diff --git a/db.go b/db.go
index 5d3e26496..2ac0ffefc 100644
--- a/db.go
+++ b/db.go
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ type DB struct {
 	batch   *batch
 
 	rwlock   sync.Mutex   // Allows only one writer at a time.
-	metalock sync.Mutex   // Protects meta page access.
+	metalock sync.RWMutex // Protects meta page access.
 	mmaplock sync.RWMutex // Protects mmap access during remapping.
 	statlock sync.RWMutex // Protects stats access.
 
@@ -422,6 +422,7 @@ func (db *DB) getPageSizeFromSecondMeta() (int, bool, error) {
 func (db *DB) loadFreelist() {
 	db.freelistLoad.Do(func() {
 		db.freelist = newFreelist(db.FreelistType)
+		db.freelist.AddCurrentTXID(db.meta().Txid())
 		if !db.hasSyncedFreelist() {
 			// Reconstruct free list by scanning the DB.
 			db.freelist.Init(db.freepages())
@@ -776,7 +777,7 @@ func (db *DB) beginTx() (*Tx, error) {
 	// Lock the meta pages while we initialize the transaction. We obtain
 	// the meta lock before the mmap lock because that's the order that the
 	// write transaction will obtain them.
-	db.metalock.Lock()
+	db.metalock.RLock()
 
 	// Obtain a read-only lock on the mmap. When the mmap is remapped it will
 	// obtain a write lock so all transactions must finish before it can be
@@ -786,14 +787,14 @@ func (db *DB) beginTx() (*Tx, error) {
 	// Exit if the database is not open yet.
 	if !db.opened {
 		db.mmaplock.RUnlock()
-		db.metalock.Unlock()
+		db.metalock.RUnlock()
 		return nil, berrors.ErrDatabaseNotOpen
 	}
 
 	// Exit if the database is not correctly mapped.
 	if db.data == nil {
 		db.mmaplock.RUnlock()
-		db.metalock.Unlock()
+		db.metalock.RUnlock()
 		return nil, berrors.ErrInvalidMapping
 	}
 
@@ -806,7 +807,7 @@ func (db *DB) beginTx() (*Tx, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Unlock the meta pages.
-	db.metalock.Unlock()
+	db.metalock.RUnlock()
 
 	// Update the transaction stats.
 	if db.stats != nil {
@@ -831,8 +832,8 @@ func (db *DB) beginRWTx() (*Tx, error) {
 
 	// Once we have the writer lock then we can lock the meta pages so that
 	// we can set up the transaction.
-	db.metalock.Lock()
-	defer db.metalock.Unlock()
+	db.metalock.RLock()
+	defer db.metalock.RUnlock()
 
 	// Exit if the database is not open yet.
 	if !db.opened {
@@ -860,14 +861,14 @@ func (db *DB) removeTx(tx *Tx) {
 	db.mmaplock.RUnlock()
 
 	// Use the meta lock to restrict access to the DB object.
-	db.metalock.Lock()
+	db.metalock.RLock()
 
 	if db.freelist != nil {
 		db.freelist.RemoveReadonlyTXID(tx.meta.Txid())
 	}
 
 	// Unlock the meta pages.
-	db.metalock.Unlock()
+	db.metalock.RUnlock()
 
 	// Merge statistics.
 	if db.stats != nil {
diff --git a/internal/freelist/freelist.go b/internal/freelist/freelist.go
index 2b819506b..5c2fba1e3 100644
--- a/internal/freelist/freelist.go
+++ b/internal/freelist/freelist.go
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ type Interface interface {
 	// Init initializes this freelist with the given list of pages.
 	Init(ids common.Pgids)
 
+	// AddCurrentTXID adds the latest known ID to the list.
+	AddCurrentTXID(tid common.Txid)
+
 	// Allocate tries to allocate the given number of contiguous pages
 	// from the free list pages. It returns the starting page ID if
 	// available; otherwise, it returns 0.
diff --git a/internal/freelist/shared.go b/internal/freelist/shared.go
index f2d113008..879763905 100644
--- a/internal/freelist/shared.go
+++ b/internal/freelist/shared.go
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ package freelist
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
+	"slices"
 	"sort"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"unsafe"
 
 	"go.etcd.io/bbolt/internal/common"
@@ -15,13 +17,18 @@ type txPending struct {
 	lastReleaseBegin common.Txid   // beginning txid of last matching releaseRange
 }
 
