diff --git a/src/config/api-server/vnc_cfg_api_server/vnc_cfg_types.py b/src/config/api-server/vnc_cfg_api_server/vnc_cfg_types.py
index 286316cde..9201c2f16 100644
--- a/src/config/api-server/vnc_cfg_api_server/vnc_cfg_types.py
+++ b/src/config/api-server/vnc_cfg_api_server/vnc_cfg_types.py
@@ -529,8 +529,8 @@ class SecurityResourceBase(Resource):
                 ':'.join(scope_fq_name),
             ),
         )
-        if not scope_lock.acquire(blocking=False):
-            contenders = scope_lock.contenders()
+        contenders = scope_lock.contenders()
+        if contenders:
             action_in_progress = '<unknown action>'
             if len(contenders) > 0 and contenders[0]:
                 _, _, action_in_progress = contenders[0].partition(' ')
@@ -540,7 +540,6 @@ class SecurityResourceBase(Resource):
                     ':'.join(scope_fq_name), scope_uuid,
                     cls.object_type.replace('_', ' ').title()))
             return False, (400, msg)
-        scope_lock.release()

         if not delta_obj_dict:
             delta_obj_dict = {}
diff --git a/src/config/common/tests/test_utils.py b/src/config/common/tests/test_utils.py
index 1614bbb0c..3356c007e 100644
--- a/src/config/common/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/src/config/common/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -1215,8 +1215,8 @@ class FakeKazooClient(object):
             lock.release()

         def contenders(self):
-            _, contender = self._locks[self._path]
-            return [contender]
+            lock, contender = self._locks[self._path]
+            return [contender] if lock.locked() else []

         def destroy(self):
             self._locks.pop(self._path, None)