diff --git a/lib/spack/llnl/util/lock.py b/lib/spack/llnl/util/lock.py
index 86a45e2d7c..3a58093491 100644
--- a/lib/spack/llnl/util/lock.py
+++ b/lib/spack/llnl/util/lock.py
@@ -275,7 +275,12 @@ def acquire_write(self, timeout=None):
             wait_time, nattempts = self._lock(fcntl.LOCK_EX, timeout=timeout)
             self._acquired_debug('WRITE LOCK', wait_time, nattempts)
             self._writes += 1
-            return True
+
+            # return True only if we weren't nested in a read lock.
+            # TODO: we may need to return two values: whether we got
+            # the write lock, and whether this is acquiring a read OR
+            # write lock for the first time. Now it returns the latter.
+            return self._reads == 0
         else:
             self._writes += 1
             return False
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/llnl/util/lock.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/llnl/util/lock.py
index 2b0892a25e..ca879cdc0b 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/llnl/util/lock.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/llnl/util/lock.py
@@ -1087,6 +1087,62 @@ def write(t, v, tb):
         assert vals['wrote']
 
 
+def test_nested_reads(lock_path):
+    """Ensure that write transactions won't re-read data."""
+
+    def read():
+        vals['read'] += 1
+
+    vals = collections.defaultdict(lambda: 0)
+    lock = AssertLock(lock_path, vals)
+
+    # read/read
+    vals.clear()
+    assert vals['read'] == 0
+    with lk.ReadTransaction(lock, acquire=read):
+        assert vals['read'] == 1
+        with lk.ReadTransaction(lock, acquire=read):
+            assert vals['read'] == 1
+
+    # write/write
+    vals.clear()
+    assert vals['read'] == 0
+    with lk.WriteTransaction(lock, acquire=read):
+        assert vals['read'] == 1
+        with lk.WriteTransaction(lock, acquire=read):
+            assert vals['read'] == 1
+
+    # read/write
+    vals.clear()
+    assert vals['read'] == 0
+    with lk.ReadTransaction(lock, acquire=read):
+        assert vals['read'] == 1
+        with lk.WriteTransaction(lock, acquire=read):
+            assert vals['read'] == 1
+
+    # write/read/write
+    vals.clear()
+    assert vals['read'] == 0
+    with lk.WriteTransaction(lock, acquire=read):
+        assert vals['read'] == 1
+        with lk.ReadTransaction(lock, acquire=read):
+            assert vals['read'] == 1
+            with lk.WriteTransaction(lock, acquire=read):
+                assert vals['read'] == 1
+
+    # read/write/read/write
+    vals.clear()
+    assert vals['read'] == 0
+    with lk.ReadTransaction(lock, acquire=read):
+        assert vals['read'] == 1
+        with lk.WriteTransaction(lock, acquire=read):
+            assert vals['read'] == 1
+            with lk.ReadTransaction(lock, acquire=read):
+                assert vals['read'] == 1
+                with lk.WriteTransaction(lock, acquire=read):
+                    assert vals['read'] == 1
+
+
 def test_lock_debug_output(lock_path):
     host = socket.getfqdn()