diff --git a/myisam/mi_close.c b/myisam/mi_close.c
index dbaaebb1143..47308a5e9eb 100644
--- a/myisam/mi_close.c
+++ b/myisam/mi_close.c
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ int mi_close(register MI_INFO *info)
       error=my_errno;
     if (share->kfile >= 0)
     {
-      if (share->mode != O_RDONLY && mi_is_crashed(info))
+      /* We must always flush the state with the current open_count. */
+      if (share->mode != O_RDONLY)
 	mi_state_info_write(share->kfile, &share->state, 1);
       if (my_close(share->kfile,MYF(0)))
         error = my_errno;
diff --git a/myisam/mi_locking.c b/myisam/mi_locking.c
index f3bfa8deb90..8a140a8b6fb 100644
--- a/myisam/mi_locking.c
+++ b/myisam/mi_locking.c
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #endif
 
+static int mi_unlock_open_count(MI_INFO *info, my_bool write_info);
+
+
 	/* lock table by F_UNLCK, F_RDLCK or F_WRLCK */
 
 int mi_lock_database(MI_INFO *info, int lock_type)
@@ -35,7 +38,12 @@ int mi_lock_database(MI_INFO *info, int lock_type)
   MYISAM_SHARE *share=info->s;
   uint flag;
   DBUG_ENTER("mi_lock_database");
-  DBUG_PRINT("info",("lock_type: %d", lock_type));
+  DBUG_PRINT("enter",("mi_lock_database: lock_type %d, old lock %d"
+                      ", r_locks %u, w_locks %u", lock_type,
+                      info->lock_type, share->r_locks, share->w_locks));
+  DBUG_PRINT("enter",("mi_lock_database: gl._changed %d, open_count %u '%s'",
+                      share->global_changed, share->state.open_count,
+                      share->index_file_name));
 
   if (share->options & HA_OPTION_READ_ONLY_DATA ||
       info->lock_type == lock_type)
@@ -54,7 +62,6 @@ int mi_lock_database(MI_INFO *info, int lock_type)
   {
     switch (lock_type) {
     case F_UNLCK:
-      DBUG_PRINT("info", ("old lock: %d", info->lock_type));
       if (info->lock_type == F_RDLCK)
 	count= --share->r_locks;
       else
@@ -83,7 +90,8 @@ int mi_lock_database(MI_INFO *info, int lock_type)
 	  share->state.process= share->last_process=share->this_process;
 	  share->state.unique=   info->last_unique=  info->this_unique;
 	  share->state.update_count= info->last_loop= ++info->this_loop;
-	  if (mi_state_info_write(share->kfile, &share->state, 1))
+          if (mi_unlock_open_count(info, FALSE) ||
+              mi_state_info_write(share->kfile, &share->state, 1))
 	    error=my_errno;
 	  share->changed=0;
 	  if (myisam_flush)
@@ -98,6 +106,19 @@ int mi_lock_database(MI_INFO *info, int lock_type)
 	  if (error)
 	    mi_mark_crashed(info);
 	}
+        else
+        {
+          /*
+            There are chances that _mi_mark_file_changed() has been called,
+            while share->changed remained FALSE. Consequently, we need to
+            clear the open_count even when share->changed is FALSE. Note,
+            that mi_unlock_open_count() will only clear the open_count when
+            it is set and only write the status to file, if it changes it
+            and we are running --with-external-locking.
+          */
+          if (mi_unlock_open_count(info, ! my_disable_locking))
+            error= my_errno;
+        }
 	if (info->lock_type != F_EXTRA_LCK)
 	{
 	  if (share->r_locks)
@@ -122,10 +143,15 @@ int mi_lock_database(MI_INFO *info, int lock_type)
     case F_RDLCK:
       if (info->lock_type == F_WRLCK)
       {						/* Change RW to READONLY */
+        /*
+          mysqld does not turn write locks to read locks,
+          so we're never here in mysqld.
+        */
 	if (share->w_locks == 1)
 	{
 	  flag=1;
-	  if (my_lock(share->kfile,lock_type,0L,F_TO_EOF,
+          if (mi_unlock_open_count(info, ! my_disable_locking) ||
+              my_lock(share->kfile,lock_type,0L,F_TO_EOF,
 		      MYF(MY_SEEK_NOT_DONE)))
 	  {
 	    error=my_errno;
@@ -153,6 +179,14 @@ int mi_lock_database(MI_INFO *info, int lock_type)
 	  my_errno=error;
 	  break;
 	}
+        if (share->state.open_count)
+        {
+          DBUG_PRINT("error",("RD: Table has not been correctly unlocked"
+                              ": open_count %d '%s'",
+                              share->state.open_count,
+                              share->index_file_name));
+          mi_mark_crashed(info);
+        }
       }
       VOID(_mi_test_if_changed(info));
       share->r_locks++;
@@ -198,6 +232,14 @@ int mi_lock_database(MI_INFO *info, int lock_type)
 	      my_errno=error;
 	      break;
 	    }
+            if (share->state.open_count)
+            {
+              DBUG_PRINT("error",("WR: Table has not been correctly unlocked"
+                                  ": open_count %d '%s'",
+                                  share->state.open_count,
+                                  share->index_file_name));
+              mi_mark_crashed(info);
+            }
 	  }
 	}
       }
@@ -459,3 +501,36 @@ int _mi_decrement_open_count(MI_INFO *info)
   }
   return test(lock_error || write_error);
 }
+
+/*
+  Decrement open_count in preparation for unlock.
+
+  SYNOPSIS
+    mi_unlock_open_count()
+    info                        Pointer to the MI_INFO structure.
+    write_info                  If info must be written when changed.
+
+  RETURN
+    0     OK
+*/
+
+static int mi_unlock_open_count(MI_INFO *info, my_bool write_info)
+{
+  int rc= 0;
+  MYISAM_SHARE *share=info->s;
+
+  DBUG_ENTER("mi_unlock_open_count");
+  DBUG_PRINT("enter",("mi_unlock_open_count: gl._changed %d open_count %d '%s'",
+                      share->global_changed, share->state.open_count,
+                      share->index_file_name));
+  if (share->global_changed)
+  {
+    share->global_changed= 0;
+    if (share->state.open_count)
+      share->state.open_count--;
+    if (write_info)
+      rc= _mi_writeinfo(info, WRITEINFO_UPDATE_KEYFILE);
+  }
+  DBUG_RETURN(rc);
+}
+
diff --git a/sql/ha_myisam.cc b/sql/ha_myisam.cc
index d5bbf9b5a92..2b7b8f436b1 100644
--- a/sql/ha_myisam.cc
+++ b/sql/ha_myisam.cc
@@ -1000,9 +1000,27 @@ int ha_myisam::delete_table(const char *name)
 
