diff --git a/backend/local/backend.go b/backend/local/backend.go
index b42aedb17..b0aae720e 100644
--- a/backend/local/backend.go
+++ b/backend/local/backend.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/backend"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/command/clistate"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/helper/schema"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/state"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
@@ -260,12 +261,21 @@ func (b *Local) Operation(ctx context.Context, op *backend.Operation) (*backend.
 	cancelCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	runningOp.Cancel = cancel
 
+	if op.LockState {
+		op.StateLocker = clistate.NewLocker(stopCtx, op.StateLockTimeout, b.CLI, b.Colorize())
+	} else {
+		op.StateLocker = clistate.NewNoopLocker()
+	}
+
 	// Do it
 	go func() {
 		defer done()
 		defer stop()
 		defer cancel()
 
+		// the state was locked during context creation, unlock the state when
+		// the operation completes
+		defer op.StateLocker.Unlock(runningOp.Err)
 		defer b.opLock.Unlock()
 		f(stopCtx, cancelCtx, op, runningOp)
 	}()
diff --git a/backend/local/backend_apply.go b/backend/local/backend_apply.go
index 8a97fc829..102d40c39 100644
--- a/backend/local/backend_apply.go
+++ b/backend/local/backend_apply.go
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/errwrap"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-multierror"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/backend"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/command/clistate"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/command/format"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/config/module"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/state"
@@ -55,20 +54,6 @@ func (b *Local) opApply(
 		return
 	}
 
-	if op.LockState {
-		lockCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(stopCtx, op.StateLockTimeout)
-		defer cancel()
-
-		unlock, err := clistate.Lock(lockCtx, opState, op.Type.String(), "", b.CLI, b.Colorize())
-		if err != nil {
-			runningOp.Err = errwrap.Wrapf("Error locking state: {{err}}", err)
-			return
-		}
-		defer func() {
-			runningOp.Err = unlock(runningOp.Err)
-		}()
-	}
-
 	// Setup the state
 	runningOp.State = tfCtx.State()
 
diff --git a/backend/local/backend_local.go b/backend/local/backend_local.go
index aa056a1a1..d26fefa57 100644
--- a/backend/local/backend_local.go
+++ b/backend/local/backend_local.go
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 package local
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"log"
 
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/command/clistate"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/command/format"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/tfdiags"
@@ -20,6 +22,12 @@ func (b *Local) Context(op *backend.Operation) (*terraform.Context, state.State,
 	// to ask for input/validate.
 	op.Type = backend.OperationTypeInvalid
 
+	if op.LockState {
+		op.StateLocker = clistate.NewLocker(context.Background(), op.StateLockTimeout, b.CLI, b.Colorize())
+	} else {
+		op.StateLocker = clistate.NewNoopLocker()
+	}
+
 	return b.context(op)
 }
 
@@ -30,6 +38,10 @@ func (b *Local) context(op *backend.Operation) (*terraform.Context, state.State,
 		return nil, nil, errwrap.Wrapf("Error loading state: {{err}}", err)
 	}
 
+	if err := op.StateLocker.Lock(s, op.Type.String()); err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, errwrap.Wrapf("Error locking state: {{err}}", err)
+	}
+
 	if err := s.RefreshState(); err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, errwrap.Wrapf("Error loading state: {{err}}", err)
 	}
diff --git a/backend/local/backend_plan.go b/backend/local/backend_plan.go
index d2956e341..00c0a859d 100644
--- a/backend/local/backend_plan.go
+++ b/backend/local/backend_plan.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/errwrap"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/backend"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/command/clistate"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/command/format"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/config/module"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
@@ -60,20 +59,6 @@ func (b *Local) opPlan(
 		return
 	}
 
-	if op.LockState {
-		lockCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(stopCtx, op.StateLockTimeout)
-		defer cancel()
-
-		unlock, err := clistate.Lock(lockCtx, opState, op.Type.String(), "", b.CLI, b.Colorize())
-		if err != nil {
-			runningOp.Err = errwrap.Wrapf("Error locking state: {{err}}", err)
-			return
-		}
-		defer func() {
-			runningOp.Err = unlock(runningOp.Err)
-		}()
-	}
-
 	// Setup the state
 	runningOp.State = tfCtx.State()
 
diff --git a/backend/local/backend_refresh.go b/backend/local/backend_refresh.go
index a19aa9e5e..b5ec9aa6d 100644
--- a/backend/local/backend_refresh.go
+++ b/backend/local/backend_refresh.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/errwrap"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/backend"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/command/clistate"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/config/module"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/terraform"
 )
@@ -51,20 +50,6 @@ func (b *Local) opRefresh(
 		return
 	}
 
-	if op.LockState {
-		lockCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(stopCtx, op.StateLockTimeout)
-		defer cancel()
-
-		unlock, err := clistate.Lock(lockCtx, opState, op.Type.String(), "", b.CLI, b.Colorize())
-		if err != nil {
-			runningOp.Err = errwrap.Wrapf("Error locking state: {{err}}", err)
-			return
-		}
-		defer func() {
-			runningOp.Err = unlock(runningOp.Err)
-		}()
-	}
-
 	// Set our state
 	runningOp.State = opState.State()
 	if runningOp.State.Empty() || !runningOp.State.HasResources() {