diff --git a/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/IndexWriter.java b/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/IndexWriter.java
index a90d44f39a6..d98f393e4df 100644
--- a/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/IndexWriter.java
+++ b/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/IndexWriter.java
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ public class IndexWriter implements Closeable, TwoPhaseCommit {
   private Map<SegmentInfoPerCommit,Boolean> segmentsToMerge = new HashMap<SegmentInfoPerCommit,Boolean>();
   private int mergeMaxNumSegments;
 
-  protected Lock writeLock;
+  private Lock writeLock;
 
   private volatile boolean closed;
   private volatile boolean closing;
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/update/SolrIndexWriter.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/update/SolrIndexWriter.java
index 72493a322be..525a7ce8748 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/update/SolrIndexWriter.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/update/SolrIndexWriter.java
@@ -150,17 +150,11 @@ public class SolrIndexWriter extends IndexWriter {
           log.error("Error closing IndexWriter, trying rollback", t);
           super.rollback();
         }
-        if (writeLock != null && writeLock.isLocked()) {
+        if (IndexWriter.isLocked(directory)) {
           try {
-            // we go right to the lock because
-            // IndexWriter#unlock(Directory) does
-            // not work well in this case with
-            // native locks
-            writeLock.release();
+            IndexWriter.unlock(directory);
           } catch (Throwable t) {
-            log.error(
-                "Coud not unlock directory after seemingly failed IndexWriter#close()",
-                t);
+            log.error("Coud not unlock directory after seemingly failed IndexWriter#close()", t);
           }
         }
         break;