diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index e4c8b7e..f88ccd7 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -14,12 +14,38 @@ class Updates {
     this.tick = tick // internal tie breaker clock for same key updates
     this.clock = clock // engine clock
     this.map = new Map(entries)
+    this.locks = new Map()
   }
 
   get size () {
     return this.map.size
   }
 
+  enter (collection) {
+    if (collection.trigger !== null) {
+      if (this.locks.has(collection)) return false
+      this.locks.set(collection, { resolve: null, promise: null })
+    }
+
+    this.mutating++
+    return true
+  }
+
+  exit (collection) {
+    this.mutating--
+    if (collection.trigger === null) return
+    const { resolve } = this.locks.get(collection)
+    this.locks.delete(collection)
+    if (resolve) resolve()
+  }
+
+  wait (collection) {
+    const state = this.locks.get(collection)
+    if (state.promise) return state.promise
+    state.promise = new Promise((resolve) => { state.resolve = resolve })
+    return state.promise
+  }
+
   ref () {
     this.refs++
     return this
@@ -202,6 +228,14 @@ class HyperDB {
     return this.rootInstance !== null && this.rootInstance !== this
   }
 
+  cork () {
+    this.engine.cork()
+  }
+
+  uncork () {
+    this.engine.uncork()
+  }
+
   ready () {
     return this.engine.ready()
   }
@@ -352,34 +386,36 @@ class HyperDB {
     const collection = this.definition.resolveCollection(collectionName)
     if (collection === null) return
 
+    while (this.updates.enter(collection) === false) await this.updates.wait(collection)
+
     const key = collection.encodeKey(doc)
 
     let prevValue = null
-    this.updates.mutating++
+
     try {
-      if (collection.trigger !== null) await this._runTrigger(collection, doc, null)
       prevValue = await this.engine.get(this.engineSnapshot, key)
-    } finally {
-      this.updates.mutating--
-    }
+      if (collection.trigger !== null) await this._runTrigger(collection, doc, null)
 
-    if (prevValue === null) {
-      this.updates.delete(key)
-      return
-    }
+      if (prevValue === null) {
+        this.updates.delete(key)
+        return
+      }
 
-    const prevDoc = collection.reconstruct(this.version, key, prevValue)
+      const prevDoc = collection.reconstruct(this.version, key, prevValue)
 
-    const u = this.updates.update(collection, key, null)
+      const u = this.updates.update(collection, key, null)
 
-    for (let i = 0; i < collection.indexes.length; i++) {
-      const idx = collection.indexes[i]
-      const del = idx.encodeIndexKeys(prevDoc, this.context)
-      const ups = []
+      for (let i = 0; i < collection.indexes.length; i++) {
+        const idx = collection.indexes[i]
+        const del = idx.encodeIndexKeys(prevDoc, this.context)
+        const ups = []
 
-      u.indexes.push(ups)
+        u.indexes.push(ups)
 
-      for (let j = 0; j < del.length; j++) ups.push({ key: del[j], value: null })
+        for (let j = 0; j < del.length; j++) ups.push({ key: del[j], value: null })
+      }
+    } finally {
+      this.updates.exit(collection)
     }
   }
 
@@ -391,39 +427,41 @@ class HyperDB {
     const collection = this.definition.resolveCollection(collectionName)
     if (collection === null) throw new Error('Unknown collection: ' + collectionName)
 
+    while (this.updates.enter(collection) === false) await this.updates.wait(collection)
+
     const key = collection.encodeKey(doc)
     const value = collection.encodeValue(this.version, doc)
 
     let prevValue = null
-    this.updates.mutating++
+
     try {
-      if (collection.trigger !== null) await this._runTrigger(collection, doc, doc)
       prevValue = await this.engine.get(this.engineSnapshot, key)
-    } finally {
-      this.updates.mutating--
-    }
+      if (collection.trigger !== null) await this._runTrigger(collection, doc, doc)
 
-    if (prevValue !== null && b4a.equals(value, prevValue)) return
+      if (prevValue !== null && b4a.equals(value, prevValue)) return
 
-    const prevDoc = prevValue === null ? null : collection.reconstruct(this.version, key, prevValue)
+      const prevDoc = prevValue === null ? null : collection.reconstruct(this.version, key, prevValue)
 
