diff --git a/db.go b/db.go
index 02d82112..4f79dbd6 100644
--- a/db.go
+++ b/db.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"runtime/debug"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 	"unsafe"
 )
@@ -96,10 +97,11 @@ type DB struct {
 	batchMu sync.Mutex
 	batch   *batch
 
-	rwlock   sync.Mutex   // Allows only one writer at a time.
-	metalock sync.Mutex   // Protects meta page access.
-	mmaplock sync.RWMutex // Protects mmap access during remapping.
-	statlock sync.RWMutex // Protects stats access.
+	rwlock       sync.Mutex   // Allows only one writer at a time.
+	metalock     sync.Mutex   // Protects meta page access.
+	mmaplock     sync.RWMutex // Protects mmap access during remapping.
+	statlock     sync.RWMutex // Protects stats access.
+	freelistonce sync.Once    // Protects reading freelist from file.
 
 	ops struct {
 		writeAt func(b []byte, off int64) (n int, err error)
@@ -196,12 +198,6 @@ func Open(path string, mode os.FileMode, options *Options) (*DB, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if !db.readOnly {
-		// Read in the freelist.
-		db.freelist = newFreelist()
-		db.freelist.read(db.page(db.meta().freelist))
-	}
-
 	// Mark the database as opened and return.
 	return db, nil
 }
@@ -397,6 +393,19 @@ func (db *DB) close() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (db *DB) ensureFreelist() *freelist {
+	flp := (*unsafe.Pointer)(unsafe.Pointer(&db.freelist))
+	if fl := atomic.LoadPointer(flp); fl != nil {
+		return (*freelist)(fl)
+	}
+	db.freelistonce.Do(func() {
+		fl := newFreelist()
+		fl.read(db.page(db.meta().freelist))
+		atomic.StorePointer(flp, unsafe.Pointer(fl))
+	})
+	return db.freelist
+}
+
 // Begin starts a new transaction.
 // Multiple read-only transactions can be used concurrently but only one
 // write transaction can be used at a time. Starting multiple write transactions
@@ -455,7 +464,7 @@ func (db *DB) beginTx() (*Tx, error) {
 	return t, nil
 }
 
-func (db *DB) beginRWTx() (*Tx, error) {
+func (db *DB) beginRWTx() (t *Tx, err error) {
 	// If the database was opened with Options.ReadOnly, return an error.
 	if db.readOnly {
 		return nil, ErrDatabaseReadOnly
@@ -465,10 +474,18 @@ func (db *DB) beginRWTx() (*Tx, error) {
 	// This enforces only one writer transaction at a time.
 	db.rwlock.Lock()
 
+	var minid txid = 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
+
 	// Once we have the writer lock then we can lock the meta pages so that
 	// we can set up the transaction.
 	db.metalock.Lock()
-	defer db.metalock.Unlock()
+	defer func() {
+		db.metalock.Unlock()
+		db.ensureFreelist()
+		if err == nil && minid > 0 {
+			db.freelist.release(minid - 1)
+		}
+	}()
 
 	// Exit if the database is not open yet.
 	if !db.opened {
@@ -477,20 +494,16 @@ func (db *DB) beginRWTx() (*Tx, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Create a transaction associated with the database.
-	t := &Tx{writable: true}
+	t = &Tx{writable: true}
 	t.init(db)
 	db.rwtx = t
 
 	// Free any pages associated with closed read-only transactions.
-	var minid txid = 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
 	for _, t := range db.txs {
 		if t.meta.txid < minid {
 			minid = t.meta.txid
 		}
 	}
-	if minid > 0 {
-		db.freelist.release(minid - 1)
-	}
 
 	return t, nil
 }
diff --git a/tx.go b/tx.go
index 6b52b2c8..eb9e4c2e 100644
--- a/tx.go
+++ b/tx.go
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ func (tx *Tx) Check() <-chan error {
 func (tx *Tx) check(ch chan error) {
 	// Check if any pages are double freed.
 	freed := make(map[pgid]bool)
-	for _, id := range tx.db.freelist.all() {
+	for _, id := range tx.db.ensureFreelist().all() {
 		if freed[id] {
 			ch <- fmt.Errorf("page %d: already freed", id)
 		}