diff --git a/src/lib/locks.ts b/src/lib/locks.ts
index e29ec27bb..7d4bd062a 100644
--- a/src/lib/locks.ts
+++ b/src/lib/locks.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ export abstract class LockAcquireTimeoutError extends Error {
 }
 
 export class NavigatorLockAcquireTimeoutError extends LockAcquireTimeoutError {}
+export class ProcessLockAcquireTimeoutError extends LockAcquireTimeoutError {}
 
 /**
  * Implements a global exclusive lock using the Navigator LockManager API. It
@@ -141,3 +142,75 @@ export async function navigatorLock<R>(
     }
   )
 }
+
+const PROCESS_LOCKS: { [name: string]: Promise<any> } = {}
+
+/**
+ * Implements a global exclusive lock that works only in the current process.
+ * Useful for environments like React Native or other non-browser
+ * single-process (i.e. no concept of "tabs") environments.
+ *
+ * Use {@link #navigatorLock} in browser environments.
+ *
+ * @param name Name of the lock to be acquired.
+ * @param acquireTimeout If negative, no timeout. If 0 an error is thrown if
+ *                       the lock can't be acquired without waiting. If positive, the lock acquire
+ *                       will time out after so many milliseconds. An error is
+ *                       a timeout if it has `isAcquireTimeout` set to true.
+ * @param fn The operation to run once the lock is acquired.
+ */
+export async function processLock<R>(
+  name: string,
+  acquireTimeout: number,
+  fn: () => Promise<R>
+): Promise<R> {
+  const previousOperation = PROCESS_LOCKS[name] ?? Promise.resolve()
+
+  const currentOperation = Promise.race(
+    [
+      previousOperation.catch((e: any) => {
+        // ignore error of previous operation that we're waiting to finish
+        return null
+      }),
+      acquireTimeout >= 0
+        ? new Promise((_, reject) => {
+            setTimeout(() => {
+              reject(
+                new ProcessLockAcquireTimeoutError(
+                  `Acquring process lock with name "${name}" timed out`
+                )
+              )
+            }, acquireTimeout)
+          })
+        : null,
+    ].filter((x) => x)
+  )
+    .catch((e: any) => {
+      if (e && e.isAcquireTimeout) {
+        throw e
+      }
+
+      return null
+    })
+    .then(async () => {
+      // previous operations finished and we didn't get a race on the acquire
+      // timeout, so the current operation can finally start
+      return await fn()
+    })
+
+  PROCESS_LOCKS[name] = currentOperation.catch(async (e: any) => {
+    if (e && e.isAcquireTimeout) {
+      // if the current operation timed out, it doesn't mean that the previous
+      // operation finished, so we need contnue waiting for it to finish
+      await previousOperation
+
+      return null
+    }
+
+    throw e
+  })
+
+  // finally wait for the current operation to finish successfully, with an
+  // error or with an acquire timeout error
+  return await currentOperation
+}
diff --git a/test/lib/locks.test.ts b/test/lib/locks.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..82ab58919
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lib/locks.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import { processLock } from '../../src/lib/locks'
+
+describe('processLock', () => {
+  it('should serialize access correctly', async () => {
+    const timestamps: number[] = []
+    const operations: Promise<any>[] = []
+
+    let expectedDuration = 0
+
+    for (let i = 0; i <= 1000; i += 1) {
+      const acquireTimeout = Math.random() < 0.3 ? Math.ceil(10 + Math.random() * 100) : -1
+
+      operations.push(
+        (async () => {
+          try {
+            await processLock('name', acquireTimeout, async () => {
+              const start = Date.now()
+
+              timestamps.push(start)
+
+              let diff = Date.now() - start
+
+              while (diff < 10) {
+                // setTimeout is not very precise, sometimes it actually times out a bit earlier
+                // so this cycle ensures that it has actually taken >= 10ms
+                await new Promise((accept) => {
+                  setTimeout(() => accept(null), Math.max(1, 10 - diff))
+                })
+
+                diff = Date.now() - start
+              }
+
+              expectedDuration += Date.now() - start
+            })
+          } catch (e: any) {
+            if (acquireTimeout > -1 && e && e.isAcquireTimeout) {
+              return null
+            }
+
+            throw e
+          }
+        })()
+      )
+    }
+
+    const start = Date.now()
+
+    await Promise.all(operations)
+
+    const end = Date.now()
+
+    expect(end - start).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(expectedDuration)
+    expect(Math.ceil((end - start) / timestamps.length)).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(10)
+
+    for (let i = 1; i < timestamps.length; i += 1) {
+      expect(timestamps[i]).toBeGreaterThan(timestamps[i - 1])
+    }
+
+    for (let i = 1; i < timestamps.length; i += 1) {
+      expect(timestamps[i] - timestamps[i - 1]).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(10)
+    }
+  }, 15_000)
+})