diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index de57a16..61e4574 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 PATH
   remote: .
   specs:
-    redis-read-write-locks (0.5.0)
+    redis-read-write-locks (0.5.1)
 
 GEM
   remote: https://rubygems.org/
diff --git a/lib/redis_read_write_locks/base_lock.rb b/lib/redis_read_write_locks/base_lock.rb
index e76c5d1..48d6d53 100644
--- a/lib/redis_read_write_locks/base_lock.rb
+++ b/lib/redis_read_write_locks/base_lock.rb
@@ -47,12 +47,12 @@ def acquire(retry_count: nil, retry_delay: DEFAULT_RETRY_DELAY)
 
     def synchronize(retry_count: nil, retry_delay: DEFAULT_RETRY_DELAY, &block)
       acquire_or_raise(retry_count: retry_count, retry_delay: retry_delay)
-      stopped = false
-      watchdog = start_watchdog(Thread.current, -> { stopped })
+      stop = Thread::Queue.new
+      watchdog = start_watchdog(Thread.current, stop)
       begin
         block.call
       ensure
-        stopped = true
+        stop.close
         watchdog.join
         release
       end
@@ -66,13 +66,18 @@ def acquire_or_raise(retry_count:, retry_delay:)
       acquire || raise(LockNotAcquiredError, "Could not acquire #{lock_type} lock '#{@name}'")
     end
 
-    def start_watchdog(main_thread, stopped)
+    # Waits on the queue rather than sleeping, so closing it on release wakes the
+    # watchdog at once. While it slept, every synchronize paid up to a full
+    # WATCHDOG_SLEEP_INTERVAL on the way out - far more than a short critical
+    # section takes, and callers that take many brief locks paid it every time.
+    def start_watchdog(main_thread, stop)
       Thread.new do
         elapsed = 0.0
-        until stopped.call
-          sleep WATCHDOG_SLEEP_INTERVAL
+        loop do
+          stop.pop(timeout: WATCHDOG_SLEEP_INTERVAL)
+          break if stop.closed?
+
           elapsed += WATCHDOG_SLEEP_INTERVAL
-          next if stopped.call
           next unless elapsed >= WATCHDOG_REFRESH_INTERVAL
 
           elapsed = 0.0
diff --git a/lib/redis_read_write_locks/version.rb b/lib/redis_read_write_locks/version.rb
index 3d1f8af..0bd31a4 100644
--- a/lib/redis_read_write_locks/version.rb
+++ b/lib/redis_read_write_locks/version.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
 module RedisReadWriteLocks
-  VERSION = "0.5.0"
+  VERSION = "0.5.1"
 end
diff --git a/spec/redis_read_write_locks/write_lock_spec.rb b/spec/redis_read_write_locks/write_lock_spec.rb
index 6fbc600..66c6785 100644
--- a/spec/redis_read_write_locks/write_lock_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/redis_read_write_locks/write_lock_spec.rb
@@ -126,6 +126,16 @@
       expect { lock.synchronize {} }.to raise_error(RedisReadWriteLocks::LockNotAcquiredError)
     end
 
+    it "releases without waiting out the watchdog's sleep interval" do
+      stub_const("RedisReadWriteLocks::BaseLock::WATCHDOG_SLEEP_INTERVAL", 5)
+
+      started = Process.clock_gettime(Process::CLOCK_MONOTONIC)
+      lock.synchronize { sleep 0.05 }
+      elapsed = Process.clock_gettime(Process::CLOCK_MONOTONIC) - started
+
+      expect(elapsed).to be < 1
+    end
+
     it "watchdog keeps lock alive beyond TTL" do
       stub_const("RedisReadWriteLocks::BaseLock::WATCHDOG_REFRESH_INTERVAL", 0.1)
       stub_const("RedisReadWriteLocks::BaseLock::WATCHDOG_SLEEP_INTERVAL", 0.05)