diff --git a/tsdb/db.go b/tsdb/db.go
index 2d35e3fb00..9ab150c5b4 100644
--- a/tsdb/db.go
+++ b/tsdb/db.go
@@ -992,9 +992,14 @@ func open(dir string, l *slog.Logger, r prometheus.Registerer, opts *Options, rn
 	db.metrics.maxBytes.Set(float64(maxBytes))
 	db.metrics.retentionDuration.Set((time.Duration(opts.RetentionDuration) * time.Millisecond).Seconds())
 
+	// Calling db.reload() calls db.reloadBlocks() which requires cmtx to be locked.
+	db.cmtx.Lock()
 	if err := db.reload(); err != nil {
+		db.cmtx.Unlock()
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	db.cmtx.Unlock()
+
 	// Set the min valid time for the ingested samples
 	// to be no lower than the maxt of the last block.
 	minValidTime := int64(math.MinInt64)
@@ -1363,6 +1368,7 @@ func (db *DB) CompactOOOHead(ctx context.Context) error {
 // Callback for testing.
 var compactOOOHeadTestingCallback func()
 
+// The db.cmtx mutex should be held before calling this method.
 func (db *DB) compactOOOHead(ctx context.Context) error {
 	if !db.oooWasEnabled.Load() {
 		return nil
@@ -1417,6 +1423,7 @@ func (db *DB) compactOOOHead(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 // compactOOO creates a new block per possible block range in the compactor's directory from the OOO Head given.
 // Each ULID in the result corresponds to a block in a unique time range.
+// The db.cmtx mutex should be held before calling this method.
 func (db *DB) compactOOO(dest string, oooHead *OOOCompactionHead) (_ []ulid.ULID, err error) {
 	start := time.Now()
 
@@ -1461,7 +1468,7 @@ func (db *DB) compactOOO(dest string, oooHead *OOOCompactionHead) (_ []ulid.ULID
 }
 
 // compactHead compacts the given RangeHead.
-// The compaction mutex should be held before calling this method.
+// The db.cmtx should be held before calling this method.
 func (db *DB) compactHead(head *RangeHead) error {
 	uids, err := db.compactor.Write(db.dir, head, head.MinTime(), head.BlockMaxTime(), nil)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1487,7 +1494,7 @@ func (db *DB) compactHead(head *RangeHead) error {
 }
 
 // compactBlocks compacts all the eligible on-disk blocks.
-// The compaction mutex should be held before calling this method.
+// The db.cmtx should be held before calling this method.
 func (db *DB) compactBlocks() (err error) {
 	// Check for compactions of multiple blocks.
 	for {
@@ -1544,6 +1551,7 @@ func getBlock(allBlocks []*Block, id ulid.ULID) (*Block, bool) {
 }
 
 // reload reloads blocks and truncates the head and its WAL.
+// The db.cmtx mutex should be held before calling this method.
 func (db *DB) reload() error {
 	if err := db.reloadBlocks(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("reloadBlocks: %w", err)
@@ -1560,6 +1568,7 @@ func (db *DB) reload() error {
 
 // reloadBlocks reloads blocks without touching head.
 // Blocks that are obsolete due to replacement or retention will be deleted.
+// The db.cmtx mutex should be held before calling this method.
 func (db *DB) reloadBlocks() (err error) {
 	defer func() {
 		if err != nil {
@@ -1568,13 +1577,9 @@ func (db *DB) reloadBlocks() (err error) {
 		db.metrics.reloads.Inc()
 	}()
 
