diff --git a/db.go b/db.go
index 4cffe9cea..b458113de 100644
--- a/db.go
+++ b/db.go
@@ -233,33 +233,35 @@ func Open(opt Options) (db *DB, err error) {
 		if err := createDirs(opt); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		dirLockGuard, err = acquireDirectoryLock(opt.Dir, lockFile, opt.ReadOnly)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		defer func() {
-			if dirLockGuard != nil {
-				_ = dirLockGuard.release()
-			}
-		}()
-		absDir, err := filepath.Abs(opt.Dir)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		absValueDir, err := filepath.Abs(opt.ValueDir)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		if absValueDir != absDir {
-			valueDirLockGuard, err = acquireDirectoryLock(opt.ValueDir, lockFile, opt.ReadOnly)
+		if !opt.BypassLockGuard {
+			dirLockGuard, err = acquireDirectoryLock(opt.Dir, lockFile, opt.ReadOnly)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
 			defer func() {
-				if valueDirLockGuard != nil {
-					_ = valueDirLockGuard.release()
+				if dirLockGuard != nil {
+					_ = dirLockGuard.release()
 				}
 			}()
+			absDir, err := filepath.Abs(opt.Dir)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			absValueDir, err := filepath.Abs(opt.ValueDir)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			if absValueDir != absDir {
+				valueDirLockGuard, err = acquireDirectoryLock(opt.ValueDir, lockFile, opt.ReadOnly)
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, err
+				}
+				defer func() {
+					if valueDirLockGuard != nil {
+						_ = valueDirLockGuard.release()
+					}
+				}()
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index 4374fc39d..eb56337c8 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ type Options struct {
 	LogRotatesToFlush    int32
 	ZSTDCompressionLevel int
 
+	BypassLockGuard bool
+
 	// When set, checksum will be validated for each entry read from the value log file.
 	VerifyValueChecksum bool