diff --git a/lib/Proteome/PersistBuffers.hs b/lib/Proteome/PersistBuffers.hs
--- a/lib/Proteome/PersistBuffers.hs
+++ b/lib/Proteome/PersistBuffers.hs
@@ -46,9 +46,8 @@
     Project (DirProject (ProjectName name) _ (Just (ProjectType tpe))) _ _ _ -> Just $ tpe </> name
     _ -> Nothing
 
--- TODO lock process in state to avoid multiple processes trying to access the file
-storeBuffers' :: FilePath -> Proteome ()
-storeBuffers' path = do
+unsafeStoreBuffers :: FilePath -> Proteome ()
+unsafeStoreBuffers path = do
   active <- vim_get_current_buffer'
   activeName <- buffer_get_name' active
   activeIsFile <- liftIO $ doesFileExist activeName
@@ -57,6 +56,10 @@
   files <- liftIO $ filterM doesFileExist all'
   persistStore (path </> "buffers") (PersistBuffers current' files)
 
+safeStoreBuffers :: FilePath -> Proteome ()
+safeStoreBuffers path =
+  lockOrSkip "store-buffers" $ unsafeStoreBuffers path
+
 decodePersistBuffers :: FilePath -> Proteome (Either String PersistBuffers)
 decodePersistBuffers path = runExceptT $ persistLoad (path </> "buffers")
 
@@ -78,7 +81,7 @@
 storeBuffers :: Proteome ()
 storeBuffers = do
   sub <- projectSubPath
-  mapM_ storeBuffers' sub
+  mapM_ safeStoreBuffers sub
 
 loadBuffers :: Proteome ()
 loadBuffers = do
diff --git a/proteome.cabal b/proteome.cabal
--- a/proteome.cabal
+++ b/proteome.cabal
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@
 --
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 --
--- hash: 4a4fe5d2c7d0d545c6bd569a39b33f33bda07bc0c6c5e88da960f4fdda134ea6
+-- hash: 68f91b72a046fbccc15d92486eab9379d3a2f0e0526b5c2a5029ea5df16cc43d
 
 name:           proteome
-version:        0.3.8.0
+version:        0.3.9.0
 synopsis:       neovim project manager
 description:    Please see the README on GitHub at <https://github.com/tek/proteome-hs>
 category:       Neovim