diff --git a/lib/mgmt_fe_client.c b/lib/mgmt_fe_client.c
index da19db463f..7e42e1c09e 100644
--- a/lib/mgmt_fe_client.c
+++ b/lib/mgmt_fe_client.c
@@ -629,6 +629,11 @@ uint mgmt_fe_client_session_count(struct mgmt_fe_client *client)
 	return mgmt_sessions_count(&client->sessions);
 }
 
+bool mgmt_fe_client_current_msg_short_circuit(struct mgmt_fe_client *client)
+{
+	return client->client.conn.is_short_circuit;
+}
+
 /*
  * Create a new Session for a Frontend Client connection.
  */
diff --git a/lib/mgmt_fe_client.h b/lib/mgmt_fe_client.h
index 286141da44..349b7e4cf4 100644
--- a/lib/mgmt_fe_client.h
+++ b/lib/mgmt_fe_client.h
@@ -373,6 +373,12 @@ extern void mgmt_fe_client_destroy(struct mgmt_fe_client *client);
  */
 extern uint mgmt_fe_client_session_count(struct mgmt_fe_client *client);
 
+/*
+ * True if the current handled message is being short-circuited
+ */
+extern bool
+mgmt_fe_client_current_msg_short_circuit(struct mgmt_fe_client *client);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/vty.c b/lib/vty.c
index c9de00a271..23aa2d1f38 100644
--- a/lib/vty.c
+++ b/lib/vty.c
@@ -3524,6 +3524,7 @@ static void vty_mgmt_ds_lock_notified(struct mgmt_fe_client *client,
 				      char *errmsg_if_any)
 {
 	struct vty *vty;
+	bool is_short_circuit = mgmt_fe_client_current_msg_short_circuit(client);
 
 	vty = (struct vty *)session_ctx;
 
@@ -3540,8 +3541,10 @@ static void vty_mgmt_ds_lock_notified(struct mgmt_fe_client *client,
 			vty->mgmt_locked_running_ds = lock_ds;
 	}
 
-	if (vty->mgmt_req_pending_cmd)
+	if (!is_short_circuit && vty->mgmt_req_pending_cmd) {
+		assert(!strcmp(vty->mgmt_req_pending_cmd, "MESSAGE_LOCKDS_REQ"));
 		vty_mgmt_resume_response(vty, success);
+	}
 }
 
 static void vty_mgmt_set_config_result_notified(
@@ -3734,6 +3737,7 @@ int vty_mgmt_send_config_data(struct vty *vty, bool implicit_commit)
 		} else if (vty_mgmt_lock_running_inline(vty)) {
 			vty_out(vty,
 				"%% command failed, could not lock running DS\n");
+			vty_mgmt_unlock_candidate_inline(vty);
 			return -1;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/mgmtd/mgmt_fe_adapter.c b/mgmtd/mgmt_fe_adapter.c
index c12d8646b1..98b0e8bfcd 100644
--- a/mgmtd/mgmt_fe_adapter.c
+++ b/mgmtd/mgmt_fe_adapter.c
@@ -593,9 +593,8 @@ mgmt_fe_session_handle_lockds_req_msg(struct mgmt_fe_session_ctx *session,
 	}
 
 	if (lockds_req->lock) {
-		if (mgmt_fe_session_write_lock_ds(lockds_req->ds_id,
-						      ds_ctx, session)
-		    != 0) {
+		if (mgmt_fe_session_write_lock_ds(lockds_req->ds_id, ds_ctx,
+						  session)) {
 			fe_adapter_send_lockds_reply(
 				session, lockds_req->ds_id, lockds_req->req_id,
 				lockds_req->lock, false,
diff --git a/vtysh/vtysh.c b/vtysh/vtysh.c
index ee52a98adb..6744bfe728 100644
--- a/vtysh/vtysh.c
+++ b/vtysh/vtysh.c
@@ -2356,6 +2356,7 @@ static int vtysh_exit(struct vty *vty)
 	if (vty->node == CONFIG_NODE) {
 		/* resync in case one of the daemons is somewhere else */
 		vtysh_execute("end");
+		/* NOTE: a rather expensive thing to do, can we avoid it? */
 		vtysh_execute("configure terminal file-lock");
 	}
 	return CMD_SUCCESS;