diff --git a/extensions/SQLServer/SQLServer/SqlServerMemory.cs b/extensions/SQLServer/SQLServer/SqlServerMemory.cs
index 5adb98866..2dfa3a9e0 100644
--- a/extensions/SQLServer/SQLServer/SqlServerMemory.cs
+++ b/extensions/SQLServer/SQLServer/SqlServerMemory.cs
@@ -396,10 +396,12 @@ private async Task InitAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
     {
         if (this._isReady) { return; }
 
-        await this._initSemaphore.WaitAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
-
+        var lockAcquired = false;
         try
         {
+            await this._initSemaphore.WaitAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            lockAcquired = true;
+
             if (this._isReady) { return; }
 
             await this.CacheSqlServerMajorVersionNumberAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
@@ -408,7 +410,12 @@ private async Task InitAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         }
         finally
         {
-            this._initSemaphore.Release();
+            // Decrease the internal counter only it the lock was acquired,
+            // e.g. not when WaitAsync times out or throws some exception
+            if (lockAcquired)
+            {
+                this._initSemaphore.Release();
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/service/Core/Pipeline/Queue/DevTools/SimpleQueues.cs b/service/Core/Pipeline/Queue/DevTools/SimpleQueues.cs
index a2935dcef..71667e29a 100644
--- a/service/Core/Pipeline/Queue/DevTools/SimpleQueues.cs
+++ b/service/Core/Pipeline/Queue/DevTools/SimpleQueues.cs
@@ -270,11 +270,13 @@ private void PopulateQueue(object? sender, ElapsedEventArgs elapsedEventArgs)
     {
         Task.Run(async () =>
         {
+            var lockAcquired = false;
             try
             {
                 if (this._queue.Count >= this._config.FetchBatchSize) { return; }
 
                 await s_lock.WaitAsync(this._cancellation.Token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                lockAcquired = true;
 
                 // Loop through all messages on storage
                 var messagesOnStorage = (await this._fileSystem.GetAllFileNamesAsync(this._queueName, "", this._cancellation.Token).ConfigureAwait(false)).ToList();
@@ -340,7 +342,12 @@ private void PopulateQueue(object? sender, ElapsedEventArgs elapsedEventArgs)
             }
             finally
             {
-                s_lock.Release();
+                // Decrease the internal counter only it the lock was acquired,
+                // e.g. not when WaitAsync times out or throws some exception
+                if (lockAcquired)
+                {
+                    s_lock.Release();
+                }
             }
         }, this._cancellation.Token);
     }
@@ -354,11 +361,13 @@ private void DispatchMessage(object? sender, ElapsedEventArgs e)
     {
         Task.Run(async () =>
         {
+            var lockAcquired = false;
             try
             {
                 if (this._queue.IsEmpty) { return; }
 
                 await s_lock.WaitAsync(this._cancellation.Token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                lockAcquired = true;
 
                 this._log.LogTrace("Dispatching {MessageCount} messages", this._queue.Count);
 
@@ -373,7 +382,12 @@ private void DispatchMessage(object? sender, ElapsedEventArgs e)
             }
             finally
             {
-                s_lock.Release();
+                // Decrease the internal counter only it the lock was acquired,
+                // e.g. not when WaitAsync times out or throws some exception
+                if (lockAcquired)
+                {
+                    s_lock.Release();
+                }
             }
         }, this._cancellation.Token);
     }