diff --git a/spec/std/crystal/lock_spec.cr b/spec/std/crystal/lock_spec.cr
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ea6801d93a71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/std/crystal/lock_spec.cr
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+require "crystal/lock"
+require "../sync/spec_helper"
+
+describe Crystal::Lock do
+  it "#lock raises on deadlock" do
+    lock = Crystal::Lock.new
+    called = 0
+
+    lock.lock do
+      called = 1
+
+      expect_raises(Sync::Error::Deadlock) do
+        lock.lock { called = 2 }
+      end
+    end
+
+    called.should eq(1)
+  end
+
+  it "synchronizes" do
+    lock = Crystal::Lock.new
+    wg = WaitGroup.new
+
+    ary = [] of Int32
+    counter = Atomic(Int64).new(0)
+
+    # readers can run concurrently, but are mutually exclusive to writers (the
+    # array can be safely read from):
+
+    10.times do
+      spawn(name: "reader") do
+        100.times do
+          lock.rlock do
+            ary.each { counter.add(1) }
+          end
+          Fiber.yield
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    # writers are mutually exclusive: they can safely mutate the array
+
+    5.times do
+      wg.spawn(name: "writer:increment") do
+        100.times do
+          lock.lock { 100.times { ary << ary.size } }
+          Fiber.yield
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    4.times do
+      wg.spawn(name: "writer:decrement") do
+        100.times do
+          lock.lock { 100.times { ary.pop? } }
+          Fiber.yield
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    wg.wait
+
+    ary.should eq((0..(ary.size - 1)).to_a)
+    counter.lazy_get.should be > 0
+  end
+end
diff --git a/src/crystal/lock.cr b/src/crystal/lock.cr
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5b7a65acac5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/crystal/lock.cr
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+require "sync/mu"
+
+module Crystal
+  # :nodoc:
+  #
+  # Always checked alternative to Sync::Mutex and Sync::RWLock in a single and
+  # significantly smaller type (no crystal type id, no lock type, no reentrancy
+  # counter).
+  struct Lock
+    @mu = Sync::MU.new
+    @locked_by : Fiber?
+
+    def lock(&)
+      unless @mu.try_lock?
+        raise Sync::Error::Deadlock.new if deadlock?
+        @mu.lock_slow
+      end
+
+      begin
+        @locked_by = Fiber.current
+        yield
+      ensure
+        @locked_by = nil
+        @mu.unlock
+      end
+    end
+
+    def rlock(&)
+      @mu.rlock
+      begin
+        yield
+      ensure
+        @mu.runlock
+      end
+    end
+
+    private def deadlock?
+      @locked_by == Fiber.current
+    end
+  end
+end