diff --git a/pkg/storage/driver/cfgmaps.go b/pkg/storage/driver/cfgmaps.go
index 1c30951f3..6d1c8f222 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/driver/cfgmaps.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/driver/cfgmaps.go
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ func (cfgmaps *ConfigMaps) Create(key string, rls *rspb.Release) error {
 	// push the configmap object out into the kubiverse
 	if _, err := cfgmaps.impl.Create(obj); err != nil {
 		if apierrors.IsAlreadyExists(err) {
-			return ErrReleaseExists(rls.Name)
+			return ErrReleaseExists(key)
 		}
 
 		cfgmaps.Log("create: failed to create: %s", err)
diff --git a/pkg/storage/storage.go b/pkg/storage/storage.go
index b5aa16ccb..1858d6b57 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/storage.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/storage.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package storage // import "k8s.io/helm/pkg/storage"
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"sync"
 
 	rspb "k8s.io/helm/pkg/proto/hapi/release"
 	relutil "k8s.io/helm/pkg/releaseutil"
@@ -28,12 +27,6 @@ import (
 // Storage represents a storage engine for a Release.
 type Storage struct {
 	driver.Driver
-
-	// releaseLocks are for locking releases to make sure that only one operation at a time is executed on each release
-	releaseLocks map[string]*sync.Mutex
-	// releaseLocksLock is a mutex for accessing releaseLocks
-	releaseLocksLock *sync.Mutex
-
 	Log func(string, ...interface{})
 }
 
@@ -157,53 +150,6 @@ func (s *Storage) Last(name string) (*rspb.Release, error) {
 	return h[0], nil
 }
 
-// LockRelease gains a mutually exclusive access to a release via a mutex.
-func (s *Storage) LockRelease(name string) error {
-	s.Log("locking release %s", name)
-	s.releaseLocksLock.Lock()
-	defer s.releaseLocksLock.Unlock()
-
-	var lock *sync.Mutex
-	lock, exists := s.releaseLocks[name]
-
-	if !exists {
-		releases, err := s.ListReleases()
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		found := false
-		for _, release := range releases {
-			if release.Name == name {
-				found = true
-			}
-		}
-		if !found {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Unable to lock release %q: release not found", name)
-		}
-
-		lock = &sync.Mutex{}
-		s.releaseLocks[name] = lock
-	}
-	lock.Lock()
-	return nil
-}
-
-// UnlockRelease releases a mutually exclusive access to a release.
-// If release doesn't exist or wasn't previously locked - the unlock will pass
-func (s *Storage) UnlockRelease(name string) {
-	s.Log("unlocking release %s", name)
-	s.releaseLocksLock.Lock()
-	defer s.releaseLocksLock.Unlock()
-
-	var lock *sync.Mutex
-	lock, exists := s.releaseLocks[name]
-	if !exists {
-		return
-	}
-	lock.Unlock()
-}
-
 // makeKey concatenates a release name and version into
 // a string with format ```<release_name>#v<version>```.
 // This key is used to uniquely identify storage objects.
@@ -219,9 +165,7 @@ func Init(d driver.Driver) *Storage {
 		d = driver.NewMemory()
 	}
 	return &Storage{
-		Driver:           d,
-		releaseLocks:     make(map[string]*sync.Mutex),
-		releaseLocksLock: &sync.Mutex{},
-		Log:              func(_ string, _ ...interface{}) {},
+		Driver: d,
+		Log:    func(_ string, _ ...interface{}) {},
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/storage/storage_test.go b/pkg/storage/storage_test.go
index d2dc8cdb2..141a019fa 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/storage_test.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/storage_test.go
@@ -272,31 +272,3 @@ func assertErrNil(eh func(args ...interface{}), err error, message string) {
 		eh(fmt.Sprintf("%s: %q", message, err))
 	}
 }
-
-func TestReleaseLocksNotExist(t *testing.T) {
-	s := Init(driver.NewMemory())
-
-	err := s.LockRelease("no-such-release")
-
-	if err == nil {
-		t.Errorf("Exptected error when trying to lock non-existing release, got nil")
-	}
-}
-
-func TestReleaseLocks(t *testing.T) {
-	s := Init(driver.NewMemory())
-
-	releaseName := "angry-beaver"
-	rls := ReleaseTestData{
-		Name:    releaseName,
-		Version: 1,
-	}.ToRelease()
-
-	s.Create(rls)
-
-	err := s.LockRelease(releaseName)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Exptected nil err when locking existing release")
-	}
-	s.UnlockRelease(releaseName)
-}
diff --git a/pkg/tiller/release_rollback.go b/pkg/tiller/release_rollback.go
index 2100f145a..e8b6435b5 100644
--- a/pkg/tiller/release_rollback.go
+++ b/pkg/tiller/release_rollback.go
@@ -29,12 +29,6 @@ import (
 
 // RollbackRelease rolls back to a previous version of the given release.
 func (s *ReleaseServer) RollbackRelease(c ctx.Context, req *services.RollbackReleaseRequest) (*services.RollbackReleaseResponse, error) {
-	err := s.env.Releases.LockRelease(req.Name)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	defer s.env.Releases.UnlockRelease(req.Name)
-
 	s.Log("preparing rollback of %s", req.Name)
 	currentRelease, targetRelease, err := s.prepareRollback(req)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/tiller/release_uninstall.go b/pkg/tiller/release_uninstall.go
index 5467c7a50..423b6e7ef 100644
--- a/pkg/tiller/release_uninstall.go
+++ b/pkg/tiller/release_uninstall.go
@@ -36,12 +36,6 @@ func (s *ReleaseServer) UninstallRelease(c ctx.Context, req *services.UninstallR
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	err := s.env.Releases.LockRelease(req.Name)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	defer s.env.Releases.UnlockRelease(req.Name)
-
 	rels, err := s.env.Releases.History(req.Name)
 	if err != nil {
 		s.Log("uninstall: Release not loaded: %s", req.Name)
diff --git a/pkg/tiller/release_update.go b/pkg/tiller/release_update.go
index d6f35ecb8..58a8a18c0 100644
--- a/pkg/tiller/release_update.go
+++ b/pkg/tiller/release_update.go
@@ -34,13 +34,6 @@ func (s *ReleaseServer) UpdateRelease(c ctx.Context, req *services.UpdateRelease
 		s.Log("updateRelease: Release name is invalid: %s", req.Name)
 		return nil, err
 	}
-
-	err := s.env.Releases.LockRelease(req.Name)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	defer s.env.Releases.UnlockRelease(req.Name)
-
 	s.Log("preparing update for %s", req.Name)
 	currentRelease, updatedRelease, err := s.prepareUpdate(req)
 	if err != nil {