diff --git a/modules/email/mu4e/README.org b/modules/email/mu4e/README.org
index 4717c5691..b7a285a6c 100644
--- a/modules/email/mu4e/README.org
+++ b/modules/email/mu4e/README.org
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ sudo apt-get install maildir-utils mu4e # mu and mu4e respectivly
 + Tidied mu4e headers view, with flags from =all-the-icons=
 + Consistent colouring of reply depths (across compose and gnus modes)
 + Prettified =mu4e:main= view
++ Cooperative locking of the =mu= process. Another Emacs instance may request
+  access, or grab the lock when it's available.
 + =org-msg= integration
   - can be toggled per-message by applying the
     universal argument (=SPC u=) to the compose/reply/forward action.
diff --git a/modules/email/mu4e/autoload/email.el b/modules/email/mu4e/autoload/email.el
index 5fb1b6c99..bef0961e4 100644
--- a/modules/email/mu4e/autoload/email.el
+++ b/modules/email/mu4e/autoload/email.el
@@ -268,6 +268,7 @@ clicked."
     (list :style (format "transform: scale(%.3f)"
                          (/ 1.0 (plist-get org-format-latex-options :scale))))))
 
+;;;###autoload
 (defun +org-html-latex-fragment-scaled (latex-fragment _contents info)
   "Transcode a LATEX-FRAGMENT object from Org to HTML.
 CONTENTS is nil.  INFO is a plist holding contextual information.
@@ -299,6 +300,7 @@ account for the value of :scale in `org-format-latex-options'."
             (org-html--format-image source attributes info)))))
      (t latex-frag))))
 
