diff --git a/src/backend/replication/slot.c b/src/backend/replication/slot.c
index 61c65213171..ce08f90695e 100644
--- a/src/backend/replication/slot.c
+++ b/src/backend/replication/slot.c
@@ -1062,6 +1062,12 @@ SaveSlotToPath(ReplicationSlot *slot, const char *dir, int elevel)
 						   S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR);
 	if (fd < 0)
 	{
+		/*
+		 * If not an ERROR, then release the lock before returning.  In case
+		 * of an ERROR, the error recovery path automatically releases the
+		 * lock, but no harm in explicitly releasing even in that case.
+		 */
+		LWLockRelease(&slot->io_in_progress_lock);
 		ereport(elevel,
 				(errcode_for_file_access(),
 				 errmsg("could not create file \"%s\": %m",
@@ -1091,6 +1097,7 @@ SaveSlotToPath(ReplicationSlot *slot, const char *dir, int elevel)
 		int			save_errno = errno;
 
 		CloseTransientFile(fd);
+		LWLockRelease(&slot->io_in_progress_lock);
 
 		/* if write didn't set errno, assume problem is no disk space */
 		errno = save_errno ? save_errno : ENOSPC;
@@ -1107,6 +1114,7 @@ SaveSlotToPath(ReplicationSlot *slot, const char *dir, int elevel)
 		int			save_errno = errno;
 
 		CloseTransientFile(fd);
+		LWLockRelease(&slot->io_in_progress_lock);
 		errno = save_errno;
 		ereport(elevel,
 				(errcode_for_file_access(),
@@ -1120,6 +1128,7 @@ SaveSlotToPath(ReplicationSlot *slot, const char *dir, int elevel)
 	/* rename to permanent file, fsync file and directory */
 	if (rename(tmppath, path) != 0)
 	{
+		LWLockRelease(&slot->io_in_progress_lock);
 		ereport(elevel,
 				(errcode_for_file_access(),
 				 errmsg("could not rename file \"%s\" to \"%s\": %m",