diff --git a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
index 4ae20042bc7b8a..2d5c85d902245f 100644
--- a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
+++ b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
@@ -404,6 +404,8 @@ pub:
 	op   token.Kind
 	expr Expr
 	pos  token.Position
+pub mut:
+	auto_locked  string
 }
 
 pub struct PrefixExpr {
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
index d4304157970d54..73fec9cc869624 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
@@ -2855,7 +2855,7 @@ fn (c Checker) has_return(stmts []ast.Stmt) ?bool {
 	return none
 }
 
-pub fn (mut c Checker) postfix_expr(node ast.PostfixExpr) table.Type {
+pub fn (mut c Checker) postfix_expr(mut node ast.PostfixExpr) table.Type {
 	typ := c.expr(node.expr)
 	typ_sym := c.table.get_type_symbol(typ)
 	// if !typ.is_number() {
@@ -2864,7 +2864,7 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) postfix_expr(node ast.PostfixExpr) table.Type {
 		c.error('invalid operation: $node.op.str() (non-numeric type `$typ_sym.name`)',
 			node.pos)
 	} else {
-		c.fail_if_immutable(node.expr)
+		node.auto_locked, _ = c.fail_if_immutable(node.expr)
 	}
 	if (typ.is_ptr() || typ_sym.is_pointer()) && !c.inside_unsafe {
 		c.error('pointer arithmetic is only allowed in `unsafe` blocks', node.pos)
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v b/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
index c26cedfe0425d3..e6d46613448133 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/cgen.v
@@ -1745,10 +1745,17 @@ fn (mut g Gen) expr(node ast.Expr) {
 			g.write(')')
 		}
 		ast.PostfixExpr {
+			if node.auto_locked != '' {
+				g.writeln('sync__RwMutex_w_lock($node.auto_locked->mtx);')
+			}
 			g.inside_map_postfix = true
 			g.expr(node.expr)
 			g.inside_map_postfix = false
 			g.write(node.op.str())
+			if node.auto_locked != '' {
+				g.writeln(';')
+				g.write('sync__RwMutex_w_unlock($node.auto_locked->mtx)')
+			}
 		}
 		ast.PrefixExpr {
 			if node.op == .amp {
diff --git a/vlib/v/tests/autolock_array1_test.v b/vlib/v/tests/autolock_array1_test.v
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..1f2fe5deb51c74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/tests/autolock_array1_test.v
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import sync
+import time
+
+const (
+	iterations_per_thread = 100000
+)
+
+fn add_elements(shared foo []int, n int) {
+	for _ in 0 .. iterations_per_thread {
+		foo << n
+	}
+	foo[0]++
+}
+
+fn test_autolocked_array() {
+	shared abc := &[0]
+	go add_elements(shared abc, 1)
+	go add_elements(shared abc, 3)
+	for _ in 0 .. iterations_per_thread {
+		abc << 0
+	}
+	// wait for coroutines to finish - that should really be
+	// done by channels, yield, semaphore...
+	for {
+		mut finished_threads := 0
+		rlock abc {
+			finished_threads = abc[0]
+		}
+		if finished_threads == 2 {
+			break
+		}
+		time.sleep_ms(100)
+	}
+	// create histogram of results
+	mut result := [0, 0, 0, 0]
+	rlock abc {
+		// automatic rlock for iteration is also not implemented, yet
+		for v in abc {
+			if v > 3 {
+				panic('unexpected element on array')
+			}
+			result[v]++
+		}
+	}
+	assert result[0] == iterations_per_thread
+	assert result[1] == iterations_per_thread
+	assert result[2] == 1 // number of non-main threads
+	assert result[3] == iterations_per_thread
+}
diff --git a/vlib/v/tests/autolock_array2_test.v b/vlib/v/tests/autolock_array2_test.v
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..737b7a43d8890e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/tests/autolock_array2_test.v
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import sync
+import time
+
+const (
+	iterations_per_thread2 = 100000
+)
+
+fn inc_elements(shared foo []int, n int) {
+	for _ in 0 .. iterations_per_thread2 {
+		foo[n]++
+	}
+	foo[0]++ // indicat that thread is finished
+}
+
+fn test_autolocked_array_2() {
+	shared abc := &[0, 0, 0]
+	go inc_elements(shared abc, 1)
+	go inc_elements(shared abc, 2)
+	for _ in 0 .. iterations_per_thread2 {
+		abc[2]++
+	}
+	// wait for coroutines to finish - that should really be
+	// done by channels, yield, semaphore...
+	for {
+		mut finished_threads := 0
+		rlock abc {
+			finished_threads = abc[0]
+		}
+		if finished_threads == 2 {
+			break
+		}
+		time.sleep_ms(100)
+	}
+	rlock abc {
+		assert abc[1] == iterations_per_thread2
+		assert abc[2] == 2 * iterations_per_thread2
+	}
+}