diff --git a/e2pg/e2pg.go b/e2pg/e2pg.go
index 34fae833..b72e23fa 100644
--- a/e2pg/e2pg.go
+++ b/e2pg/e2pg.go
@@ -257,6 +257,21 @@ func (t *Task) initRows(n uint64, h []byte) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// lockid accepts a uint64 because, per eip155, a chain id can
+// be: floor(MAX_UINT64 / 2) - 36. Since pg_advisory_xact_lock
+// requires a 32 bit id, and since we are using a bit to indicate
+// wheather a task is backfill or not, we simply panic for large chain
+// ids. If this ever becomes a problem we can find another solution.
+func lockid(x uint64, backfill bool) uint32 {
+	if x > ((1 << 31) - 1) {
+		panic("lockid input too big")
+	}
+	if backfill {
+		return uint32((x << 1) | 1)
+	}
+	return uint32((x << 1) &^ 1)
+}
+
 var (
 	ErrNothingNew = errors.New("no new blocks")
 	ErrReorg      = errors.New("reorg")
@@ -286,7 +301,7 @@ func (task *Task) Converge(notx bool) error {
 		pg = wpg.NewTxLocker(pgTx)
 		//crc32(task) == 1384045349
 		const lockq = `select pg_advisory_xact_lock(1384045349, $1)`
-		_, err = pg.Exec(task.ctx, lockq, task.chainID)
+		_, err = pg.Exec(task.ctx, lockq, lockid(task.chainID, task.backfill))
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("task lock %d: %w", task.chainID, err)
 		}
diff --git a/e2pg/e2pg_test.go b/e2pg/e2pg_test.go
index a9842722..7a4ba85f 100644
--- a/e2pg/e2pg_test.go
+++ b/e2pg/e2pg_test.go
@@ -756,3 +756,20 @@ func TestValidateChain(t *testing.T) {
 		diff.Test(t, t.Errorf, tc.want, validateChain(tc.parent, tc.blks))
 	}
 }
+
+func TestLockID(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		chid     uint64
+		backfill bool
+		want     uint32
+	}{
+		{1, true, 0b00000000000000000000000000000011},
+		{1, false, 0b00000000000000000000000000000010},
+		{1024, true, 0b00000000000000000000100000000001},
+		{1024, false, 0b00000000000000000000100000000000},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		got := lockid(tc.chid, tc.backfill)
+		diff.Test(t, t.Errorf, tc.want, got)
+	}
+}