--- shadow-4.15.0/src/passwd.c.orig	2026-02-23 14:51:37.436277148 +0100
+++ shadow-4.15.0/src/passwd.c	2026-02-23 14:53:17.130933320 +0100
@@ -626,6 +626,20 @@
 	struct spwd *nsp;
 	int ret;
 
+	if (pw_lock () == 0) {
+		(void) fprintf (stderr,
+		                _("%s: cannot lock %s; try again later.\n"),
+		                Prog, pw_dbname ());
+		exit (E_PWDBUSY);
+	}
+	pw_locked = true;
+	if (pw_open (O_CREAT | O_RDWR) == 0) {
+		(void) fprintf (stderr,
+		                _("%s: cannot open %s\n"),
+		                Prog, pw_dbname ());
+		SYSLOG ((LOG_WARN, "cannot open %s", pw_dbname ()));
+		fail_exit (E_MISSING);
+	}
 	pw = pw_locate(name);
 	if (NULL == pw) {
 		fprintf(stderr,
@@ -760,6 +774,22 @@
 		/* continue */
 	}
 	spw_locked = false;
+
+	if (pw_close () == 0) {
+		(void) fprintf (stderr,
+		                _("%s: failure while writing changes to %s\n"),
+		                Prog, pw_dbname ());
+		SYSLOG ((LOG_ERR, "failure while writing changes to %s", pw_dbname ()));
+		fail_exit (E_FAILURE);
+	}
+	if (pw_unlock () == 0) {
+		(void) fprintf (stderr,
+		                _("%s: failed to unlock %s\n"),
+		                Prog, pw_dbname ());
+		SYSLOG ((LOG_ERR, "failed to unlock %s", pw_dbname ()));
+		/* continue */
+	}
+	pw_locked = false;
 }
 
 /*