diff --git a/Command/Lock.hs b/Command/Lock.hs
index 1ae4882272..e21792143a 100644
--- a/Command/Lock.hs
+++ b/Command/Lock.hs
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@ import System.Directory
 
 import Command
 import Messages
-import qualified Annex
-import qualified GitRepo as Git
+import qualified AnnexQueue
 import Utility
 	
 command :: [Command]
@@ -31,9 +30,8 @@ start (file, _) = do
 perform :: FilePath -> CommandPerform
 perform file = do
 	liftIO $ removeFile file
-	g <- Annex.gitRepo
-	-- first reset the file to drop any changes checked into the index
-	liftIO $ Git.run g "reset" [Params "-q --", File file]
-	-- checkout the symlink
-	liftIO $ Git.run g "checkout" [Param "--", File file]
+	-- Checkout from HEAD to get rid of any changes that might be 
+	-- staged in the index, and get back to the previous symlink to
+	-- the content.
+	AnnexQueue.add "checkout" [Param "HEAD", Param "--"] file
 	next $ return True -- no cleanup needed
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 13b53280b4..783496614f 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 git-annex (0.20110523) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
 
   * Minor bugfixes and error message improvements.
+  * Massively sped up `git annex lock` by avoiding use of the uber-slow
+    `git reset`, and only running `git checkout` once, even when many files
+    are being locked.
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Sat, 28 May 2011 22:29:37 -0400