diff --git a/cmd/admin-handlers.go b/cmd/admin-handlers.go
index 42474e723..fb9d42840 100644
--- a/cmd/admin-handlers.go
+++ b/cmd/admin-handlers.go
@@ -575,6 +575,16 @@ func (a adminAPIHandlers) GetConfigHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Reques
 		return
 	}
 
+	// Take a read lock on minio/config.json. NB minio is a
+	// reserved bucket name and wouldn't conflict with normal
+	// object operations.
+	configLock := globalNSMutex.NewNSLock(minioReservedBucket, minioConfigFile)
+	if configLock.GetRLock(globalObjectTimeout) != nil {
+		writeErrorResponseJSON(w, ErrOperationTimedOut, r.URL)
+		return
+	}
+	defer configLock.RUnlock()
+
 	// Get config.json - in distributed mode, the configuration
 	// occurring on a quorum of the servers is returned.
 	configBytes, err := getPeerConfig(globalAdminPeers)
@@ -784,6 +794,15 @@ func (a adminAPIHandlers) UpdateCredentialsHandler(w http.ResponseWriter,
 		return
 	}
 
+	// Take a lock on minio/config.json. Prevents concurrent
+	// config file/credentials updates.
+	configLock := globalNSMutex.NewNSLock(minioReservedBucket, minioConfigFile)
+	if configLock.GetLock(globalObjectTimeout) != nil {
+		writeErrorResponseJSON(w, ErrOperationTimedOut, r.URL)
+		return
+	}
+	defer configLock.Unlock()
+
 	// Notify all other Minio peers to update credentials
 	updateErrs := updateCredsOnPeers(creds)
 	for peer, err := range updateErrs {
diff --git a/cmd/admin-heal-ops.go b/cmd/admin-heal-ops.go
index 5d7dca68b..76ad2e1ce 100644
--- a/cmd/admin-heal-ops.go
+++ b/cmd/admin-heal-ops.go
@@ -528,6 +528,13 @@ func (h *healSequence) healDiskFormat() error {
 		return errServerNotInitialized
 	}
 
+	// Acquire lock on format.json
+	formatLock := globalNSMutex.NewNSLock(minioMetaBucket, formatConfigFile)
+	if err := formatLock.GetLock(globalHealingTimeout); err != nil {
+		return errFnHealFromAPIErr(err)
+	}
+	defer formatLock.Unlock()
+
 	// Create a new set of storage instances to heal format.json.
 	bootstrapDisks, err := initStorageDisks(globalEndpoints)
 	if err != nil {