diff --git a/arangod/Aql/QueryRegistry.cpp b/arangod/Aql/QueryRegistry.cpp
index 4a87c3adfc..32c3eac2cb 100644
--- a/arangod/Aql/QueryRegistry.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Aql/QueryRegistry.cpp
@@ -64,50 +64,48 @@ QueryRegistry::~QueryRegistry() {
     }
   }
 }
-
+    
 /// @brief insert
 void QueryRegistry::insert(QueryId id, Query* query, double ttl) {
   TRI_ASSERT(query != nullptr);
   TRI_ASSERT(query->trx() != nullptr);
   auto vocbase = query->vocbase();
+ 
+  // create the query info object outside of the lock 
+  auto p = std::make_unique<QueryInfo>(id, query, ttl);
 
-  WRITE_LOCKER(writeLocker, _lock);
+  // now insert into table of running queries
+  {
+    WRITE_LOCKER(writeLocker, _lock);
 
-  auto m = _queries.find(vocbase->name());
-  if (m == _queries.end()) {
-    m = _queries.emplace(vocbase->name(),
-                         std::unordered_map<QueryId, QueryInfo*>()).first;
+    auto m = _queries.find(vocbase->name());
+    if (m == _queries.end()) {
+      m = _queries.emplace(vocbase->name(),
+                          std::unordered_map<QueryId, QueryInfo*>()).first;
+
+      TRI_ASSERT(_queries.find(vocbase->name()) != _queries.end());
+    }
+    
+    auto q = m->second.find(id);
+    
+    if (q != m->second.end()) {
+      THROW_ARANGO_EXCEPTION_MESSAGE(
+          TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL, "query with given vocbase and id already there");
+    }
 
-    TRI_ASSERT(_queries.find(vocbase->name()) != _queries.end());
-  }
-  auto q = m->second.find(id);
-  if (q == m->second.end()) {
-    auto p = std::make_unique<QueryInfo>();
-    p->_vocbase = vocbase;
-    p->_id = id;
-    p->_query = query;
-    p->_isOpen = false;
-    p->_timeToLive = ttl;
-    p->_expires = TRI_microtime() + ttl;
     m->second.emplace(id, p.get());
     p.release();
+  }
 
-    TRI_ASSERT(_queries.find(vocbase->name())->second.find(id) !=
-                         _queries.find(vocbase->name())->second.end());
-
-    // If we have set _noLockHeaders, we need to unset it:
-    if (CollectionLockState::_noLockHeaders != nullptr) {
-      if (CollectionLockState::_noLockHeaders == query->engine()->lockedShards()) {
-        CollectionLockState::_noLockHeaders = nullptr;
-      }
-      // else {
-      // We have not set it, just leave it alone. This happens in particular
-      // on the DBServers, who do not set lockedShards() themselves.
-      // }
+  // If we have set _noLockHeaders, we need to unset it:
+  if (CollectionLockState::_noLockHeaders != nullptr) {
+    if (CollectionLockState::_noLockHeaders == query->engine()->lockedShards()) {
+      CollectionLockState::_noLockHeaders = nullptr;
     }
-  } else {
-    THROW_ARANGO_EXCEPTION_MESSAGE(
-        TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL, "query with given vocbase and id already there");
+    // else {
+    // We have not set it, just leave it alone. This happens in particular
+    // on the DBServers, who do not set lockedShards() themselves.
+    // }
   }
 }
 
@@ -192,50 +190,60 @@ void QueryRegistry::close(TRI_vocbase_t* vocbase, QueryId id, double ttl) {
 /// @brief destroy
 void QueryRegistry::destroy(std::string const& vocbase, QueryId id,
                             int errorCode) {
-  WRITE_LOCKER(writeLocker, _lock);
+  std::unique_ptr<QueryInfo> queryInfo;
+ 
+  { 
+    WRITE_LOCKER(writeLocker, _lock);
 
