
-	visit, err := checkPending()
-	if !visit {
-		s.mx.RUnlock()
-		return visit, err
+	if err := s.putPending(); err != nil {
+		return false, err
 	}
 
+	return true, nil
+}
+
+// reader holds the (r)lock
+func (s *BadgerMarkSet) tryPending(key string) (has bool, err error) {
+	if s.pend == nil {
+		return false, errMarkSetClosed
+	}
+
+	if _, ok := s.pend[key]; ok {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+
+	for _, wr := range s.writing {
+		if _, ok := wr[key]; ok {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false, nil
+}
+
+func (s *BadgerMarkSet) tryDB(key []byte) (has bool, err error) {
 	err = s.db.View(func(txn *badger.Txn) error {
 		_, err := txn.Get(key)
 		return err
@@ -172,63 +192,17 @@ func (s *BadgerMarkSet) Visit(c cid.Cid) (bool, error) {
 
 	switch err {
 	case nil:
-		s.mx.RUnlock()
-		return false, nil
-
-	case badger.ErrKeyNotFound:
-		// need to upgrade the lock to exclusive in order to write; take the version count to see
-		// if there was another write while we were upgrading
-		version := s.version
-		s.mx.RUnlock()
-
-		s.mx.Lock()
-
-		// we have to do the check dance again
-		visit, err := checkPending()
-		if !visit {
-			s.mx.Unlock()
-			return visit, err
-		}
-
-		if version != s.version {
-			// something was written to the db, we need to check it
-			err = s.db.View(func(txn *badger.Txn) error {
-				_, err := txn.Get(key)
-				return err
-			})
-
-			switch err {
-			case nil:
-				s.mx.Unlock()
-				return false, nil
-
-			case badger.ErrKeyNotFound:
-
-			default:
-				s.mx.Unlock()
-				return false, xerrors.Errorf("error checking badger markset: %w", err)
-			}
-		}
-
-		s.pend[pendKey] = struct{}{}
-		if len(s.pend) < badgerMarkSetBatchSize {
-			s.mx.Unlock()
-			return true, nil
-		}
-
-		if err := s.putPending(); err != nil {
-			return false, err
-		}
-
 		return true, nil
 
+	case badger.ErrKeyNotFound:
+		return false, nil
+
 	default:
-		s.mx.RUnlock()
-		return false, xerrors.Errorf("error checking badger markset: %w", err)
+		return false, err
 	}
 }
 
-// writer holds the lock
+// writer holds the exclusive lock; putPending releases it
 func (s *BadgerMarkSet) putPending() error {
 	pend := s.pend
 	seqno := s.seqno