GM_lock — a tiny cross-tab async lock for userscripts
A lightweight, dependency-free mutex for Userscripts that ensures only one tab / context runs a critical section at a time. It coordinates through GM.setValue + GM_addValueChangeListener, so it works across multiple tabs, iframes, and even separate scripts that share the same @name/@namespace storage.
Why?
Userscripts often run in several places at once (multiple tabs, iframes, reruns). If you have code that must not run concurrently (e.g., rate-limited API calls, queue processing, cache writes), GM_lock(tag, fn) makes that section execute exclusively.
Install
Just copy the function into your script (or @require it, if you publish as a library).
Requires a manager that supports:
GM.setValue, GM.listValues, GM.deleteValue
GM_addValueChangeListener, GM_removeValueChangeListener
Tested with Tampermonkey, Violentmonkey and ScriptCat. (Greasemonkey 4+ may require adapting API names.)
API
// JavaScript
var GM_lock: <T>(tag: string, func: () => Promise<T> | T) => Promise<T>;
- tag: A string identifying the lock scope. Same tag ⇒ same lock.
- func: Your critical section (sync or async).
- returns: Resolves/rejects with
func’s result/error.
Usage
Basic
// Only one instance across all tabs will enter this block at a time
await GM_lock('sync-cache', async () => {
const data = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data').then(r => r.json());
await GM.setValue('cache:data', data);
});
How it works
Each contender writes a key: GM_lock::<tag>::<lockId>.
lockId = TS_i_R, where:
- TS: a 16-digit positive integer representing
Date.now() offset (prefixed large timestamp),
- i: a process-local counter (
GM_lock.i rolls under 2^30),
- R: a 4-digit random.
Everyone listens on GM_lock_changed::<tag> via GM_addValueChangeListener.
The lexicographically smallest GM_lock::<tag>::… key wins the election and runs func.
Notifications:
_set_ — contender (re)announces presence
_run_ — winner starts critical section
_del_ — winner deletes its lock key when done
Small delays (~50 ms) reduce race windows during elections.
Recovery / cleanup: A two-step timer helps progress if events are missed or records are stale:
- ~300 ms after entry, the contender re-sets its key and emits
_set_.
- After a further ~300 ms (~600 ms total), it removes older/invalid
GM_lock::<tag>::… keys that weren’t recently seen, then re-emits _set_.
- This handles crashed tabs and stale keys without busy-waiting.
This design is event-driven, cross-context, and minimizes polling.
Notes & Tips
- Use short, stable tags. Different features ⇒ different tags.
- Your
func may throw/reject; that error bubbles out of GM_lock.
- Don’t block the event loop inside
func for long periods; prefer awaiting async work.
- If a tab dies mid-lock, the ~600 ms recovery pass helps other contenders move forward.
- Fairness is best-effort (driven by key sort order) and not strictly FIFO under heavy contention.
License
This project uses the Unlicense.
This is free and unencumbered software released into the public domain.
Anyone is free to copy, modify, publish, use, compile, sell, or
distribute this software, either in source code form or as a compiled
binary, for any purpose, commercial or non-commercial, and by any
means.
In jurisdictions that recognize copyright laws, the author or authors
of this software dedicate any and all copyright interest in the
software to the public domain. We make this dedication for the benefit
of the public at large and to the detriment of our heirs and
successors. We intend this dedication to be an overt act of
relinquishment in perpetuity of all present and future rights to this
software under copyright law.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR
OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE,
ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR
OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
For more information, please refer to <https://unlicense.org>