-  auto m = _queries.find(vocbase);
-  if (m == _queries.end()) {
-    m = _queries.emplace(vocbase, std::unordered_map<QueryId, QueryInfo*>())
-            .first;
-  }
-  auto q = m->second.find(id);
-  if (q == m->second.end()) {
-    THROW_ARANGO_EXCEPTION_MESSAGE(TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL,
-                                   "query with given vocbase and id not found");
-  }
-  QueryInfo* qi = q->second;
+    auto m = _queries.find(vocbase);
 
-  if (qi->_isOpen) {
-    qi->_query->killed(true);
-    return;
+    if (m == _queries.end()) {
+      THROW_ARANGO_EXCEPTION_MESSAGE(TRI_ERROR_BAD_PARAMETER,
+                                    "query with given vocbase and id not found");
+    }
+
+    auto q = m->second.find(id);
+
+    if (q == m->second.end()) {
+      THROW_ARANGO_EXCEPTION_MESSAGE(TRI_ERROR_BAD_PARAMETER,
+                                    "query with given vocbase and id not found");
+    }
+
+    if (q->second->_isOpen) {
+      // query in use by another thread/request
+      q->second->_query->killed(true);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // move query into our unique ptr, so we can process it outside
+    // of the lock 
+    queryInfo.reset(q->second);
+
+    // remove query from the table of running queries 
+    q->second = nullptr;
+    m->second.erase(q);
   }
 
-  // If the query is open, we can delete it right away, if not, we need
+  TRI_ASSERT(queryInfo != nullptr);
+  TRI_ASSERT(!queryInfo->_isOpen);
+
+  // If the query was open, we can delete it right away, if not, we need
   // to register the transaction with the current context and adjust
   // the debugging counters for transactions:
-  if (!qi->_isOpen) {
-    // If we had set _noLockHeaders, we need to reset it:
-    if (qi->_query->engine()->lockedShards() != nullptr) {
-      if (CollectionLockState::_noLockHeaders == nullptr) {
-        CollectionLockState::_noLockHeaders = qi->_query->engine()->lockedShards();
-      } else {
-        LOG_TOPIC(WARN, arangodb::Logger::FIXME) << "Found strange lockedShards in thread, not overwriting!";
-      }
+    
+  // If we had set _noLockHeaders, we need to reset it:
+  if (queryInfo->_query->engine()->lockedShards() != nullptr) {
+    if (CollectionLockState::_noLockHeaders == nullptr) {
+      CollectionLockState::_noLockHeaders = queryInfo->_query->engine()->lockedShards();
+    } else {
+      LOG_TOPIC(WARN, arangodb::Logger::FIXME) << "Found strange lockedShards in thread, not overwriting!";
     }
   }
 
   if (errorCode == TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
     // commit the operation
-    qi->_query->trx()->commit();
+    queryInfo->_query->trx()->commit();
   }
-
-  // Now we can delete it:
-  delete qi->_query;
-  delete qi;
-
-  q->second = nullptr;
-  m->second.erase(q);
 }
 
 /// @brief destroy
@@ -301,3 +309,15 @@ void QueryRegistry::destroyAll() {
     }
   }
 }
+
+QueryRegistry::QueryInfo::QueryInfo(QueryId id, Query* query, double ttl)
+    : _vocbase(query->vocbase()), 
+      _id(id), 
+      _query(query), 
+      _isOpen(false), 
+      _timeToLive(ttl), 
+      _expires(TRI_microtime() + ttl) {}
+
+QueryRegistry::QueryInfo::~QueryInfo() {
+  delete _query;
+}
diff --git a/arangod/Aql/QueryRegistry.h b/arangod/Aql/QueryRegistry.h
index e601019e1d..e7b8bee2bf 100644
--- a/arangod/Aql/QueryRegistry.h
+++ b/arangod/Aql/QueryRegistry.h
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ class QueryRegistry {
  private:
   /// @brief a struct for all information regarding one query in the registry
   struct QueryInfo {
+    QueryInfo(QueryId id, Query* query, double ttl);
+    ~QueryInfo();
+
     TRI_vocbase_t* _vocbase;  // the vocbase
     QueryId _id;              // id of the query
     Query* _query;            // the actual query pointer