diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 4bd6c74b3b..0c77506969 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+6274.	[bug]		The 'lock-file' file was being removed when it
+			shouldn't have been making it ineffective if named was
+			started 3 or more times. [GL #4387]
+
 6271.	[bug]		Fix a shutdown race in dns__catz_update_cb(). [GL #4381]
 
 6267.	[func]		Adjust UDP timeouts used in zone maintenance. [GL #4260]
diff --git a/bin/named/os.c b/bin/named/os.c
index 7af47294ba..0222abb7c2 100644
--- a/bin/named/os.c
+++ b/bin/named/os.c
@@ -552,17 +552,19 @@ cleanup_pidfile(void) {
 }
 
 static void
-cleanup_lockfile(void) {
+cleanup_lockfile(bool unlink_lockfile) {
 	if (singletonfd != -1) {
 		close(singletonfd);
 		singletonfd = -1;
 	}
 
 	if (lockfile != NULL) {
-		int n = unlink(lockfile);
-		if (n == -1 && errno != ENOENT) {
-			named_main_earlywarning("unlink '%s': failed",
-						lockfile);
+		if (unlink_lockfile) {
+			int n = unlink(lockfile);
+			if (n == -1 && errno != ENOENT) {
+				named_main_earlywarning("unlink '%s': failed",
+							lockfile);
+			}
 		}
 		free(lockfile);
 		lockfile = NULL;
@@ -830,7 +832,7 @@ named_os_issingleton(const char *filename) {
 		if (ret == -1) {
 			named_main_earlywarning("couldn't create '%s'",
 						filename);
-			cleanup_lockfile();
+			cleanup_lockfile(false);
 			return (false);
 		}
 	}
@@ -842,7 +844,7 @@ named_os_issingleton(const char *filename) {
 	singletonfd = open(filename, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT,
 			   S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR | S_IRGRP | S_IROTH);
 	if (singletonfd == -1) {
-		cleanup_lockfile();
+		cleanup_lockfile(false);
 		return (false);
 	}
 
@@ -854,8 +856,7 @@ named_os_issingleton(const char *filename) {
 
 	/* Non-blocking (does not wait for lock) */
 	if (fcntl(singletonfd, F_SETLK, &lock) == -1) {
-		close(singletonfd);
-		singletonfd = -1;
+		cleanup_lockfile(false);
 		return (false);
 	}
 
@@ -866,7 +867,7 @@ void
 named_os_shutdown(void) {
 	closelog();
 	cleanup_pidfile();
-	cleanup_lockfile();
+	cleanup_lockfile(true);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/runtime/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/runtime/tests.sh
index e4be62cf07..ed282ff1fb 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/runtime/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/runtime/tests.sh
@@ -81,12 +81,14 @@ status=$((status+ret))
 n=$((n+1))
 echo_i "verifying that named checks for conflicting named processes ($n)"
 ret=0
+test -f ns2/named.lock || ret=1
 testpid=$(run_named ns2 named$n.run -c named-alt2.conf -D runtime-ns2-extra-2 -X named.lock)
 test -n "$testpid" || ret=1
 retry_quiet 10 check_named_log "another named process" ns2/named$n.run || ret=1
 test -n "$testpid" && retry_quiet 10 check_pid $testpid || ret=1
 test -n "$testpid" && kill -15 $testpid > kill$n.out 2>&1 && ret=1
 test -n "$testpid" && retry_quiet 10 check_pid $testpid || ret=1
+test -f ns2/named.lock || ret=1
 if [ $ret -ne 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=$((status+ret))
 
diff --git a/doc/notes/notes-current.rst b/doc/notes/notes-current.rst
index 1c3a09a6f1..b857f117a3 100644
--- a/doc/notes/notes-current.rst
+++ b/doc/notes/notes-current.rst
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ Bug Fixes
   DNSSEC records, it was scheduled to be resigning. This unwanted behavior
   has been fixed. :gl:`#4350`
 
+- The :any:`lock-file` file was being removed when it shouldn't
+  have been making it ineffective if named was started 3 or more
+  times. :gl:`#4387`
+
 Known Issues
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~