diff --git a/pkg/state/state.go b/pkg/state/state.go
index ec95cccc..79f3597a 100644
--- a/pkg/state/state.go
+++ b/pkg/state/state.go
@@ -354,11 +354,28 @@ func New(ctx context.Context, pgURL, stateSchema string) (*State, error) {
 }
 
 func (s *State) Init(ctx context.Context) error {
-	// ensure pgroll internal tables exist
-	// TODO: eventually use migrations for this instead of hardcoding
-	_, err := s.pgConn.ExecContext(ctx, fmt.Sprintf(sqlInit, pq.QuoteIdentifier(s.schema)))
+	tx, err := s.pgConn.Begin()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer tx.Rollback()
 
-	return err
+	// Try to obtain an advisory lock.
+	// The key is an arbitrary number, used to distinguish the lock from other locks.
+	// The lock is automatically released when the transaction is committed or rolled back.
+	const key int64 = 0x2c03057fb9525b
+	_, err = tx.ExecContext(ctx, "SELECT pg_advisory_xact_lock($1)", key)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Perform pgroll state initialization
+	_, err = tx.ExecContext(ctx, fmt.Sprintf(sqlInit, pq.QuoteIdentifier(s.schema)))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return tx.Commit()
 }
 
 func (s *State) Close() error {
diff --git a/pkg/state/state_test.go b/pkg/state/state_test.go
index 3f5a44c5..0602b023 100644
--- a/pkg/state/state_test.go
+++ b/pkg/state/state_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
@@ -132,6 +133,29 @@ func TestPgRollInitializationInANonDefaultSchema(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestConcurrentInitialization(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	testutils.WithUninitializedState(t, func(state *state.State) {
+		ctx := context.Background()
+		numGoroutines := 10
+
+		wg := sync.WaitGroup{}
+		wg.Add(numGoroutines)
+		for i := 0; i < numGoroutines; i++ {
+			go func() {
+				defer wg.Done()
+
+				if err := state.Init(ctx); err != nil {
+					t.Error(err)
+				}
+			}()
+		}
+
+		wg.Wait()
+	})
+}
+
 func TestReadSchema(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
diff --git a/pkg/testutils/util.go b/pkg/testutils/util.go
index 45fe7d0f..74ccea9e 100644
--- a/pkg/testutils/util.go
+++ b/pkg/testutils/util.go
@@ -89,49 +89,13 @@ func WithStateInSchemaAndConnectionToContainer(t *testing.T, schema string, fn f
 	t.Helper()
 	ctx := context.Background()
 
-	tDB, err := sql.Open("postgres", tConnStr)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	t.Cleanup(func() {
-		if err := tDB.Close(); err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("Failed to close database connection: %v", err)
-		}
-	})
-
-	dbName := randomDBName()
-
-	_, err = tDB.ExecContext(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("CREATE DATABASE %s", pq.QuoteIdentifier(dbName)))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	u, err := url.Parse(tConnStr)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	u.Path = "/" + dbName
-	connStr := u.String()
+	db, connStr, _ := setupTestDatabase(t)
 
 	st, err := state.New(ctx, connStr, schema)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	db, err := sql.Open("postgres", connStr)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	t.Cleanup(func() {
-		if err := db.Close(); err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("Failed to close database connection: %v", err)
-		}
-	})
-
-	// init the state
 	if err := st.Init(ctx); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -143,46 +107,25 @@ func WithStateAndConnectionToContainer(t *testing.T, fn func(*state.State, *sql.
 	WithStateInSchemaAndConnectionToContainer(t, "pgroll", fn)
 }
 
-func WithMigratorInSchemaAndConnectionToContainerWithOptions(t *testing.T, schema string, opts []roll.Option, fn func(mig *roll.Roll, db *sql.DB)) {
+func WithUninitializedState(t *testing.T, fn func(*state.State)) {
 	t.Helper()
 	ctx := context.Background()
 
-	tDB, err := sql.Open("postgres", tConnStr)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	t.Cleanup(func() {
-		if err := tDB.Close(); err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("Failed to close database connection: %v", err)
-		}
-	})
-
-	dbName := randomDBName()
-
-	_, err = tDB.ExecContext(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("CREATE DATABASE %s", pq.QuoteIdentifier(dbName)))
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
+	_, connStr, _ := setupTestDatabase(t)
 
-	u, err := url.Parse(tConnStr)
+	st, err := state.New(ctx, connStr, "pgroll")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	u.Path = "/" + dbName
-	connStr := u.String()
+	fn(st)
+}
 
-	db, err := sql.Open("postgres", connStr)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
+func WithMigratorInSchemaAndConnectionToContainerWithOptions(t *testing.T, schema string, opts []roll.Option, fn func(mig *roll.Roll, db *sql.DB)) {
+	t.Helper()
+	ctx := context.Background()
 
-	t.Cleanup(func() {
-		if err := db.Close(); err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("Failed to close database connection: %v", err)
-		}
-	})
+	db, connStr, dbName := setupTestDatabase(t)
 
 	st, err := state.New(ctx, connStr, "pgroll")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -230,3 +173,51 @@ func WithMigratorInSchemaAndConnectionToContainer(t *testing.T, schema string, f
 func WithMigratorAndConnectionToContainer(t *testing.T, fn func(mig *roll.Roll, db *sql.DB)) {
 	WithMigratorInSchemaAndConnectionToContainerWithOptions(t, "public", []roll.Option{roll.WithLockTimeoutMs(500)}, fn)
 }
+
+// setupTestDatabase creates a new database in the test container and returns:
+// - a connection to the new database
+// - the connection string to the new database
+// - the name of the new database
+func setupTestDatabase(t *testing.T) (*sql.DB, string, string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	tDB, err := sql.Open("postgres", tConnStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		if err := tDB.Close(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to close database connection: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	dbName := randomDBName()
+
+	_, err = tDB.ExecContext(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("CREATE DATABASE %s", pq.QuoteIdentifier(dbName)))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	u, err := url.Parse(tConnStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	u.Path = "/" + dbName
+	connStr := u.String()
+
+	db, err := sql.Open("postgres", connStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		if err := db.Close(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to close database connection: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	return db, connStr, dbName
+}