diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-transactions/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/transaction/management/resource/PersistentLocalResourceRepository.java b/asterixdb/asterix-transactions/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/transaction/management/resource/PersistentLocalResourceRepository.java
index 27e753f..bb3cde5 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-transactions/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/transaction/management/resource/PersistentLocalResourceRepository.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-transactions/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/transaction/management/resource/PersistentLocalResourceRepository.java
@@ -153,33 +153,38 @@
 
     @SuppressWarnings("squid:S1181")
     @Override
-    public synchronized void insert(LocalResource resource) throws HyracksDataException {
-        String relativePath = getFileName(resource.getPath());
-        FileReference resourceFile = ioManager.resolve(relativePath);
-        if (resourceFile.getFile().exists()) {
-            throw new HyracksDataException("Duplicate resource: " + resourceFile.getAbsolutePath());
-        }
+    public void insert(LocalResource resource) throws HyracksDataException {
+        FileReference resourceFile;
+        synchronized (this) {
+            String relativePath = getFileName(resource.getPath());
+            resourceFile = ioManager.resolve(relativePath);
+            if (resourceFile.getFile().exists()) {
+                throw new HyracksDataException("Duplicate resource: " + resourceFile.getAbsolutePath());
+            }
 
-        final File parent = resourceFile.getFile().getParentFile();
-        if (!parent.exists() && !parent.mkdirs()) {
-            throw HyracksDataException.create(CANNOT_CREATE_FILE, parent.getAbsolutePath());
+            final File parent = resourceFile.getFile().getParentFile();
+            if (!parent.exists() && !parent.mkdirs()) {
+                throw HyracksDataException.create(CANNOT_CREATE_FILE, parent.getAbsolutePath());
+            }
+            // The next block should be all or nothing
+            try {
+                createResourceFileMask(resourceFile);
+                byte[] bytes = OBJECT_MAPPER.writeValueAsBytes(resource.toJson(persistedResourceRegistry));
+                FileUtil.writeAndForce(Paths.get(resourceFile.getAbsolutePath()), bytes);
+                indexCheckpointManagerProvider.get(DatasetResourceReference.of(resource)).init(
+                        UNINITIALIZED_COMPONENT_SEQ, 0, LSMComponentId.EMPTY_INDEX_LAST_COMPONENT_ID.getMaxId(), null);
+                deleteResourceFileMask(resourceFile);
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                cleanup(resourceFile);
+                throw HyracksDataException.create(e);
+            } catch (Throwable th) {
+                LOGGER.error("Error creating resource {}", resourceFile, th);
+                ExitUtil.halt(ExitUtil.EC_ERROR_CREATING_RESOURCES);
+            }
+            resourceCache.put(resource.getPath(), resource);
         }
-        // The next block should be all or nothing
-        try {
-            createResourceFileMask(resourceFile);
-            byte[] bytes = OBJECT_MAPPER.writeValueAsBytes(resource.toJson(persistedResourceRegistry));
-            FileUtil.writeAndForce(Paths.get(resourceFile.getAbsolutePath()), bytes);
-            indexCheckpointManagerProvider.get(DatasetResourceReference.of(resource)).init(UNINITIALIZED_COMPONENT_SEQ,
-                    0, LSMComponentId.EMPTY_INDEX_LAST_COMPONENT_ID.getMaxId(), null);
-            deleteResourceFileMask(resourceFile);
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            cleanup(resourceFile);
-            throw HyracksDataException.create(e);
-        } catch (Throwable th) {
-            LOGGER.error("Error creating resource {}", resourceFile, th);
-            ExitUtil.halt(ExitUtil.EC_ERROR_CREATING_RESOURCES);
-        }
-        resourceCache.put(resource.getPath(), resource);
+        // do not do the replication operation on the synchronized to avoid blocking other threads
+        // on network operations
         //if replication enabled, send resource metadata info to remote nodes
         if (isReplicationEnabled) {
             try {
@@ -203,25 +208,30 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public synchronized void delete(String relativePath) throws HyracksDataException {
+    public void delete(String relativePath) throws HyracksDataException {
         FileReference resourceFile = getLocalResourceFileByName(ioManager, relativePath);
-        try {
-            if (resourceFile.getFile().exists()) {
-                try {
-                    createReplicationJob(ReplicationOperation.DELETE, resourceFile);
-                } catch (Exception e) {
-                    LOGGER.error("failed to delete resource file {} from replicas", resourceFile);
-                }
-                final LocalResource localResource = readLocalResource(resourceFile.getFile());
-                IoUtil.delete(resourceFile);
-                // delete all checkpoints
-                indexCheckpointManagerProvider.get(DatasetResourceReference.of(localResource)).delete();
-            } else {
-                throw HyracksDataException.create(org.apache.hyracks.api.exceptions.ErrorCode.RESOURCE_DOES_NOT_EXIST,
-                        relativePath);
+        boolean resourceExists = resourceFile.getFile().exists();
+        if (resourceExists) {
+            try {
+                createReplicationJob(ReplicationOperation.DELETE, resourceFile);
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                LOGGER.error("failed to delete resource file {} from replicas", resourceFile);
             }
-        } finally {
-            invalidateResource(relativePath);
+        }
+        synchronized (this) {
+            try {
+                if (resourceExists) {
+                    final LocalResource localResource = readLocalResource(resourceFile.getFile());
+                    IoUtil.delete(resourceFile);
+                    // delete all checkpoints
+                    indexCheckpointManagerProvider.get(DatasetResourceReference.of(localResource)).delete();
+                } else {
+                    throw HyracksDataException
+                            .create(org.apache.hyracks.api.exceptions.ErrorCode.RESOURCE_DOES_NOT_EXIST, relativePath);
+                }
+            } finally {
+                invalidateResource(relativePath);
+            }
         }
     }