diff --git a/fs/config/configfile/configfile.go b/fs/config/configfile/configfile.go
index 572ac15e1..c0bef0389 100644
--- a/fs/config/configfile/configfile.go
+++ b/fs/config/configfile/configfile.go
@@ -24,16 +24,15 @@ func Install() {
 // Storage implements config.Storage for saving and loading config
 // data in a simple INI based file.
 type Storage struct {
-	gc *goconfig.ConfigFile // config file loaded - thread safe
 	mu sync.Mutex           // to protect the following variables
+	gc *goconfig.ConfigFile // config file loaded - not thread safe
 	fi os.FileInfo          // stat of the file when last loaded
 }
 
 // Check to see if we need to reload the config
-func (s *Storage) check() {
-	s.mu.Lock()
-	defer s.mu.Unlock()
-
+//
+// mu must be held when calling this
+func (s *Storage) _check() {
 	if configPath := config.GetConfigPath(); configPath != "" {
 		// Check to see if config file has changed since it was last loaded
 		fi, err := os.Stat(configPath)
@@ -174,7 +173,10 @@ func (s *Storage) Save() error {
 
 // Serialize the config into a string
 func (s *Storage) Serialize() (string, error) {
-	s.check()
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	s._check()
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
 	if err := goconfig.SaveConfigData(s.gc, &buf); err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to save config file: %w", err)
@@ -185,7 +187,10 @@ func (s *Storage) Serialize() (string, error) {
 
 // HasSection returns true if section exists in the config file
 func (s *Storage) HasSection(section string) bool {
-	s.check()
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	s._check()
 	_, err := s.gc.GetSection(section)
 	return err == nil
 }
@@ -193,26 +198,38 @@ func (s *Storage) HasSection(section string) bool {
 // DeleteSection removes the named section and all config from the
 // config file
 func (s *Storage) DeleteSection(section string) {
-	s.check()
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	s._check()
 	s.gc.DeleteSection(section)
 }
 
 // GetSectionList returns a slice of strings with names for all the
 // sections
 func (s *Storage) GetSectionList() []string {
-	s.check()
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	s._check()
 	return s.gc.GetSectionList()
 }
 
 // GetKeyList returns the keys in this section
 func (s *Storage) GetKeyList(section string) []string {
-	s.check()
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	s._check()
 	return s.gc.GetKeyList(section)
 }
 
 // GetValue returns the key in section with a found flag
 func (s *Storage) GetValue(section string, key string) (value string, found bool) {
-	s.check()
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	s._check()
 	value, err := s.gc.GetValue(section, key)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", false
@@ -222,7 +239,10 @@ func (s *Storage) GetValue(section string, key string) (value string, found bool
 
 // SetValue sets the value under key in section
 func (s *Storage) SetValue(section string, key string, value string) {
-	s.check()
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	s._check()
 	if strings.HasPrefix(section, ":") {
 		fs.Logf(nil, "Can't save config %q for on the fly backend %q", key, section)
 		return
@@ -232,7 +252,10 @@ func (s *Storage) SetValue(section string, key string, value string) {
 
 // DeleteKey removes the key under section
 func (s *Storage) DeleteKey(section string, key string) bool {
-	s.check()
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	s._check()
 	return s.gc.DeleteKey(section, key)
 }