diff --git a/kvdb/etcd/config.go b/kvdb/etcd/config.go
index 5869438c..4d6e9f85 100644
--- a/kvdb/etcd/config.go
+++ b/kvdb/etcd/config.go
@@ -25,4 +25,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	InsecureSkipVerify bool `long:"insecure_skip_verify" description:"Whether we intend to skip TLS verification"`
 
 	CollectStats bool `long:"collect_stats" description:"Whether to collect etcd commit stats."`
+
+	// SingleWriter should be set to true if we intend to only allow a
+	// single writer to the database at a time.
+	SingleWriter bool
 }
diff --git a/kvdb/etcd/db.go b/kvdb/etcd/db.go
index 0a2955ca..5da44bc8 100644
--- a/kvdb/etcd/db.go
+++ b/kvdb/etcd/db.go
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ type db struct {
 	cli                  *clientv3.Client
 	commitStatsCollector *commitStatsCollector
 	txQueue              *commitQueue
+	txMutex              sync.RWMutex
 }
 
 // Enforce db implements the walletdb.DB interface.
@@ -204,9 +205,14 @@ func (db *db) getSTMOptions() []STMOptionFunc {
 // expect retries of the f closure (depending on the database backend used), the
 // reset function will be called before each retry respectively.
 func (db *db) View(f func(tx walletdb.ReadTx) error, reset func()) error {
+	if db.cfg.SingleWriter {
+		db.txMutex.RLock()
+		defer db.txMutex.RUnlock()
+	}
+
 	apply := func(stm STM) error {
 		reset()
-		return f(newReadWriteTx(stm, etcdDefaultRootBucketId))
+		return f(newReadWriteTx(stm, etcdDefaultRootBucketId, nil))
 	}
 
 	return RunSTM(db.cli, apply, db.txQueue, db.getSTMOptions()...)
@@ -220,9 +226,14 @@ func (db *db) View(f func(tx walletdb.ReadTx) error, reset func()) error {
 // returned. As callers may expect retries of the f closure, the reset function
 // will be called before each retry respectively.
 func (db *db) Update(f func(tx walletdb.ReadWriteTx) error, reset func()) error {
+	if db.cfg.SingleWriter {
+		db.txMutex.Lock()
+		defer db.txMutex.Unlock()
+	}
+
 	apply := func(stm STM) error {
 		reset()
-		return f(newReadWriteTx(stm, etcdDefaultRootBucketId))
+		return f(newReadWriteTx(stm, etcdDefaultRootBucketId, nil))
 	}
 
 	return RunSTM(db.cli, apply, db.txQueue, db.getSTMOptions()...)
@@ -239,17 +250,29 @@ func (db *db) PrintStats() string {
 
 // BeginReadWriteTx opens a database read+write transaction.
 func (db *db) BeginReadWriteTx() (walletdb.ReadWriteTx, error) {
+	var locker sync.Locker
+	if db.cfg.SingleWriter {
+		db.txMutex.Lock()
+		locker = &db.txMutex
+	}
+
 	return newReadWriteTx(
 		NewSTM(db.cli, db.txQueue, db.getSTMOptions()...),
-		etcdDefaultRootBucketId,
+		etcdDefaultRootBucketId, locker,
 	), nil
 }
 
 // BeginReadTx opens a database read transaction.
 func (db *db) BeginReadTx() (walletdb.ReadTx, error) {
+	var locker sync.Locker
+	if db.cfg.SingleWriter {
+		db.txMutex.RLock()
+		locker = db.txMutex.RLocker()
+	}
+
 	return newReadWriteTx(
 		NewSTM(db.cli, db.txQueue, db.getSTMOptions()...),
-		etcdDefaultRootBucketId,
+		etcdDefaultRootBucketId, locker,
 	), nil
 }
 
diff --git a/kvdb/etcd/fixture.go b/kvdb/etcd/fixture.go
index 01781b7b..aee50d42 100644
--- a/kvdb/etcd/fixture.go
+++ b/kvdb/etcd/fixture.go
@@ -78,8 +78,13 @@ func NewEtcdTestFixture(t *testing.T) *EtcdTestFixture {
 	}
 }
 
-func (f *EtcdTestFixture) NewBackend() walletdb.DB {
-	db, err := newEtcdBackend(context.TODO(), f.BackendConfig())
+func (f *EtcdTestFixture) NewBackend(singleWriter bool) walletdb.DB {
+	cfg := f.BackendConfig()
+	if singleWriter {
+		cfg.SingleWriter = true
+	}
+
+	db, err := newEtcdBackend(context.TODO(), cfg)
 	require.NoError(f.t, err)
 
 	return db
diff --git a/kvdb/etcd/readwrite_tx.go b/kvdb/etcd/readwrite_tx.go
index 7605c6cd..12bc2779 100644
--- a/kvdb/etcd/readwrite_tx.go
+++ b/kvdb/etcd/readwrite_tx.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 package etcd
 
 import (
+	"sync"
+
 	"github.com/btcsuite/btcwallet/walletdb"
 )
 
@@ -17,13 +19,18 @@ type readWriteTx struct {
 
 	// active is true if the transaction hasn't been committed yet.
 	active bool
+
+	// lock is passed on for manual txns when the backend is instantiated
+	// such that we read/write lock transactions to ensure a single writer.
+	lock sync.Locker
 }
 
 // newReadWriteTx creates an rw transaction with the passed STM.
-func newReadWriteTx(stm STM, prefix string) *readWriteTx {
+func newReadWriteTx(stm STM, prefix string, lock sync.Locker) *readWriteTx {
 	return &readWriteTx{
 		stm:          stm,
 		active:       true,
+		lock:         lock,
 		rootBucketID: makeBucketID([]byte(prefix)),
 	}
 }
@@ -65,6 +72,10 @@ func (tx *readWriteTx) Rollback() error {
 		return walletdb.ErrTxClosed
 	}
 
+	if tx.lock != nil {
+		defer tx.lock.Unlock()
+	}
+
 	// Rollback the STM and set the tx to inactive.
 	tx.stm.Rollback()
 	tx.active = false
@@ -99,6 +110,10 @@ func (tx *readWriteTx) Commit() error {
 		return walletdb.ErrTxClosed
 	}
 
+	if tx.lock != nil {
+		defer tx.lock.Unlock()
+	}
+
 	// Try committing the transaction.
 	if err := tx.stm.Commit(); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/kvdb/etcd_test.go b/kvdb/etcd_test.go
index 6d96d284..7a0cdbdd 100644
--- a/kvdb/etcd_test.go
+++ b/kvdb/etcd_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 package kvdb
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/btcsuite/btcwallet/walletdb"
@@ -143,18 +144,23 @@ func TestEtcd(t *testing.T) {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			t.Parallel()
+		rwLock := []bool{false, true}
+		for _, doRwLock := range rwLock {
+			name := fmt.Sprintf("%v/RWLock=%v", test.name, doRwLock)
 
-			f := etcd.NewEtcdTestFixture(t)
-			defer f.Cleanup()
+			t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+				t.Parallel()
 
-			test.test(t, f.NewBackend())
+				f := etcd.NewEtcdTestFixture(t)
+				defer f.Cleanup()
 
-			if test.expectedDb != nil {
-				dump := f.Dump()
-				require.Equal(t, test.expectedDb, dump)
-			}
-		})
+				test.test(t, f.NewBackend(doRwLock))
+
+				if test.expectedDb != nil {
+					dump := f.Dump()
+					require.Equal(t, test.expectedDb, dump)
+				}
+			})
+		}
 	}
 }