+type txIdReference struct {
+	txid common.Txid
+	refs atomic.Int32
+}
+
 type shared struct {
 	Interface
 
-	readonlyTXIDs []common.Txid               // all readonly transaction IDs.
-	allocs        map[common.Pgid]common.Txid // mapping of Txid that allocated a pgid.
-	cache         map[common.Pgid]struct{}    // fast lookup of all free and pending page ids.
-	pending       map[common.Txid]*txPending  // mapping of soon-to-be free page ids by tx.
+	readerRefs []*txIdReference
+	allocs     map[common.Pgid]common.Txid // mapping of Txid that allocated a pgid.
+	cache      map[common.Pgid]struct{}    // fast lookup of all free and pending page ids.
+	pending    map[common.Txid]*txPending  // mapping of soon-to-be free page ids by tx.
 }
 
 func newShared() *shared {
@@ -118,15 +125,18 @@ func (t *shared) Rollback(txid common.Txid) {
 }
 
 func (t *shared) AddReadonlyTXID(tid common.Txid) {
-	t.readonlyTXIDs = append(t.readonlyTXIDs, tid)
+	for _, r := range t.readerRefs {
+		if r.txid == tid {
+			r.refs.Add(1)
+			break
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 func (t *shared) RemoveReadonlyTXID(tid common.Txid) {
-	for i := range t.readonlyTXIDs {
-		if t.readonlyTXIDs[i] == tid {
-			last := len(t.readonlyTXIDs) - 1
-			t.readonlyTXIDs[i] = t.readonlyTXIDs[last]
-			t.readonlyTXIDs = t.readonlyTXIDs[:last]
+	for _, r := range t.readerRefs {
+		if r.txid == tid {
+			r.refs.Add(-1)
 			break
 		}
 	}
@@ -140,23 +150,37 @@ func (t txIDx) Less(i, j int) bool { return t[i] < t[j] }
 
 func (t *shared) ReleasePendingPages() {
 	// Free all pending pages prior to the earliest open transaction.
-	sort.Sort(txIDx(t.readonlyTXIDs))
 	minid := common.Txid(math.MaxUint64)
-	if len(t.readonlyTXIDs) > 0 {
-		minid = t.readonlyTXIDs[0]
+
+	for i := range t.readerRefs {
+		if t.readerRefs[i].refs.Load() != 0 && minid > t.readerRefs[i].txid {
+			minid = t.readerRefs[i].txid
+		}
 	}
 	if minid > 0 {
 		t.release(minid - 1)
 	}
 	// Release unused txid extents.
-	for _, tid := range t.readonlyTXIDs {
-		t.releaseRange(minid, tid-1)
-		minid = tid + 1
+	for _, e := range t.readerRefs {
+		t.releaseRange(minid, e.txid-1)
+		minid = e.txid + 1
 	}
 	t.releaseRange(minid, common.Txid(math.MaxUint64))
 	// Any page both allocated and freed in an extent is safe to release.
 }
 
+func (t *shared) AddCurrentTXID(tid common.Txid) {
+	inUseID := tid - 1 // New readers can still use it till meta pages are updated.
+
+	t.readerRefs = slices.DeleteFunc(t.readerRefs, func(e *txIdReference) bool {
+		// tid can be left by previous unsuccessful transaction, there
+		// can't be any readers using it, but we'll append it anyway
+		// below (this just simplifies code).
+		return (e.txid < inUseID && e.refs.Load() == 0) || e.txid == tid
+	})
+	t.readerRefs = append(t.readerRefs, &txIdReference{txid: tid})
+}
+
 func (t *shared) release(txid common.Txid) {
 	m := make(common.Pgids, 0)
 	for tid, txp := range t.pending {
diff --git a/tx.go b/tx.go
index f32a20931..8c4567f46 100644
--- a/tx.go
+++ b/tx.go
@@ -569,6 +569,7 @@ func (tx *Tx) writeMeta() error {
 		lg.Errorf("writeAt failed, pgid: %d, pageSize: %d, error: %v", p.Id(), tx.db.pageSize, err)
 		return err
 	}
+	tx.db.freelist.AddCurrentTXID(tx.meta.Txid())
 	tx.db.metalock.Unlock()
 	if !tx.db.NoSync || common.IgnoreNoSync {
 		// gofail: var beforeSyncMetaPage struct{}