diff --git a/blockstore/splitstore/markset_badger.go b/blockstore/splitstore/markset_badger.go
index da5596785..ab85a2b41 100644
--- a/blockstore/splitstore/markset_badger.go
+++ b/blockstore/splitstore/markset_badger.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ type BadgerMarkSet struct {
 	writing map[int]map[string]struct{}
 	writers int
 	seqno   int
+	version int
 
 	db   *badger.DB
 	path string
@@ -136,40 +137,81 @@ func (s *BadgerMarkSet) Has(c cid.Cid) (bool, error) {
 }
 
 func (s *BadgerMarkSet) Visit(c cid.Cid) (bool, error) {
-	s.mx.Lock()
-
-	if s.pend == nil {
-		s.mx.Unlock()
-		return false, errMarkSetClosed
-	}
-
 	key := c.Hash()
 	pendKey := string(key)
-	if _, ok := s.pend[pendKey]; ok {
-		s.mx.Unlock()
-		return false, nil
-	}
 
-	for _, wr := range s.writing {
-		if _, ok := wr[pendKey]; ok {
-			s.mx.Unlock()
+	checkPending := func() (bool, error) {
+		if s.pend == nil {
+			return false, errMarkSetClosed
+		}
+
+		if _, ok := s.pend[pendKey]; ok {
 			return false, nil
 		}
+
+		for _, wr := range s.writing {
+			if _, ok := wr[pendKey]; ok {
+				return false, nil
+			}
+		}
+
+		return true, nil
 	}
 
-	err := s.db.View(func(txn *badger.Txn) error {
+	s.mx.RLock()
+
+	visit, err := checkPending()
+	if !visit {
+		s.mx.RUnlock()
+		return visit, err
+	}
+
+	err = s.db.View(func(txn *badger.Txn) error {
 		_, err := txn.Get(key)
 		return err
 	})
 
 	switch err {
 	case nil:
-		s.mx.Unlock()
+		s.mx.RUnlock()
 		return false, nil
 
 	case badger.ErrKeyNotFound:
-		s.pend[pendKey] = struct{}{}
+		// 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
@@ -182,7 +224,7 @@ func (s *BadgerMarkSet) Visit(c cid.Cid) (bool, error) {
 		return true, nil
 
 	default:
-		s.mx.Unlock()
+		s.mx.RUnlock()
 		return false, xerrors.Errorf("error checking badger markset: %w", err)
 	}
 }
@@ -202,6 +244,7 @@ func (s *BadgerMarkSet) putPending() error {
 		defer s.mx.Unlock()
 
 		delete(s.writing, seqno)
+		s.version++
 		s.writers--
 		if s.writers == 0 {
 			s.cond.Broadcast()