diff --git a/dataloader.go b/dataloader.go
index 65de9ed..c4ea540 100644
--- a/dataloader.go
+++ b/dataloader.go
@@ -254,9 +254,6 @@ func (l *Loader[K, V]) Load(originalContext context.Context, key K) Thunk[V] {
 		return v
 	}
 
-	defer l.batchLock.Unlock()
-	defer l.cacheLock.Unlock()
-
 	thunk := func() (V, error) {
 		<-req.done
 		result := req.result.Load()
@@ -294,6 +291,12 @@ func (l *Loader[K, V]) Load(originalContext context.Context, key K) Thunk[V] {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// NOTE: It is intended that these are not unlocked with a `defer`. This is due to the `defer finish(thunk)` above.
+	// There is a locking bug where, if you have a tracer that calls the thunk to read the results, the dataloader runs
+	// into a deadlock scenario, as `finish` is called before these mutexes are free'd on the same goroutine.
+	l.batchLock.Unlock()
+	l.cacheLock.Unlock()
+
 	return thunk
 }
 
diff --git a/dataloader_test.go b/dataloader_test.go
index 08692ee..3473e9a 100644
--- a/dataloader_test.go
+++ b/dataloader_test.go
@@ -153,6 +153,22 @@ func TestLoader(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 
+	t.Run("test Load method does not create a deadlock mutex condition", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		loader, _ := IDLoader(1, WithTracer[string, string](&TracerWithThunkReading[string, string]{}))
+
+		value, err := loader.Load(context.Background(), "1")()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Error(err.Error())
+		}
+		if value != "1" {
+			t.Error("load didn't return the right value")
+		}
+
+		// By this function completing, we confirm that there is not a deadlock condition, else the test will hang
+	})
+
 	t.Run("test LoadMany returns errors", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
 		errorLoader, _ := ErrorLoader[string](0)
@@ -202,6 +218,26 @@ func TestLoader(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 
+	t.Run("test LoadMany method does not create a deadlock mutex condition", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		loader, _ := IDLoader(1, WithTracer[string, string](&TracerWithThunkReading[string, string]{}))
+
+		values, errs := loader.LoadMany(context.Background(), []string{"1", "2", "3"})()
+		for _, err := range errs {
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Error(err.Error())
+			}
+		}
+		for _, value := range values {
+			if value == "" {
+				t.Error("unexpected empty value in LoadMany returned")
+			}
+		}
+
+		// By this function completing, we confirm that there is not a deadlock condition, else the test will hang
+	})
+
 	t.Run("test thunkmany does not contain race conditions", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
 		identityLoader, _ := IDLoader[string](0)
@@ -590,7 +626,7 @@ func TestLoader(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 // test helpers
-func IDLoader[K comparable](max int) (*Loader[K, K], *[][]K) {
+func IDLoader[K comparable](max int, options ...Option[K, K]) (*Loader[K, K], *[][]K) {
 	var mu sync.Mutex
 	var loadCalls [][]K
 	identityLoader := NewBatchedLoader(func(_ context.Context, keys []K) []*Result[K] {
@@ -602,7 +638,7 @@ func IDLoader[K comparable](max int) (*Loader[K, K], *[][]K) {
 			results = append(results, &Result[K]{key, nil})
 		}
 		return results
-	}, WithBatchCapacity[K, K](max))
+	}, append([]Option[K, K]{WithBatchCapacity[K, K](max)}, options...)...)
 	return identityLoader, &loadCalls
 }
 func BatchOnlyLoader[K comparable](max int) (*Loader[K, K], *[][]K) {
@@ -788,6 +824,28 @@ func FaultyLoader[K comparable]() (*Loader[K, K], *[][]K) {
 	return loader, &loadCalls
 }
 
+type TracerWithThunkReading[K comparable, V any] struct{}
+
+var _ Tracer[string, struct{}] = (*TracerWithThunkReading[string, struct{}])(nil)
+
+func (_ *TracerWithThunkReading[K, V]) TraceLoad(ctx context.Context, key K) (context.Context, TraceLoadFinishFunc[V]) {
+	return ctx, func(thunk Thunk[V]) {
+		_, _ = thunk()
+	}
+}
+
+func (_ *TracerWithThunkReading[K, V]) TraceLoadMany(ctx context.Context, keys []K) (context.Context, TraceLoadManyFinishFunc[V]) {
+	return ctx, func(thunks ThunkMany[V]) {
+		_, _ = thunks()
+	}
+}
+
+func (_ *TracerWithThunkReading[K, V]) TraceBatch(ctx context.Context, keys []K) (context.Context, TraceBatchFinishFunc[V]) {
+	return ctx, func(thunks []*Result[V]) {
+		//
+	}
+}
+
 /*
 Benchmarks
 */