diff --git a/lib/lockfile.js b/lib/lockfile.js
index 2078e82..ff6d183 100644
--- a/lib/lockfile.js
+++ b/lib/lockfile.js
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ function updateLock(file, options) {
             options.fs.utimes(getLockFile(file, options), mtime, mtime, (err) => {
                 const isOverThreshold = lock.lastUpdate + options.stale < Date.now();
 
-                // Ignore if the lock was released
+                // Ignore if the lock was compromised or released
                 if (lock.released) {
                     return;
                 }
@@ -162,13 +162,14 @@ function updateLock(file, options) {
     // may be using this module outside of NodeJS (e.g., in an electron app),
     // and in those cases `setTimeout` return an integer.
     /* istanbul ignore else */
-    if (lock.updateTimeout.unref) {
+    if (lock.updateTimeout && lock.updateTimeout.unref) {
         lock.updateTimeout.unref();
     }
 }
 
 function setLockAsCompromised(file, lock, err) {
-    // Signal the lock has been released
+    // Signal the lock has been compromised
+    lock.compromised = true;
     lock.released = true;
 
     // Cancel lock mtime update
@@ -237,8 +238,13 @@ function lock(file, options, callback) {
 
                 callback(null, (releasedCallback) => {
                     if (lock.released) {
-                        return releasedCallback &&
-                            releasedCallback(Object.assign(new Error('Lock is already released'), { code: 'ERELEASED' }));
+                        let error;
+
+                        if (!lock.compromised) {
+                            error = Object.assign(new Error('Lock is already released'), { code: 'ERELEASED' });
+                        }
+
+                        return releasedCallback && releasedCallback(error);
                     }
 
                     // Not necessary to use realpath twice when unlocking
diff --git a/test/release.test.js b/test/release.test.js
index 3150b31..b769a92 100644
--- a/test/release.test.js
+++ b/test/release.test.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const mkdirp = require('mkdirp');
 const rimraf = require('rimraf');
 const lockfile = require('../');
 const unlockAll = require('./util/unlockAll');
+const { waitUntil } = require('./util/wait');
 
 const tmpDir = `${__dirname}/tmp`;
 
@@ -52,3 +53,32 @@ it('should fail when releasing twice', async () => {
         expect(err.code).toBe('ERELEASED');
     }
 });
+
+it('shouldnt error on releasing compromised lock', async () => {
+    const lockPath = `${tmpDir}/foo`;
+    const lockDir = `${lockPath}.lock`;
+    const stale = 10;
+    const onCompromised = jest.fn();
+
+    jest.useFakeTimers();
+    fs.writeFileSync(lockPath, '');
+
+    const release = await lockfile.lock(lockPath, { stale, onCompromised });
+    const mtime = (new Date().getTime() / 1000) - stale;
+
+    fs.utimesSync(lockDir, mtime, mtime);
+
+    // Advance timers to trigger the updateTimeout so the lock gets compromised
+    jest.advanceTimersByTime(stale * 2 * 1000);
+
+    // switch back to use realTimers to wait max 5 seconds as there is no
+    // other way to wait for all callbacks from the internal timeout to return
+    jest.useRealTimers();
+    await waitUntil(() => onCompromised.mock.calls.length, 5, 50);
+
+    expect(onCompromised).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    await expect(release()).resolves.not.toThrow();
+    expect(fs.existsSync(lockDir)).toBe(true);
+});
+
diff --git a/test/util/wait.js b/test/util/wait.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9232749
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/util/wait.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+'use strict';
+
+function waitFor(ms) {
+    return new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms || 0));
+}
+
+async function waitUntil(condition, duration = 20, interval = 250) {
+    let iterator = -1;
+    const steps = Math.ceil(duration * 1000 / interval);
+
+    let ready;
+
+    do {
+        ready = condition();
+        await waitFor(interval); // eslint-disable-line no-await-in-loop
+        iterator += 1;
+    } while (!ready && iterator < steps);
+
+    return ready;
+}
+
+module.exports.waitFor = waitFor;
+module.exports.waitUntil = waitUntil;