diff --git a/src/aof.cpp b/src/aof.cpp
index 6ed5652b0..d7094e54f 100644
--- a/src/aof.cpp
+++ b/src/aof.cpp
@@ -1460,9 +1460,9 @@ int rewriteAppendOnlyFileRio(rio *aof) {
                 serverPanic("Unknown object type");
             }
             /* Save the expire time */
-            std::unique_lock<fastlock> ul(g_expireLock);
-            expireEntry *pexpire = db->getExpire(&key);
-            if (pexpire != nullptr) {
+            if (o->FExpires()) {
+                std::unique_lock<fastlock> ul(g_expireLock);
+                expireEntry *pexpire = db->getExpire(&key);
                 for (auto &subExpire : *pexpire) {
                     if (subExpire.subkey() == nullptr)
                     {
@@ -1480,7 +1480,6 @@ int rewriteAppendOnlyFileRio(rio *aof) {
                     if (rioWriteBulkLongLong(aof,subExpire.when()) == 0) return false; // common
                 }
             }
-            ul.unlock();
             
             /* Read some diff from the parent process from time to time. */
             if (aof->processed_bytes > processed+AOF_READ_DIFF_INTERVAL_BYTES) {
diff --git a/src/db.cpp b/src/db.cpp
index ab9bb64d4..c892e765f 100644
--- a/src/db.cpp
+++ b/src/db.cpp
@@ -1738,15 +1738,15 @@ void propagateSubkeyExpire(redisDb *db, int type, robj *key, robj *subkey)
 
 /* Check if the key is expired. Note, this does not check subexpires */
 int keyIsExpired(const redisDbPersistentDataSnapshot *db, robj *key) {
+    /* Don't expire anything while loading. It will be done later. */
+    if (g_pserver->loading) return 0;
+    
     std::unique_lock<fastlock> ul(g_expireLock);
     const expireEntry *pexpire = db->getExpire(key);
     mstime_t now;
 
     if (pexpire == nullptr) return 0; /* No expire for this key */
 
-    /* Don't expire anything while loading. It will be done later. */
-    if (g_pserver->loading) return 0;
-
     long long when = -1;
     for (auto &exp : *pexpire)
     {
diff --git a/src/rdb.cpp b/src/rdb.cpp
index 68435d347..2bee255d1 100644
--- a/src/rdb.cpp
+++ b/src/rdb.cpp
@@ -1150,11 +1150,14 @@ int saveKey(rio *rdb, const redisDbPersistentDataSnapshot *db, int flags, size_t
     robj key;
 
     initStaticStringObject(key,(char*)keystr);
-    std::unique_lock<fastlock> ul(g_expireLock);
-    const expireEntry *pexpire = db->getExpire(&key);
-    serverAssert((o->FExpires() && pexpire != nullptr) || (!o->FExpires() && pexpire == nullptr));
-    if (pexpire == nullptr)
-        ul.unlock();    // no need to hold the lock if we're not saving the expire
+    std::unique_lock<fastlock> ul(g_expireLock, std::defer_lock);
+    const expireEntry *pexpire = nullptr;
+    if (o->FExpires())
+    {
+        ul.lock();
+        pexpire = db->getExpire(&key);
+        serverAssert((o->FExpires() && pexpire != nullptr) || (!o->FExpires() && pexpire == nullptr));
+    }
 
     if (rdbSaveKeyValuePair(rdb,&key,o,pexpire) == -1)
         return 0;