diff --git a/src/borg/cache.py b/src/borg/cache.py
index 99d5bf233..8a7ad4aa0 100644
--- a/src/borg/cache.py
+++ b/src/borg/cache.py
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ class Cache:
         self.key = key
         self.manifest = manifest
         self.path = path or os.path.join(get_cache_dir(), repository.id_str)
+        self.unique_hostname = bool(os.environ.get('BORG_UNIQUE_HOSTNAME'))
         self.do_files = do_files
         # Warn user before sending data to a never seen before unencrypted repository
         if not os.path.exists(self.path):
@@ -202,7 +203,7 @@ Chunk index:    {0.total_unique_chunks:20d} {0.total_chunks:20d}"""
     def open(self, lock_wait=None):
         if not os.path.isdir(self.path):
             raise Exception('%s Does not look like a Borg cache' % self.path)
-        self.lock = Lock(os.path.join(self.path, 'lock'), exclusive=True, timeout=lock_wait).acquire()
+        self.lock = Lock(os.path.join(self.path, 'lock'), exclusive=True, timeout=lock_wait, kill_stale_locks=self.unique_hostname).acquire()
         self.rollback()
 
     def close(self):
diff --git a/src/borg/locking.py b/src/borg/locking.py
index 5405c2310..56f280929 100644
--- a/src/borg/locking.py
+++ b/src/borg/locking.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+import errno
 import json
 import os
 import socket
+import sys
 import time
 
 from .helpers import Error, ErrorWithTraceback
@@ -17,10 +19,36 @@ _hostname = socket.gethostname()
 
 def get_id():
     """Get identification tuple for 'us'"""
+
+    # If changing the thread_id to ever be non-zero, also revisit the check_lock_stale() below.
     thread_id = 0
     return _hostname, _pid, thread_id
 
 
+def check_lock_stale(host, pid, thread):
+    """Check if the host, pid, thread combination corresponds to a dead process on our local node or not."""
+    if host != _hostname:
+        return False
+
+    if thread != 0:
+        # Currently thread is always 0, if we ever decide to set this to a non-zero value, this code needs to be revisited too to do a sensible thing
+        return False
+
+    try:
+        # This may not work in Windows.
+        # This does not kill anything, 0 means "see if we can send a signal to this process or not".
+        # Possible errors: No such process (== stale lock) or permission denied (not a stale lock)
+        # If the exception is not raised that means such a pid is valid and we can send a signal to it (== not a stale lock too).
+        os.kill(pid, 0)
+        return False
+    except OSError as err:
+        if err.errno != errno.ESRCH:
+            return False
+        pass
+
+    return True
+
+
 class TimeoutTimer:
     """
     A timer for timeout checks (can also deal with no timeout, give timeout=None [default]).
@@ -109,12 +137,14 @@ class ExclusiveLock:
     This makes sure the lock is released again if the block is left, no
     matter how (e.g. if an exception occurred).
     """
-    def __init__(self, path, timeout=None, sleep=None, id=None):
+    def __init__(self, path, timeout=None, sleep=None, id=None, kill_stale_locks=False):
         self.timeout = timeout
         self.sleep = sleep
         self.path = os.path.abspath(path)
         self.id = id or get_id()
         self.unique_name = os.path.join(self.path, "%s.%d-%x" % self.id)
+        self.ok_to_kill_stale_locks = kill_stale_locks
+        self.stale_warning_printed = False
 
     def __enter__(self):
         return self.acquire()
@@ -137,6 +167,8 @@ class ExclusiveLock:
             except FileExistsError:  # already locked
                 if self.by_me():
                     return self
+                if self.kill_stale_lock():
+                    pass
                 if timer.timed_out_or_sleep():
                     raise LockTimeout(self.path)
             except OSError as err:
@@ -160,6 +192,47 @@ class ExclusiveLock:
     def by_me(self):
         return os.path.exists(self.unique_name)
 
