diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 75f3429..8dc5a92 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ $(call goroot,$(DEPS)):
 
 .PHONY: $(call testdirs,$(DIRS))
 $(call testdirs,$(DIRS)):
-	sudo -E go test -v github.com/vishvananda/netlink/$@
+	sudo -E go test -test.parallel 4 -timeout 60s -v github.com/vishvananda/netlink/$@
 
 $(call fmt,$(call testdirs,$(DIRS))):
 	! gofmt -l $(subst fmt-,,$@)/*.go | grep ''
diff --git a/handle_test.go b/handle_test.go
index f241b3d..b4e6965 100644
--- a/handle_test.go
+++ b/handle_test.go
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@ package netlink
 import (
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"encoding/hex"
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"net"
+	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/vishvananda/netns"
@@ -95,3 +99,188 @@ func TestHandleCreateNetns(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Unexpected link found on netns %s: %v", curNs, ll)
 	}
 }
+
+var (
+	iter      = 10
+	numThread = uint32(4)
+	prefix    = "iface"
+	handle1   *Handle
+	handle2   *Handle
+	ns1       netns.NsHandle
+	ns2       netns.NsHandle
+	done      uint32
+	initError error
+	once      sync.Once
+)
+
+func getXfrmState(thread int) *XfrmState {
+	return &XfrmState{
+		Src:   net.IPv4(byte(192), byte(168), 1, byte(1+thread)),
+		Dst:   net.IPv4(byte(192), byte(168), 2, byte(1+thread)),
+		Proto: XFRM_PROTO_AH,
+		Mode:  XFRM_MODE_TUNNEL,
+		Spi:   thread,
+		Auth: &XfrmStateAlgo{
+			Name: "hmac(sha256)",
+			Key:  []byte("abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwzyzABCDEF"),
+		},
+	}
+}
+
+func getXfrmPolicy(thread int) *XfrmPolicy {
+	return &XfrmPolicy{
+		Src:     &net.IPNet{IP: net.IPv4(byte(10), byte(10), byte(thread), 0), Mask: []byte{255, 255, 255, 0}},
+		Dst:     &net.IPNet{IP: net.IPv4(byte(10), byte(10), byte(thread), 0), Mask: []byte{255, 255, 255, 0}},
+		Proto:   17,
+		DstPort: 1234,
+		SrcPort: 5678,
+		Dir:     XFRM_DIR_OUT,
+		Tmpls: []XfrmPolicyTmpl{
+			{
+				Src:   net.IPv4(byte(192), byte(168), 1, byte(thread)),
+				Dst:   net.IPv4(byte(192), byte(168), 2, byte(thread)),
+				Proto: XFRM_PROTO_ESP,
+				Mode:  XFRM_MODE_TUNNEL,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+}
+func initParallel() {
+	ns1, initError = netns.New()
+	if initError != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	handle1, initError = NewHandleAt(ns1)
+	if initError != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	ns2, initError = netns.New()
+	if initError != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	handle2, initError = NewHandleAt(ns2)
+	if initError != nil {
+		return
+	}
+}
+
+func parallelDone() {
+	atomic.AddUint32(&done, 1)
+	if done == numThread {
+		if ns1.IsOpen() {
+			ns1.Close()
+		}
+		if ns2.IsOpen() {
+			ns2.Close()
+		}
+		if handle1 != nil {
+			handle1.Delete()
+		}
+		if handle2 != nil {
+			handle2.Delete()
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// Do few route and xfrm operation on the two handles in parallel
+func runParallelTests(t *testing.T, thread int) {
+	defer parallelDone()
+
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	once.Do(initParallel)
+	if initError != nil {
+		t.Fatal(initError)
+	}
+
+	state := getXfrmState(thread)
+	policy := getXfrmPolicy(thread)
+	for i := 0; i < iter; i++ {
+		ifName := fmt.Sprintf("%s_%d_%d", prefix, thread, i)
+		link := &Dummy{LinkAttrs{Name: ifName}}
+		err := handle1.LinkAdd(link)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		l, err := handle1.LinkByName(ifName)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		err = handle1.LinkSetUp(l)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		handle1.LinkSetNsFd(l, int(ns2))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		err = handle1.XfrmStateAdd(state)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		err = handle1.XfrmPolicyAdd(policy)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		err = handle2.LinkSetDown(l)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		err = handle2.XfrmStateAdd(state)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		err = handle2.XfrmPolicyAdd(policy)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		_, err = handle2.LinkByName(ifName)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		handle2.LinkSetNsFd(l, int(ns1))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		err = handle1.LinkSetUp(l)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		l, err = handle1.LinkByName(ifName)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		err = handle1.XfrmPolicyDel(policy)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		err = handle2.XfrmPolicyDel(policy)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		err = handle1.XfrmStateDel(state)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		err = handle2.XfrmStateDel(state)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHandleParallel1(t *testing.T) {
+	runParallelTests(t, 1)
+}
+
+func TestHandleParallel2(t *testing.T) {
+	runParallelTests(t, 2)
+}
+
+func TestHandleParallel3(t *testing.T) {
+	runParallelTests(t, 3)
+}
+
+func TestHandleParallel4(t *testing.T) {
+	runParallelTests(t, 4)
+}
diff --git a/nl/nl_linux.go b/nl/nl_linux.go
index 1e5233b..8306890 100644
--- a/nl/nl_linux.go
+++ b/nl/nl_linux.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"runtime"
+	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"syscall"
 	"unsafe"
@@ -233,6 +234,9 @@ func (req *NetlinkRequest) Execute(sockType int, resType uint16) ([][]byte, erro
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		defer s.Close()
+	} else {
+		s.Lock()
+		defer s.Unlock()
 	}
 
 	if err := s.Send(req); err != nil {
@@ -302,6 +306,7 @@ func NewNetlinkRequest(proto, flags int) *NetlinkRequest {
 type NetlinkSocket struct {
 	fd  int
 	lsa syscall.SockaddrNetlink
+	sync.Mutex
 }
 
 func getNetlinkSocket(protocol int) (*NetlinkSocket, error) {