diff --git a/access/views.py b/access/views.py
index 4d47f6d..b74bf82 100644
--- a/access/views.py
+++ b/access/views.py
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ def aplus_json(request: HttpRequest, course_key: str) -> HttpResponse:
 
         path, defaults_path, _ = CourseConfig.file_paths(course_key, source=ConfigSource.PUBLISH)
 
-        with FileLock(path):
+        with FileLock(path, write=True):
             with open(defaults_path, "w") as f:
                 json.dump(exercise_defaults, f)
     
diff --git a/builder/builder.py b/builder/builder.py
index 2920e45..5fff811 100644
--- a/builder/builder.py
+++ b/builder/builder.py
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ def store(perfmonitor: PerfMonitor, config: CourseConfig) -> bool:
     # the lock is released or BUILD_FILELOCK_TIMEOUT seconds has passed (in which case
     # the build fails). The likely situation for this blocking is that the copys_async function
     # called from the publish function has the lock.
-    with FileLock(store_path, timeout=settings.BUILD_FILELOCK_TIMEOUT):
+    with FileLock(store_path, write=True, timeout=settings.BUILD_FILELOCK_TIMEOUT):
         build_logger.info("File lock acquired.")
 
         build_logger.info("Copying the built materials")
@@ -434,11 +434,12 @@ def publish(course_key: str) -> List[str]:
                     errors.append(f"Failed to load newly built course for this reason: {e}")
                     logger.warn(f"Failed to load newly built course for this reason: {e}")
                 else:
-                    renames([
-                        (store_path, prod_path),
-                        (store_defaults_path, prod_defaults_path),
-                        (store_version_path, prod_version_path),
-                    ])
+                    with FileLock(prod_path, write=True):
+                        renames([
+                            (store_path, prod_path),
+                            (store_defaults_path, prod_defaults_path),
+                            (store_version_path, prod_version_path),
+                        ])
 
                     config.save_to_cache(ConfigSource.PUBLISH)
                     # Copy files back to store so that rsync has files to compare against.
@@ -449,7 +450,8 @@ def publish(course_key: str) -> List[str]:
                             (prod_defaults_path, store_defaults_path),
                             (prod_version_path, store_version_path),
                         ],
-                        lock_path=store_path
+                        read_lock_path=prod_path,
+                        write_lock_path=store_path,
                     )
 
     # If loading the store version failed or was skipped, try loading from the publish directory
diff --git a/util/files.py b/util/files.py
index d17d59f..0a0ad74 100644
--- a/util/files.py
+++ b/util/files.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 Utility functions for exercise files.
 
 '''
-from contextlib import nullcontext
+from contextlib import ExitStack
 import fcntl
 from pathlib import Path
 import os
@@ -85,12 +85,21 @@ def rm_paths_async(paths: List[Union[str, Path]]) -> None:
 
 
 @task()
-def copys_async(pairs: List[Tuple[PathLike, PathLike]], *, lock_path: Optional[PathLike] = None) -> None:
+def copys_async(
+        pairs: List[Tuple[PathLike, PathLike]],
+        *,
+        read_lock_path: Optional[PathLike] = None,
+        write_lock_path: Optional[PathLike] = None,
+        ) -> None:
     """Copies a list of files and directories asynchronously.
 
     Note that the copying might fail, and the caller wont know about it
     due to the asynchronousity"""
-    with FileLock(lock_path) if lock_path is not None else nullcontext():
+    with ExitStack() as stack:
+        if write_lock_path is not None:
+            stack.enter_context(FileLock(write_lock_path, write=True))
+        if read_lock_path is not None:
+            stack.enter_context(FileLock(read_lock_path))
         for src, dst in pairs:
             if os.path.isdir(src):
                 copytree(src, dst)
@@ -305,31 +314,31 @@ class FileLock:
     __enter__ may raise OSError for non-blocking access on a locked file
     or TimeoutError if obtaining a lock takes too long.
     """
-    def __init__(self, path: PathLike, timeout: Optional[int] = None):
+    def __init__(self, path: PathLike, write: bool = False, timeout: Optional[int] = None):
         self.path = os.fspath(path) + ".lock"
         self.timeout = timeout
+        self.lock_flag = fcntl.LOCK_EX if write else fcntl.LOCK_SH
 
     def __enter__(self):
         self.lockfile = open(self.path, "w")
 
         if self.timeout is None:
-            fcntl.flock(self.lockfile, fcntl.LOCK_EX)
+            fcntl.flock(self.lockfile, self.lock_flag)
         else:
             # we would use a signal to timeout but it can only be used on the main thread
-            e = _try_flock(self.lockfile, fcntl.LOCK_EX | fcntl.LOCK_NB)
+            e = _try_flock(self.lockfile, self.lock_flag | fcntl.LOCK_NB)
             if e:
                 for _ in range(self.timeout):
                     time.sleep(1)
-                    e = _try_flock(self.lockfile, fcntl.LOCK_EX | fcntl.LOCK_NB)
+                    e = _try_flock(self.lockfile, self.lock_flag | fcntl.LOCK_NB)
                     if not e:
                         break
                 else:
                     raise e
 
-
         return self.lockfile
 
-    def __exit__(self, etype:  Optional[Type[Exception]], e: Optional[Exception], traceback: TracebackType):
+    def __exit__(self, etype: Optional[Type[BaseException]], e: Optional[BaseException], tb: Optional[TracebackType]):
         try:
             os.unlink(self.path)
         except: