diff --git a/acinclude.m4 b/acinclude.m4
index 0a90e162e7..cacec2e1be 100644
--- a/acinclude.m4
+++ b/acinclude.m4
@@ -111,6 +111,11 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([pthreaded-ubik],
          enabled)])],
     [],
     [enable_pthreaded_ubik="yes"])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([ubik-read-while-write],
+    [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-ubik-read-while-write],
+	[enable vlserver read from db cache during write locks (EXPERIMENTAL)])],
+    [],
+    [enable_ubik_read_while_write="no"])
 
 dnl Kernel module build options.
 AC_ARG_WITH([linux-kernel-headers],
@@ -1409,6 +1414,10 @@ else
 fi
 AC_SUBST(USE_UNIX_SOCKETS)
 
+if test "$enable_ubik_read_while_write" = "yes"; then
+	AC_DEFINE(UBIK_READ_WHILE_WRITE, 1, [define if you want to enable ubik read while write])
+fi
+
 if test "$enable_namei_fileserver" = "yes"; then
 	AC_DEFINE(AFS_NAMEI_ENV, 1, [define if you want to want namei fileserver])
 	VFSCK=""
diff --git a/src/cf/summary.m4 b/src/cf/summary.m4
index 111b22ceae..0ac9fc0287 100644
--- a/src/cf/summary.m4
+++ b/src/cf/summary.m4
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ options:
   ptserver supergroups   : ${enable_supergroups}
   pthreaded ubik         : ${enable_pthreaded_ubik}
   install kauth          : ${INSTALL_KAUTH}
+  ubik read while write  : ${enable_ubik_read_while_write}
 build:
   scout/afsmonitor       : ${summary_build_scout}
   pam                    : ${HAVE_PAM}
diff --git a/src/vlserver/vlprocs.c b/src/vlserver/vlprocs.c
index 78f9ba6b1b..016ff513f7 100644
--- a/src/vlserver/vlprocs.c
+++ b/src/vlserver/vlprocs.c
@@ -206,8 +206,11 @@ Init_VLdbase(struct vl_ctx *ctx,
 	    code = ubik_BeginTrans(VL_dbase, UBIK_WRITETRANS, &ctx->trans);
 	    wl = 1;
 	} else if (locktype == LOCKREAD) {
-	    code =
-		ubik_BeginTransReadAnyWrite(VL_dbase, UBIK_READTRANS, &ctx->trans);
+#ifdef UBIK_READ_WHILE_WRITE
+	    code = ubik_BeginTransReadAnyWrite(VL_dbase, UBIK_READTRANS, &ctx->trans);
+#else
+	    code = ubik_BeginTransReadAny(VL_dbase, UBIK_READTRANS, &ctx->trans);
+#endif
 	    wl = 0;
 	} else {
 	    code = ubik_BeginTrans(VL_dbase, UBIK_WRITETRANS, &ctx->trans);