-	// Now that we reload TSDB every minute, there is a high chance for a race condition with a reload
-	// triggered by CleanTombstones(). We need to lock the reload to avoid the situation where
-	// a normal reload and CleanTombstones try to delete the same block.
-	db.mtx.Lock()
-	defer db.mtx.Unlock()
-
+	db.mtx.RLock()
 	loadable, corrupted, err := openBlocks(db.logger, db.dir, db.blocks, db.chunkPool, db.opts.PostingsDecoderFactory)
+	db.mtx.RUnlock()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -1600,11 +1605,13 @@ func (db *DB) reloadBlocks() (err error) {
 	if len(corrupted) > 0 {
 		// Corrupted but no child loaded for it.
 		// Close all new blocks to release the lock for windows.
+		db.mtx.RLock()
 		for _, block := range loadable {
 			if _, open := getBlock(db.blocks, block.Meta().ULID); !open {
 				block.Close()
 			}
 		}
+		db.mtx.RUnlock()
 		errs := tsdb_errors.NewMulti()
 		for ulid, err := range corrupted {
 			if err != nil {
@@ -1643,8 +1650,10 @@ func (db *DB) reloadBlocks() (err error) {
 	})
 
 	// Swap new blocks first for subsequently created readers to be seen.
+	db.mtx.Lock()
 	oldBlocks := db.blocks
 	db.blocks = toLoad
+	db.mtx.Unlock()
 
 	// Only check overlapping blocks when overlapping compaction is enabled.
 	if db.opts.EnableOverlappingCompaction {
diff --git a/tsdb/db_test.go b/tsdb/db_test.go
index 7dc60a7304..826be61a42 100644
--- a/tsdb/db_test.go
+++ b/tsdb/db_test.go
@@ -1352,61 +1352,6 @@ func TestTombstoneCleanFail(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Len(t, intersection(oldBlockDirs, actualBlockDirs), len(actualBlockDirs)-1)
 }
 
-// TestTombstoneCleanRetentionLimitsRace tests that a CleanTombstones operation
-// and retention limit policies, when triggered at the same time,
-// won't race against each other.
-func TestTombstoneCleanRetentionLimitsRace(t *testing.T) {
-	if testing.Short() {
-		t.Skip("skipping test in short mode.")
-	}
-
-	opts := DefaultOptions()
-	var wg sync.WaitGroup
-
-	// We want to make sure that a race doesn't happen when a normal reload and a CleanTombstones()
-	// reload try to delete the same block. Without the correct lock placement, it can happen if a
-	// block is marked for deletion due to retention limits and also has tombstones to be cleaned at
-	// the same time.
-	//
-	// That is something tricky to trigger, so let's try several times just to make sure.
-	for i := 0; i < 20; i++ {
-		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("iteration%d", i), func(t *testing.T) {
-			db := openTestDB(t, opts, nil)
-			totalBlocks := 20
-			dbDir := db.Dir()
-			// Generate some blocks with old mint (near epoch).
-			for j := 0; j < totalBlocks; j++ {
-				blockDir := createBlock(t, dbDir, genSeries(10, 1, int64(j), int64(j)+1))
-				block, err := OpenBlock(nil, blockDir, nil, nil)
-				require.NoError(t, err)
-				// Cover block with tombstones so it can be deleted with CleanTombstones() as well.
-				tomb := tombstones.NewMemTombstones()
-				tomb.AddInterval(0, tombstones.Interval{Mint: int64(j), Maxt: int64(j) + 1})
-				block.tombstones = tomb
-
-				db.blocks = append(db.blocks, block)
-			}
-
-			wg.Add(2)
-			// Run reload and CleanTombstones together, with a small time window randomization
-			go func() {
-				defer wg.Done()
-				time.Sleep(time.Duration(rand.Float64() * 100 * float64(time.Millisecond)))
-				require.NoError(t, db.reloadBlocks())
-			}()
-			go func() {
-				defer wg.Done()
-				time.Sleep(time.Duration(rand.Float64() * 100 * float64(time.Millisecond)))
-				require.NoError(t, db.CleanTombstones())
-			}()
-
-			wg.Wait()
-
-			require.NoError(t, db.Close())
-		})
-	}
-}
-
 func intersection(oldBlocks, actualBlocks []string) (intersection []string) {
 	hash := make(map[string]bool)
 	for _, e := range oldBlocks {