 int ha_myisam::external_lock(THD *thd, int lock_type)
 {
-  return mi_lock_database(file, !table->tmp_table ?
-			  lock_type : ((lock_type == F_UNLCK) ?
-				       F_UNLCK : F_EXTRA_LCK));
+  int rc;
+
+  while ((! (rc= mi_lock_database(file, !table->tmp_table ?
+                                  lock_type : ((lock_type == F_UNLCK) ?
+                                               F_UNLCK : F_EXTRA_LCK)))) &&
+         mi_is_crashed(file) && (myisam_recover_options != HA_RECOVER_NONE))
+  {
+    /*
+      check_and_repair() implicitly write locks the table, unless a
+      LOCK TABLES is in effect. It should be safer to always write lock here.
+      The implicit lock by check_and_repair() will then be a no-op.
+      check_and_repair() does not restore the original lock, but unlocks the
+      table. So we have to get the requested lock type again. And then to 
+      check, if the table has been crashed again meanwhile by another server.
+      If anything fails, we break.
+    */
+    if (((lock_type != F_WRLCK) && (rc= mi_lock_database(file, F_WRLCK))) ||
+        (rc= check_and_repair(thd)))
+      break;
+  }
+  return rc;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/sql/sql_table.cc b/sql/sql_table.cc
index e2e186abb0d..0dd5c65bf79 100644
--- a/sql/sql_table.cc
+++ b/sql/sql_table.cc
@@ -2208,7 +2208,12 @@ copy_data_between_tables(TABLE *from,TABLE *to,
   if (!(copy= new Copy_field[to->fields]))
     DBUG_RETURN(-1);				/* purecov: inspected */
 
-  to->file->external_lock(thd,F_WRLCK);
+  if (to->file->external_lock(thd, F_WRLCK))
+  {
+    /* We must always unlock, even when lock failed. */
+    (void) to->file->external_lock(thd, F_UNLCK);
+    DBUG_RETURN(-1);
+  }
   to->file->extra(HA_EXTRA_WRITE_CACHE);
   from->file->info(HA_STATUS_VARIABLE);
   to->file->deactivate_non_unique_index(from->file->records);
@@ -2308,11 +2313,12 @@ copy_data_between_tables(TABLE *from,TABLE *to,
     error=1;
   if (ha_commit(thd))
     error=1;
-  if (to->file->external_lock(thd,F_UNLCK))
-    error=1;
  err:
   free_io_cache(from);
   *copied= found_count;
   *deleted=delete_count;
+  /* we must always unlock the table on return. */
+  if (to->file->external_lock(thd,F_UNLCK))
+    error=1;
   DBUG_RETURN(error > 0 ? -1 : 0);
 }