diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/SystemKeyspace.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/SystemKeyspace.java
index de2e89d94b..0600f962e6 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/SystemKeyspace.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/SystemKeyspace.java
@@ -21,7 +21,11 @@
 import java.net.InetAddress;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.util.*;
+import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReadWriteLock;
+import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantReadWriteLock;
+import javax.annotation.concurrent.GuardedBy;
 import javax.management.openmbean.OpenDataException;
 import javax.management.openmbean.TabularData;
 
@@ -298,7 +302,9 @@ public static KSMetaData definition()
         return new KSMetaData(NAME, LocalStrategy.class, Collections.<String, String>emptyMap(), true, tables);
     }
 
-    private static volatile Map<UUID, Pair<ReplayPosition, Long>> truncationRecords;
+    @GuardedBy("truncationLock")
+    private static Map<UUID, Pair<ReplayPosition, Long>> truncationRecords;
+    private static final ReadWriteLock truncationLock = new ReentrantReadWriteLock(/* fair= */ true);
 
     public enum BootstrapState
     {
@@ -446,10 +452,15 @@ public static TabularData getCompactionHistory() throws OpenDataException
 
     public static synchronized void saveTruncationRecord(ColumnFamilyStore cfs, long truncatedAt, ReplayPosition position)
     {
-        String req = "UPDATE system.%s SET truncated_at = truncated_at + ? WHERE key = '%s'";
-        executeInternal(String.format(req, LOCAL, LOCAL), truncationAsMapEntry(cfs, truncatedAt, position));
-        truncationRecords = null;
-        forceBlockingFlush(LOCAL, "Saving truncation record");
+        truncationLock.writeLock().lock();
+        try {
+            String req = "UPDATE system.%s SET truncated_at = truncated_at + ? WHERE key = '%s'";
+            executeInternal(String.format(req, LOCAL, LOCAL), truncationAsMapEntry(cfs, truncatedAt, position));
+            truncationRecords = null;
+            forceBlockingFlush(LOCAL, "Saving truncation record");
+        } finally {
+            truncationLock.writeLock().unlock();
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -457,10 +468,15 @@ public static synchronized void saveTruncationRecord(ColumnFamilyStore cfs, long
      */
     public static synchronized void removeTruncationRecord(UUID cfId)
     {
-        String req = "DELETE truncated_at[?] from system.%s WHERE key = '%s'";
-        executeInternal(String.format(req, LOCAL, LOCAL), cfId);
-        truncationRecords = null;
-        forceBlockingFlush(LOCAL, "Removing truncation record");
+        truncationLock.writeLock().lock();
+        try {
+            String req = "DELETE truncated_at[?] from system.%s WHERE key = '%s'";
+            executeInternal(String.format(req, LOCAL, LOCAL), cfId);
+            truncationRecords = null;
+            forceBlockingFlush(LOCAL, "Removing truncation record");
+        } finally {
+            truncationLock.writeLock().unlock();
+        }
     }
 
     private static Map<UUID, ByteBuffer> truncationAsMapEntry(ColumnFamilyStore cfs, long truncatedAt, ReplayPosition position)
@@ -489,27 +505,42 @@ public static long getTruncatedAt(UUID cfId)
         return record == null ? Long.MIN_VALUE : record.right;
     }
 
-    private static synchronized Pair<ReplayPosition, Long> getTruncationRecord(UUID cfId)
+    private static Pair<ReplayPosition, Long> getTruncationRecord(UUID cfId)
     {
-        if (truncationRecords == null)
+        truncationLock.readLock().lock();
+        try {
+            Map<UUID, Pair<ReplayPosition, Long>> records = truncationRecords;
+            if (records != null)
+                return records.get(cfId);
+
+            // truncated records snapshot not cached, fall through to release read lock and acquire write lock
+        } finally {
+            truncationLock.readLock().unlock();
+        }
+
+        truncationLock.writeLock().lock();
+        try {
             truncationRecords = readTruncationRecords();
-        return truncationRecords.get(cfId);
+            return truncationRecords.get(cfId);
+        } finally {
+            truncationLock.writeLock().unlock();
+        }
     }
 
     private static Map<UUID, Pair<ReplayPosition, Long>> readTruncationRecords()
     {
         UntypedResultSet rows = executeInternal(String.format("SELECT truncated_at FROM system.%s WHERE key = '%s'", LOCAL, LOCAL));
 
-        Map<UUID, Pair<ReplayPosition, Long>> records = new HashMap<>();
-
         if (!rows.isEmpty() && rows.one().has("truncated_at"))
         {
             Map<UUID, ByteBuffer> map = rows.one().getMap("truncated_at", UUIDType.instance, BytesType.instance);
+            Map<UUID, Pair<ReplayPosition, Long>> records = new HashMap<>(map.size());
             for (Map.Entry<UUID, ByteBuffer> entry : map.entrySet())
                 records.put(entry.getKey(), truncationRecordFromBlob(entry.getValue()));
+            return Collections.unmodifiableMap(records);
         }
 
-        return records;
+        return Collections.emptyMap();
     }
 
     private static Pair<ReplayPosition, Long> truncationRecordFromBlob(ByteBuffer bytes)