diff --git a/lib/delayed/backend/active_record.rb b/lib/delayed/backend/active_record.rb
index cbf47e211..147926620 100644
--- a/lib/delayed/backend/active_record.rb
+++ b/lib/delayed/backend/active_record.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ class Job < ::ActiveRecord::Base
         }
         scope :by_priority, order('priority ASC, run_at ASC')
 
+        scope :locked_by_worker, lambda{|worker_name, max_run_time|
+          where(['locked_by = ? AND locked_at > ?', worker_name, db_time_now - max_run_time])
+        }
+        
         def self.before_fork
           ::ActiveRecord::Base.clear_all_connections!
         end
@@ -28,15 +32,33 @@ def self.after_fork
         def self.clear_locks!(worker_name)
           update_all("locked_by = null, locked_at = null", ["locked_by = ?", worker_name])
         end
-
-        # Find a few candidate jobs to run (in case some immediately get locked by others).
-        def self.find_available(worker_name, limit = 5, max_run_time = Worker.max_run_time)
+        
+        def self.jobs_available_to_worker(worker_name, max_run_time)
           scope = self.ready_to_run(worker_name, max_run_time)
           scope = scope.scoped(:conditions => ['priority >= ?', Worker.min_priority]) if Worker.min_priority
           scope = scope.scoped(:conditions => ['priority <= ?', Worker.max_priority]) if Worker.max_priority
-
+          scope.by_priority
+        end
+                
+        # Reserve a single job in a single update query.  This causes workers to serialize on the 
+        # database and avoids contention.
+        def self.reserve(worker, max_run_time = Worker.max_run_time)
+          affected_rows = 0
+          ::ActiveRecord::Base.silence do
+            affected_rows = update_all(["locked_at = ?, locked_by = ?", db_time_now, worker.name], jobs_available_to_worker(worker.name, max_run_time).scope(:find)[:conditions], :limit => 1)
+          end
+          
+          if affected_rows == 1
+            locked_by_worker(worker.name, max_run_time).first
+          else
+            nil
+          end
+        end
+        
+        # Find a few candidate jobs to run (in case some immediately get locked by others).
+        def self.find_available(worker_name, limit = 5, max_run_time = Worker.max_run_time)
           ::ActiveRecord::Base.silence do
-            scope.by_priority.all(:limit => limit)
+            jobs_available_to_worker(worker_name, max_run_time).all(:limit => limit)
           end
         end
 
diff --git a/lib/generators/delayed_job/templates/migration.rb b/lib/generators/delayed_job/templates/migration.rb
index ac579dfcd..a4fd61282 100644
--- a/lib/generators/delayed_job/templates/migration.rb
+++ b/lib/generators/delayed_job/templates/migration.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ def self.up
     end
 	
     add_index :delayed_jobs, [:priority, :run_at], :name => 'delayed_jobs_priority'
+    add_index :delayed_jobs, :locked_by, :name => 'delayed_jobs_locked_by'
   end
   
   def self.down