+;;;###autoload
 (defun +org-html-latex-environment-scaled (latex-environment _contents info)
   "Transcode a LATEX-ENVIRONMENT element from Org to HTML.
 CONTENTS is nil.  INFO is a plist holding contextual information.
@@ -343,3 +345,95 @@ scales the image to account for the value of :scale in `org-format-latex-options
              (org-html--format-image source attributes info)
              info caption label)))))
      (t (org-html--wrap-latex-environment latex-frag info caption label)))))
+
+;;
+;; Cooperative locking
+
+(defvar +mu4e-lock-file "/tmp/mu4e_lock"
+  "Location of the lock file which stores the PID of the process currenty running mu4e")
+(defvar +mu4e-lock-request-file "/tmp/mu4e_lock_request"
+  "Location of the lock file for which creating indicated that another process wants the lock to be released")
+
+(defvar +mu4e-lock-greedy nil
+  "Whether to 'grab' the `+mu4e-lock-file' if nobody else has it, i.e. start Mu4e")
+(defvar +mu4e-lock-relaxed nil
+  "Whether if someone else wants the lock (signaled via `+mu4e-lock-request-file'), we should stop Mu4e and let go of it")
+
+;;;###autoload
+(defun +mu4e-lock-pid-info ()
+  "Get info on the PID refered to in `+mu4e-lock-file' in the form (pid . process-attributes)
+ If the file or process do not exist, the lock file is deleted an nil returned."
+  (when (file-exists-p +mu4e-lock-file)
+    (let* ((pid (string-to-number (f-read-text +mu4e-lock-file 'utf-8)))
+           (process (process-attributes pid)))
+      (if process (cons pid process)
+        (delete-file +mu4e-lock-file) nil))))
+
+;;;###autoload
+(defun +mu4e-lock-avalible (&optional strict)
+  "If the `+mu4e-lock-file' is avalible (unset or owned by this emacs) return t.
+If STRICT only accept an unset lock file."
+  (not (when-let* ((lock-info (+mu4e-lock-pid-info))
+                   (pid (car lock-info)))
+         (when (or strict (/= (emacs-pid) pid)) t))))
+
+;;;###autoload
+(defun +mu4e-lock-file-delete-maybe ()
+  "Check `+mu4e-lock-file', and delete it if this process is responsible for it."
+  (when (+mu4e-lock-avalible)
+    (delete-file +mu4e-lock-file)
+    (file-notify-rm-watch +mu4e-lock--request-watcher)))
+
+;;;###autoload
+(defun +mu4e-lock-start (orig-fun &optional callback)
+  "Check `+mu4e-lock-file', and if another process is responsible for it, abort starting.
+Else, write to this process' PID to the lock file"
+  (unless (+mu4e-lock-avalible)
+    (shell-command (format "touch %s" +mu4e-lock-request-file))
+    (message "Lock file exists, requesting that it be given up")
+    (sleep-for 0.1)
+    (delete-file +mu4e-lock-request-file))
+  (if (not (+mu4e-lock-avalible))
+      (user-error "Unfortunately another Emacs is already doing stuff with Mu4e, and you can only have one at a time")
+    (f-write-text (number-to-string (emacs-pid)) 'utf-8 +mu4e-lock-file)
+    (delete-file +mu4e-lock-request-file)
+    (funcall orig-fun callback)
+    (setq +mu4e-lock--request-watcher
+          (file-notify-add-watch +mu4e-lock-request-file
+                                 '(change)
+                                 #'+mu4e-lock-request))))
+
+(defvar +mu4e-lock--file-watcher nil)
+(defvar +mu4e-lock--file-just-deleted nil)
+(defvar +mu4e-lock--request-watcher nil)
+
+;;;###autoload
+(defun +mu4e-lock-add-watcher ()
+  (setq +mu4e-lock--file-just-deleted nil)
+  (file-notify-rm-watch +mu4e-lock--file-watcher)
+  (setq +mu4e-lock--file-watcher
+        (file-notify-add-watch +mu4e-lock-file
+                               '(change)
+                               #'++mu4e-lock-file-updated)))
+
+;;;###autoload
+(defun +mu4e-lock-request (event)
+  "Handle another process requesting the Mu4e lock."
+  (when (equal (nth 1 event) 'created)
+    (when +mu4e-lock-relaxed
+      (mu4e~stop)
+      (file-notify-rm-watch +mu4e-lock--file-watcher)
+      (message "Someone else wants to use Mu4e, releasing lock")
+      (delete-file +mu4e-lock-file)
+      (run-at-time 0.2 nil #'+mu4e-lock-add-watcher))
+    (delete-file +mu4e-lock-request-file)))
+
+;;;###autoload
+(defun ++mu4e-lock-file-updated (event)
+  (if +mu4e-lock--file-just-deleted
+      (+mu4e-lock-add-watcher)
+    (when (equal (nth 1 event) 'deleted)
+      (setq +mu4e-lock--file-just-deleted t)
+      (when (and +mu4e-lock-greedy (+mu4e-lock-avalible t))
+        (message "Noticed Mu4e lock was avalible, grabbed it")
+        (run-at-time 0.2 nil #'mu4e~start)))))
diff --git a/modules/email/mu4e/config.el b/modules/email/mu4e/config.el
index 359a210b7..353d2b41f 100644
--- a/modules/email/mu4e/config.el
+++ b/modules/email/mu4e/config.el
@@ -193,7 +193,17 @@
   (advice-add #'mu4e~main-action-str :override #'+mu4e~main-action-str-prettier)
   (when (featurep! :editor evil)
     ;; As +mu4e~main-action-str-prettier replaces [k]ey with key q]uit should become quit
-    (setq evil-collection-mu4e-end-region-misc "quit")))
+    (setq evil-collection-mu4e-end-region-misc "quit"))
+
+  ;; process lock control
+  (when IS-WINDOWS
+    (setq ;; REVIEW untested
+     +mu4e-lock-file (expand-file-name "%userprofile%\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\mu4e_lock")
+     +mu4e-lock-request-file (expand-file-name "%userprofile%\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\mu4e_lock_request")))
+
+  (add-hook 'kill-emacs-hook #'+mu4e-lock-file-delete-maybe)
+  (advice-add 'mu4e~start :around #'+mu4e-lock-start)
+  (advice-add 'mu4e-quit :after #'+mu4e-lock-file-delete-maybe))
 
 (use-package! org-msg
   :after mu4e