diff --git a/mvcc/backend/backend.go b/mvcc/backend/backend.go
index 3bf96afda..0d3cd87ec 100644
--- a/mvcc/backend/backend.go
+++ b/mvcc/backend/backend.go
@@ -336,8 +336,8 @@ func (b *backend) defrag() error {
 	defer b.mu.Unlock()
 
 	// block concurrent read requests while resetting tx
-	b.readTx.mu.Lock()
-	defer b.readTx.mu.Unlock()
+	b.readTx.Lock()
+	defer b.readTx.Unlock()
 
 	b.batchTx.unsafeCommit(true)
 
diff --git a/mvcc/backend/batch_tx.go b/mvcc/backend/batch_tx.go
index 8da0f1f51..77d0648b8 100644
--- a/mvcc/backend/batch_tx.go
+++ b/mvcc/backend/batch_tx.go
@@ -45,6 +45,29 @@ type batchTx struct {
 	pending int
 }
 
+func (t *batchTx) Lock() {
+	t.Mutex.Lock()
+}
+
+func (t *batchTx) Unlock() {
+	if t.pending >= t.backend.batchLimit {
+		t.commit(false)
+	}
+	t.Mutex.Unlock()
+}
+
+// BatchTx interface embeds ReadTx interface. But RLock() and RUnlock() do not
+// have appropriate semantics in BatchTx interface. Therefore should not be called.
+// TODO: might want to decouple ReadTx and BatchTx
+
+func (t *batchTx) RLock() {
+	panic("unexpected RLock")
+}
+
+func (t *batchTx) RUnlock() {
+	panic("unexpected RUnlock")
+}
+
 func (t *batchTx) UnsafeCreateBucket(name []byte) {
 	_, err := t.tx.CreateBucket(name)
 	if err != nil && err != bolt.ErrBucketExists {
@@ -194,13 +217,6 @@ func (t *batchTx) CommitAndStop() {
 	t.Unlock()
 }
 
-func (t *batchTx) Unlock() {
-	if t.pending >= t.backend.batchLimit {
-		t.commit(false)
-	}
-	t.Mutex.Unlock()
-}
-
 func (t *batchTx) safePending() int {
 	t.Mutex.Lock()
 	defer t.Mutex.Unlock()
@@ -259,9 +275,9 @@ func newBatchTxBuffered(backend *backend) *batchTxBuffered {
 
 func (t *batchTxBuffered) Unlock() {
 	if t.pending != 0 {
-		t.backend.readTx.mu.Lock()
+		t.backend.readTx.Lock() // blocks txReadBuffer for writing.
 		t.buf.writeback(&t.backend.readTx.buf)
-		t.backend.readTx.mu.Unlock()
+		t.backend.readTx.Unlock()
 		if t.pending >= t.backend.batchLimit {
 			t.commit(false)
 		}
@@ -283,9 +299,9 @@ func (t *batchTxBuffered) CommitAndStop() {
 
 func (t *batchTxBuffered) commit(stop bool) {
 	// all read txs must be closed to acquire boltdb commit rwlock
-	t.backend.readTx.mu.Lock()
+	t.backend.readTx.Lock()
 	t.unsafeCommit(stop)
-	t.backend.readTx.mu.Unlock()
+	t.backend.readTx.Unlock()
 }
 
 func (t *batchTxBuffered) unsafeCommit(stop bool) {
diff --git a/mvcc/backend/read_tx.go b/mvcc/backend/read_tx.go
index 5960aec33..7b8d855eb 100644
--- a/mvcc/backend/read_tx.go
+++ b/mvcc/backend/read_tx.go
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ var safeRangeBucket = []byte("key")
 type ReadTx interface {
 	Lock()
 	Unlock()
+	RLock()
+	RUnlock()
 
 	UnsafeRange(bucketName []byte, key, endKey []byte, limit int64) (keys [][]byte, vals [][]byte)
 	UnsafeForEach(bucketName []byte, visitor func(k, v []byte) error) error
@@ -46,8 +48,10 @@ type readTx struct {
 	buckets map[string]*bolt.Bucket
 }
 