-    const u = this.updates.update(collection, key, value)
+      const u = this.updates.update(collection, key, value)
 
-    u.created = prevValue === null
+      u.created = prevValue === null
 
-    for (let i = 0; i < collection.indexes.length; i++) {
-      const idx = collection.indexes[i]
-      const prevKeys = prevDoc ? idx.encodeIndexKeys(prevDoc, this.context) : []
-      const nextKeys = idx.encodeIndexKeys(doc, this.context)
-      const ups = []
+      for (let i = 0; i < collection.indexes.length; i++) {
+        const idx = collection.indexes[i]
+        const prevKeys = prevDoc ? idx.encodeIndexKeys(prevDoc, this.context) : []
+        const nextKeys = idx.encodeIndexKeys(doc, this.context)
+        const ups = []
 
-      u.indexes.push(ups)
+        u.indexes.push(ups)
 
-      const [del, put] = diffKeys(prevKeys, nextKeys)
-      const value = put.length === 0 ? null : idx.encodeValue(doc)
+        const [del, put] = diffKeys(prevKeys, nextKeys)
+        const value = put.length === 0 ? null : idx.encodeValue(doc)
 
-      for (let j = 0; j < del.length; j++) ups.push({ key: del[j], value: null })
-      for (let j = 0; j < put.length; j++) ups.push({ key: put[j], value })
+        for (let j = 0; j < del.length; j++) ups.push({ key: del[j], value: null })
+        for (let j = 0; j < put.length; j++) ups.push({ key: put[j], value })
+      }
+    } finally {
+      this.updates.exit(collection)
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/engine/bee.js b/lib/engine/bee.js
index 51b404d..a059f87 100644
--- a/lib/engine/bee.js
+++ b/lib/engine/bee.js
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ module.exports = class BeeEngine {
     return Promise.all(promises)
   }
 
+  cork () {}
+
+  uncork () {}
+
   get (snapshot, key) {
     const db = this._getDB(snapshot)
     return getValue(db, key)
diff --git a/lib/engine/rocks.js b/lib/engine/rocks.js
index 9b964f9..9d9c54f 100644
--- a/lib/engine/rocks.js
+++ b/lib/engine/rocks.js
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ module.exports = class RocksEngine {
     this.asap = false
     this.clock = 0
     this.refs = 0
+    this.batch = null
     this.db = typeof storage === 'object' ? storage : new RocksDB(storage)
     this.db.ready().catch(noop)
   }
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ module.exports = class RocksEngine {
   }
 
   close () {
+    if (this.batch !== null) this.batch.destroy()
     return this.db.close()
   }
 
@@ -69,8 +71,19 @@ module.exports = class RocksEngine {
     return Promise.all(promises)
   }
 
+  cork () {
+    if (this.batch !== null) return
+    this.batch = this.db.read()
+  }
+
+  uncork () {
+    if (this.batch !== null) this.batch.tryFlush()
+    this.batch = null
+  }
+
   get (snapshot, key) {
-    return this.db.get(key, { snapshot: getSnapshot(snapshot) })
+    const options = { snapshot: getSnapshot(snapshot) }
+    return this.batch === null ? this.db.get(key, options) : this.batch.get(key, options)
   }
 
   createReadStream (snapshot, range, options) {
diff --git a/test/basic.js b/test/basic.js
index 52d482d..0f6b93c 100644
--- a/test/basic.js
+++ b/test/basic.js
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ test('watch', async function ({ create }, t) {
 
 test('basic reopen', async function ({ create }, t) {
   const storage = await tmp(t)
+
   {
     const db = await create(definition, { storage })
     await db.insert('members', { id: 'maf', age: 34 })
@@ -261,3 +262,18 @@ test('basic reopen', async function ({ create }, t) {
     await db.close()
   }
 })
+
+test('cork/uncork', async function ({ create }, t) {
+  const db = await create()
+
+  db.cork()
+  const all = [
+    db.insert('@db/members', { id: 'maf', age: 34 }),
+    db.insert('@db/members', { id: 'andrew', age: 30 })
+  ]
+  db.uncork()
+
+  await Promise.all(all)
+  t.pass('did not crash')
+  await db.close()
+})