+    def kill_stale_lock(self):
+        for name in os.listdir(self.path):
+
+            try:
+                host_pid, thread_str = name.rsplit('-', 1)
+                host, pid_str = host_pid.rsplit('.', 1)
+                pid = int(pid_str)
+                thread = int(thread_str)
+            except ValueError:
+                # Malformed lock name? Or just some new format we don't understand?
+                # It's safer to just exit
+                return False
+
+            if not check_lock_stale(host, pid, thread):
+                return False
+
+            if not self.ok_to_kill_stale_locks:
+                if not self.stale_warning_printed:
+                    print(("Found stale lock %s, but not deleting because BORG_UNIQUE_HOSTNAME is not set." % name), file=sys.stderr)
+                    self.stale_warning_printed = True
+                return False
+
+            try:
+                os.unlink(os.path.join(self.path, name))
+                print(("Killed stale lock %s." % name), file=sys.stderr)
+            except OSError as err:
+                if not self.stale_warning_printed:
+                    print(("Found stale lock %s, but cannot delete due to %s" % (name, str(err))), file=sys.stderr)
+                    self.stale_warning_printed = True
+                return False
+
+        try:
+            os.rmdir(self.path)
+        except OSError:
+            # Directory is not empty = we lost the race to somebody else
+            # Permission denied = we cannot operate anyway
+            # other error like EIO = we cannot operate and it's unsafe too.
+            return False
+
+        return True
+
     def break_lock(self):
         if self.is_locked():
             for name in os.listdir(self.path):
@@ -174,17 +247,34 @@ class LockRoster:
     Note: you usually should call the methods with an exclusive lock held,
     to avoid conflicting access by multiple threads/processes/machines.
     """
-    def __init__(self, path, id=None):
+    def __init__(self, path, id=None, kill_stale_locks=False):
         self.path = path
         self.id = id or get_id()
+        self.ok_to_kill_zombie_locks = kill_stale_locks
 
     def load(self):
         try:
             with open(self.path) as f:
                 data = json.load(f)
+
+            # Just nuke the stale locks early on load
+            if self.ok_to_kill_zombie_locks:
+                for key in (SHARED, EXCLUSIVE):
+                    elements = set()
+                    try:
+                        for e in data[key]:
+                            (host, pid, thread) = e
+                            if not check_lock_stale(host, pid, thread):
+                                elements.add(tuple(e))
+                            else:
+                                print(("Removed stale %s roster lock for pid %d." % (key, pid)), file=sys.stderr)
+                        data[key] = list(list(e) for e in elements)
+                    except KeyError:
+                        pass
         except (FileNotFoundError, ValueError):
             # no or corrupt/empty roster file?
             data = {}
+
         return data
 
     def save(self, data):
@@ -235,18 +325,18 @@ class Lock:
     This makes sure the lock is released again if the block is left, no
     matter how (e.g. if an exception occurred).
     """
-    def __init__(self, path, exclusive=False, sleep=None, timeout=None, id=None):
+    def __init__(self, path, exclusive=False, sleep=None, timeout=None, id=None, kill_stale_locks=False):
         self.path = path
         self.is_exclusive = exclusive
         self.sleep = sleep
         self.timeout = timeout
         self.id = id or get_id()
         # globally keeping track of shared and exclusive lockers:
-        self._roster = LockRoster(path + '.roster', id=id)
+        self._roster = LockRoster(path + '.roster', id=id, kill_stale_locks=kill_stale_locks)
         # an exclusive lock, used for:
         # - holding while doing roster queries / updates
-        # - holding while the Lock instance itself is exclusive
-        self._lock = ExclusiveLock(path + '.exclusive', id=id, timeout=timeout)
+        # - holding while the Lock itself is exclusive
+        self._lock = ExclusiveLock(path + '.exclusive', id=id, timeout=timeout, kill_stale_locks=kill_stale_locks)
 
     def __enter__(self):
         return self.acquire()
diff --git a/src/borg/repository.py b/src/borg/repository.py
index f1c97e134..106642d85 100644
--- a/src/borg/repository.py
+++ b/src/borg/repository.py
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ class Repository:
         self.do_create = create
         self.exclusive = exclusive
         self.append_only = append_only
+        self.unique_hostname = bool(os.environ.get('BORG_UNIQUE_HOSTNAME'))
 
     def __del__(self):
         if self.lock:
@@ -254,7 +255,7 @@ class Repository:
         if not os.path.isdir(path):
             raise self.DoesNotExist(path)
         if lock:
-            self.lock = Lock(os.path.join(path, 'lock'), exclusive, timeout=lock_wait).acquire()
+            self.lock = Lock(os.path.join(path, 'lock'), exclusive, timeout=lock_wait, kill_stale_locks=self.unique_hostname).acquire()
         else:
             self.lock = None
         self.config = ConfigParser(interpolation=None)