diff --git a/client/keys/utils_test.go b/client/keys/utils_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..39ca63428
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/keys/utils_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package keys
+
+import (
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/crypto/keys"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestGetKeyBaseLocks(t *testing.T) {
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "cosmos-sdk-keys")
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+
+	// Acquire db
+	kb, err := GetKeyBaseFromDirWithWritePerm(dir)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+	_, _,  err = kb.CreateMnemonic("foo", keys.English, "12345678", keys.Secp256k1)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+	// Reset global variable
+	keybase = nil
+	// Try to acquire another keybase from the same storage
+	_, err = GetKeyBaseFromDirWithWritePerm(dir)
+	require.NotNil(t, err)
+	_, err = GetKeyBaseFromDirWithWritePerm(dir)
+	require.NotNil(t, err)
+
+	// Close the db and try to acquire the lock
+	kb.CloseDB()
+	kb, err = GetKeyBaseFromDirWithWritePerm(dir)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+
+	// Try to acquire another read-only keybase from the same storage
+	_, err = GetKeyBaseFromDir(dir)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+
+	kb.CloseDB()
+}