diff --git a/update_all_submodules b/update_all_submodules
index 41f6679..d0bf837 100755
--- a/update_all_submodules
+++ b/update_all_submodules
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+if [[ -e /var/lock/update-tde-git-submodules ]]; then
+        echo "TDE GIT submodules are currently being updated"
+        echo "If this is not the case, please remove the lockfile /var/lock/update-tde-git-submodules"
+        exit 0
+fi
+
+touch /var/lock/update-tde-git-submodules
+
 PARENTDIR=$PWD
 echo "Working in $PARENTDIR"
 if [[ ! -d .git ]]; then
@@ -40,3 +48,8 @@ do
 	fi
 done
 exec 3>&-
+
+# Let the disk subsystem recover
+sleep 60
+
+rm /var/lock/update-tde-git-submodules