diff --git a/picard/config.py b/picard/config.py
index 9c77362e5..be1c31d10 100644
--- a/picard/config.py
+++ b/picard/config.py
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ import os
 import shutil
 import threading
 
+import fasteners
+
 from PyQt5 import QtCore
 
 from picard import (
@@ -129,6 +131,7 @@ class Config(QtCore.QSettings):
         """Common initializer method for :meth:`from_app` and
         :meth:`from_file`."""
 
+        self.setAtomicSyncRequired(False)
         self.application = ConfigSection(self, "application")
         self.setting = ConfigSection(self, "setting")
         self.persist = ConfigSection(self, "persist")
@@ -139,6 +142,18 @@ class Config(QtCore.QSettings):
         self._version = Version.from_string(self.application["version"])
         self._upgrade_hooks = dict()
 
+    def event(self, event):
+        if event.type() == QtCore.QEvent.UpdateRequest:
+            log.debug('Config file update requested on thread %r', threading.get_ident())
+            self.sync()
+            return True
+        else:
+            return super().event(event)
+
+    def sync(self):
+        with fasteners.InterProcessLock(self.fileName()):
+            super().sync()
+
     @classmethod
     def from_app(cls, parent):
         """Build a Config object using the default configuration file
diff --git a/requirements-macos-10.12.txt b/requirements-macos-10.12.txt
index 4dadc134b..30a04c0c8 100644
--- a/requirements-macos-10.12.txt
+++ b/requirements-macos-10.12.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 python-dateutil==2.8.1
 discid==1.2.0
+fasteners==0.16
 markdown==3.2.2
 mutagen==1.45.1
 pyobjc-core==6.2.2
diff --git a/requirements-macos-10.14.txt b/requirements-macos-10.14.txt
index c92cd4385..d5ff30c0e 100644
--- a/requirements-macos-10.14.txt
+++ b/requirements-macos-10.14.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 python-dateutil==2.8.1
 discid==1.2.0
+fasteners==0.16
 markdown==3.2.2
 mutagen==1.45.1
 pyobjc-core==6.2.2
diff --git a/requirements-win.txt b/requirements-win.txt
index b67811b21..0ff66fec5 100644
--- a/requirements-win.txt
+++ b/requirements-win.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 python-dateutil==2.8.1
 discid==1.2.0
+fasteners==0.16
 markdown==3.2.2
 mutagen==1.45.1
 PyQt5==5.15.2
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 86b7ecfed..1e4ce674a 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 python-dateutil>=2.7.3
 discid
+fasteners
 markdown
 mutagen>=1.37
 pyobjc-core<7.0; sys_platform == 'darwin'