diff --git a/agent/agent.go b/agent/agent.go
index 6a908f4c01..201dc7aee6 100644
--- a/agent/agent.go
+++ b/agent/agent.go
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/ipaddr"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/lib"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/lib/file"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/lib/mutex"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/logging"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/tlsutil"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/types"
@@ -222,7 +223,7 @@ type Agent struct {
 	exposedPorts map[string]int
 
 	// stateLock protects the agent state
-	stateLock sync.Mutex
+	stateLock *mutex.Mutex
 
 	// dockerClient is the client for performing docker health checks.
 	dockerClient *checks.DockerClient
@@ -358,6 +359,7 @@ func New(bd BaseDeps) (*Agent, error) {
 		retryJoinCh:     make(chan error),
 		shutdownCh:      make(chan struct{}),
 		endpoints:       make(map[string]string),
+		stateLock:       mutex.New(),
 
 		baseDeps:        bd,
 		tokens:          bd.Tokens,
diff --git a/agent/service_manager.go b/agent/service_manager.go
index 21addb0297..591c0981f8 100644
--- a/agent/service_manager.go
+++ b/agent/service_manager.go
@@ -292,11 +292,12 @@ func (w *serviceConfigWatch) handleUpdate(ctx context.Context, event cache.Updat
 		persistServiceDefaults:  serviceDefaults,
 	}
 
-	w.agent.stateLock.Lock()
+	if err := w.agent.stateLock.TryLock(ctx); err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
 	defer w.agent.stateLock.Unlock()
 
-	// While we were waiting on the agent state lock we may have been shutdown.
-	// So avoid doing a registration in that case.
+	// The context may have been cancelled after the lock was acquired.
 	if err := ctx.Err(); err != nil {
 		return nil
 	}