diff --git a/src/runtime/c/pgf/db.cxx b/src/runtime/c/pgf/db.cxx
index 068cccd4a..9c7f3ca7a 100644
--- a/src/runtime/c/pgf/db.cxx
+++ b/src/runtime/c/pgf/db.cxx
@@ -348,18 +348,6 @@ PgfDB::~PgfDB() {
     ::free((void*) filepath);
 }
 
-PGF_INTERNAL
-void PgfDB::sync()
-{
-    malloc_state *ms = current_db->ms;
-    size_t size =
-        ms->top + chunksize(ptr(ms,ms->top)) + sizeof(size_t);
-
-    int res = msync((void *) ms, size, MS_SYNC | MS_INVALIDATE);
-    if (res != 0)
-        throw pgf_systemerror(errno);
-}
-
 PGF_INTERNAL
 ref<PgfPGF> PgfDB::get_revision(PgfText *name)
 {
@@ -1021,14 +1009,16 @@ void PgfDB::unlink_transient_revision(ref<PgfPGF> pgf)
         current_db->ms->transient_revisions = pgf->next;
 }
 
-DB_scope::DB_scope(PgfDB *db, DB_scope_mode tp)
+DB_scope::DB_scope(PgfDB *db, DB_scope_mode m)
 {
     int res =
-        (tp == READER_SCOPE) ? pthread_rwlock_rdlock(&db->rwlock)
-                             : pthread_rwlock_wrlock(&db->rwlock);
+        (m == READER_SCOPE) ? pthread_rwlock_rdlock(&db->rwlock)
+                            : pthread_rwlock_wrlock(&db->rwlock);
     if (res != 0)
         throw pgf_systemerror(res);
 
+    mode          = m;
+
     save_db       = current_db;
     current_db    = db;
     current_base  = (unsigned char*) current_db->ms;
@@ -1039,17 +1029,29 @@ DB_scope::DB_scope(PgfDB *db, DB_scope_mode tp)
 
 DB_scope::~DB_scope()
 {
-    int res = pthread_rwlock_unlock(&current_db->rwlock);
-
 #pragma GCC diagnostic push
 #pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wterminate"
+    int res;
+
+    if (mode == WRITER_SCOPE) {
+        malloc_state *ms = current_db->ms;
+        size_t size =
+            ms->top + chunksize(ptr(ms,ms->top)) + sizeof(size_t);
+
+        res = msync((void *) ms, size, MS_SYNC | MS_INVALIDATE);
+        if (res != 0)
+            throw pgf_systemerror(errno);
+    }
+
+    res = pthread_rwlock_unlock(&current_db->rwlock);
     if (res != 0)
         throw pgf_systemerror(res);
-#pragma GCC diagnostic pop
 
     current_db    = save_db;
     current_base  = current_db ? (unsigned char*) current_db->ms
                                : NULL;
 
     last_db_scope = next_scope;
+
+#pragma GCC diagnostic pop
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/c/pgf/db.h b/src/runtime/c/pgf/db.h
index 0331ad4b3..50c0fcaa5 100644
--- a/src/runtime/c/pgf/db.h
+++ b/src/runtime/c/pgf/db.h
@@ -85,8 +85,6 @@ public:
     static PGF_INTERNAL_DECL void link_transient_revision(ref<PgfPGF> pgf);
     static PGF_INTERNAL_DECL void unlink_transient_revision(ref<PgfPGF> pgf);
 
-    PGF_INTERNAL_DECL static void sync();
-
 private:
     PGF_INTERNAL_DECL void init_state(size_t size);
 
@@ -100,10 +98,11 @@ enum DB_scope_mode {READER_SCOPE, WRITER_SCOPE};
 
 class PGF_INTERNAL_DECL DB_scope {
 public:
-    DB_scope(PgfDB *db, DB_scope_mode type);
+    DB_scope(PgfDB *db, DB_scope_mode m);
     ~DB_scope();
 
 private:
+    DB_scope_mode mode;
     PgfDB* save_db;
     DB_scope* next_scope;
 };
diff --git a/src/runtime/c/pgf/pgf.cxx b/src/runtime/c/pgf/pgf.cxx
index 8676a73fc..30908c369 100644
--- a/src/runtime/c/pgf/pgf.cxx
+++ b/src/runtime/c/pgf/pgf.cxx
@@ -87,8 +87,6 @@ PgfDB *pgf_boot_ngf(const char* pgf_path, const char* ngf_path,
 
             PgfDB::set_revision(pgf);
             *revision = pgf.as_object();
-
-            PgfDB::sync();
         }
 
         return db;