;;
                dhcp)
                        # prevent udhcpc from starting more than once
+                       lock "/var/lock/dhcp-$iface"
                        pid="$(cat "$pidfile" 2>/dev/null)"
-                       [ -d "/proc/$pid" ] && grep udhcpc "/proc/${pid}/cmdline" >/dev/null 2>/dev/null && return 0
+                       [ -d "/proc/$pid" ] && grep udhcpc "/proc/${pid}/cmdline" >/dev/null 2>/dev/null && {
+                               lock -u "/var/lock/dhcp-$iface"
+                               return 0
+                       }
 
                        config_get ipaddr "$config" ipaddr
                        config_get netmask "$config" netmask
                        # don't stay running in background if dhcp is not the main proto on the interface (e.g. when using pptp)
                        [ "$proto1" != "$proto" ] && dhcpopts="-n -q"
                        $DEBUG udhcpc -i "$iface" ${ipaddr:+-r $ipaddr} ${hostname:+-H $hostname} -b -p "$pidfile" ${dhcpopts:- -R &}
+                       lock -u "/var/lock/dhcp-$iface"
                ;;
                *)
                        if ( eval "type setup_interface_$proto" ) >/dev/null 2>/dev/null; then
 
 config_get proto "$cfg" proto
 [ -z "$proto" ] && { echo "interface not found."; exit; }
 
+# make sure all locks are removed
+for lock in "/var/lock/dhcp-$iface" "/var/lock/ppp-$iface"; do
+       [ -f "$lock" ] && {
+               lock -u "$lock"
+               sleep 1
+       }
+done
+
 # kill active ppp daemon and other processes
 config_get ifname "$cfg" ifname
 pids="$(cat /var/run/${ifname}.pid /var/run/ppp-${cfg}.pid 2>/dev/null)"
 for pid in $pids; do 
        [ -d "/proc/$pid" ] && {
                kill $pid
-               sleep 1
-               [ -d "/proc/$pid" ] && kill -9 $pid
+               [ -d "/proc/$pid" ] && {
+                       sleep 1
+                       kill -9 $pid 2>/dev/null >/dev/null
+               }
        }
 done
 rm -f /var/run/${ifname}.pid /var/run/ppp-${cfg}.pid
 
 
 start_pppd() {
        local cfg="$1"; shift
-       
+
        # make sure only one pppd process is started
+       lock "/var/lock/ppp-${cfg}"
        local pid="$(cat /var/run/ppp-${cfg}.pid 2>/dev/null)"
-       [ -d "/proc/$pid" ] && grep pppd "/proc/$pid/cmdline" 2>/dev/null >/dev/null && return 0
+       [ -d "/proc/$pid" ] && grep pppd "/proc/$pid/cmdline" 2>/dev/null >/dev/null && {
+               lock -u "/var/lock/ppp-${cfg}"
+               return 0
+       }
 
        config_get device "$cfg" device
        config_get unit "$cfg" unit
                ${username:+user "$username" password "$password"} \
                linkname "$cfg" \
                ipparam "$cfg"
+
+       lock -u "/var/lock/ppp-${cfg}"
 }