diff --git a/acid-state.cabal b/acid-state.cabal
--- a/acid-state.cabal
+++ b/acid-state.cabal
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 -- The package version. See the Haskell package versioning policy
 -- (http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Package_versioning_policy) for
 -- standards guiding when and how versions should be incremented.
-Version:             0.7.10
+Version:             0.8.0
 
 -- A short (one-line) description of the package.
 Synopsis:            Add ACID guarantees to any serializable Haskell data structure.
diff --git a/src/Data/Acid/Local.hs b/src/Data/Acid/Local.hs
--- a/src/Data/Acid/Local.hs
+++ b/src/Data/Acid/Local.hs
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@
 module Data.Acid.Local
     ( openLocalState
     , openLocalStateFrom
-    , continueLocalState
-    , continueLocalStateFrom
     , prepareLocalState
     , prepareLocalStateFrom
     , createArchive
@@ -181,17 +179,6 @@
 -- | Create an AcidState given an initial value.
 --
 --   This will create or resume a log found in the \"state\/[typeOf state]\/\" directory.
---   If another application has already opened the AcidState, this call will block until it has been closed.
-continueLocalState :: (Typeable st, IsAcidic st)
-                   => st                          -- ^ Initial state value. This value is only used if no checkpoint is
-                                                  --   found.
-                   -> IO (AcidState st)
-continueLocalState initialState =
-  continueLocalStateFrom ("state" </> show (typeOf initialState)) initialState
-
--- | Create an AcidState given an initial value.
---
---   This will create or resume a log found in the \"state\/[typeOf state]\/\" directory.
 --   The most recent checkpoint will be loaded immediately but the AcidState will not be opened
 --   until the returned function is executed.
 prepareLocalState :: (Typeable st, IsAcidic st)
@@ -215,19 +202,6 @@
 openLocalStateFrom directory initialState =
   join $ resumeLocalStateFrom directory initialState False
 
--- | Create an AcidState given a log directory and an initial value.
---
---   This will create or resume a log found in @directory@.
---   If another application has already opened the AcidState, this call will block until it has been closed.
-continueLocalStateFrom :: (IsAcidic st)
-                  => FilePath            -- ^ Location of the checkpoint and transaction files.
-                  -> st                  -- ^ Initial state value. This value is only used if no checkpoint is
-                                         --   found.
-                  -> IO (AcidState st)
-continueLocalStateFrom directory initialState =
-  join $ resumeLocalStateFrom directory initialState True
-
-
 -- | Create an AcidState given an initial value.
 --
 --   This will create or resume a log found in @directory@.
@@ -247,14 +221,14 @@
                   => FilePath            -- ^ Location of the checkpoint and transaction files.
                   -> st                  -- ^ Initial state value. This value is only used if no checkpoint is
                                          --   found.
-                  -> Bool                -- ^ True if we should wait for the lock to be released.
+                  -> Bool                -- ^ True => load checkpoint before acquiring the lock.
                   -> IO (IO (AcidState st))
-resumeLocalStateFrom directory initialState doWaitForLock =
-  case doWaitForLock of
+resumeLocalStateFrom directory initialState delayLocking =
+  case delayLocking of
     True -> do
       (n, st) <- loadCheckpoint
       return $ do
-        lock    <- waitForLock lockFile
+        lock  <- obtainPrefixLock lockFile
         replayEvents lock n st
     False -> do
       lock    <- obtainPrefixLock lockFile
@@ -293,13 +267,6 @@
                                       , localCheckpoints = checkpointsLog
                                       , localLock = lock
                                       }
-
-waitForLock :: FilePath -> IO PrefixLock
-waitForLock path = go undefined
-  where
-    go :: SomeException -> IO PrefixLock
-    go _ = handle (\e -> threadDelay delay >> go e) (obtainPrefixLock path)
-    delay = 10^6
 
 checkpointRestoreError msg
     = error $ "Could not parse saved checkpoint due to the following error: " ++ msg