-func (rt *readTx) Lock()   { rt.mu.RLock() }
-func (rt *readTx) Unlock() { rt.mu.RUnlock() }
+func (rt *readTx) Lock()    { rt.mu.Lock() }
+func (rt *readTx) Unlock()  { rt.mu.Unlock() }
+func (rt *readTx) RLock()   { rt.mu.RLock() }
+func (rt *readTx) RUnlock() { rt.mu.RUnlock() }
 
 func (rt *readTx) UnsafeRange(bucketName, key, endKey []byte, limit int64) ([][]byte, [][]byte) {
 	if endKey == nil {
diff --git a/mvcc/kvstore.go b/mvcc/kvstore.go
index 4ebc27490..187f94029 100644
--- a/mvcc/kvstore.go
+++ b/mvcc/kvstore.go
@@ -196,8 +196,8 @@ func (s *store) HashByRev(rev int64) (hash uint32, currentRev int64, compactRev
 	keep := s.kvindex.Keep(rev)
 
 	tx := s.b.ReadTx()
-	tx.Lock()
-	defer tx.Unlock()
+	tx.RLock()
+	defer tx.RUnlock()
 	s.mu.RUnlock()
 
 	upper := revision{main: rev + 1}
diff --git a/mvcc/kvstore_test.go b/mvcc/kvstore_test.go
index ef48464d6..911839699 100644
--- a/mvcc/kvstore_test.go
+++ b/mvcc/kvstore_test.go
@@ -725,6 +725,8 @@ type fakeBatchTx struct {
 
 func (b *fakeBatchTx) Lock()                          {}
 func (b *fakeBatchTx) Unlock()                        {}
+func (b *fakeBatchTx) RLock()                         {}
+func (b *fakeBatchTx) RUnlock()                       {}
 func (b *fakeBatchTx) UnsafeCreateBucket(name []byte) {}
 func (b *fakeBatchTx) UnsafePut(bucketName []byte, key []byte, value []byte) {
 	b.Recorder.Record(testutil.Action{Name: "put", Params: []interface{}{bucketName, key, value}})
diff --git a/mvcc/kvstore_txn.go b/mvcc/kvstore_txn.go
index e56c679c9..088ea7341 100644
--- a/mvcc/kvstore_txn.go
+++ b/mvcc/kvstore_txn.go
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@ func (s *store) Read() TxnRead {
 	s.mu.RLock()
 	tx := s.b.ReadTx()
 	s.revMu.RLock()
-	tx.Lock()
+	// tx.RLock() blocks txReadBuffer for reading, which could potentially block the following two operations:
+	// A) writeback from txWriteBuffer to txReadBuffer at the end of a write transaction (TxnWrite).
+	// B) starting of a new backend batch transaction, where the pending changes need to be committed to boltdb
+	// and txReadBuffer needs to be reset.
+	tx.RLock()
 	firstRev, rev := s.compactMainRev, s.currentRev
 	s.revMu.RUnlock()
 	return newMetricsTxnRead(&storeTxnRead{s, tx, firstRev, rev})
@@ -47,7 +51,7 @@ func (tr *storeTxnRead) Range(key, end []byte, ro RangeOptions) (r *RangeResult,
 }
 
 func (tr *storeTxnRead) End() {
-	tr.tx.Unlock()
+	tr.tx.RUnlock()
 	tr.s.mu.RUnlock()
 }
 
diff --git a/mvcc/watchable_store.go b/mvcc/watchable_store.go
index 7ac0df6ba..46a9af5ed 100644
--- a/mvcc/watchable_store.go
+++ b/mvcc/watchable_store.go
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ func (s *watchableStore) syncWatchers() int {
 	// UnsafeRange returns keys and values. And in boltdb, keys are revisions.
 	// values are actual key-value pairs in backend.
 	tx := s.store.b.ReadTx()
-	tx.Lock()
+	tx.RLock()
 	revs, vs := tx.UnsafeRange(keyBucketName, minBytes, maxBytes, 0)
 	var evs []mvccpb.Event
 	if s.store != nil && s.store.lg != nil {
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ func (s *watchableStore) syncWatchers() int {
 		// TODO: remove this in v3.5
 		evs = kvsToEvents(nil, wg, revs, vs)
 	}
-	tx.Unlock()
+	tx.RUnlock()
 
 	var victims watcherBatch
 	wb := newWatcherBatch(wg, evs)