diff --git a/kfmmodel.cpp b/kfmmodel.cpp
index 59b8459a4..fb73e29f2 100644
--- a/kfmmodel.cpp
+++ b/kfmmodel.cpp
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ void KfmModel::insertType( NifItem * parent, const NifData & data, int at )
 		return;
 	}
 
-	XMLlock.lockForRead();
+	QReadLocker lck( &XMLlock );
 	NifBlock * compound = compounds.value( data.type() );
 	if ( compound )
 	{
@@ -202,7 +202,6 @@ void KfmModel::insertType( NifItem * parent, const NifData & data, int at )
 	}
 	else
 		parent->insertChild( data, at );
-	XMLlock.unlock();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/kfmmodel.h b/kfmmodel.h
index 7c77d9127..33019be20 100644
--- a/kfmmodel.h
+++ b/kfmmodel.h
@@ -114,18 +114,14 @@ Q_OBJECT
 
 inline bool KfmModel::isCompound( const QString & name )
 {
-	XMLlock.lockForRead();
-	bool x = compounds.contains( name );
-	XMLlock.unlock();
-	return x;
+	QReadLocker lck( &XMLlock );
+	return compounds.contains( name );
 }
 
 inline bool KfmModel::isVersionSupported( quint32 v )
 {
-	XMLlock.lockForRead();
-	bool x = supportedVersions.contains( v );
-	XMLlock.unlock();
-	return x;
+	QReadLocker lck( &XMLlock );
+	return supportedVersions.contains( v );
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/kfmxml.cpp b/kfmxml.cpp
index 7e9ce50fb..98ed47955 100644
--- a/kfmxml.cpp
+++ b/kfmxml.cpp
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ bool KfmModel::loadXML()
 
 QString KfmModel::parseXmlDescription( const QString & filename )
 {
-	XMLlock.lockForWrite();
+	QWriteLocker lck( &XMLlock );
 	
 	qDeleteAll( compounds );	compounds.clear();
 	supportedVersions.clear();
@@ -244,10 +244,7 @@ QString KfmModel::parseXmlDescription( const QString & filename )
 	{
 		f.setFileName( ":/res/kfm.xml" );
 		if ( ! f.open( QIODevice::ReadOnly | QIODevice::Text ) )
-		{
-			XMLlock.unlock();
 			return QString( "error: couldn't open xml description file: " + filename );
-		}
 	}
 	
 	KfmXmlHandler handler;
@@ -263,8 +260,6 @@ QString KfmModel::parseXmlDescription( const QString & filename )
 		supportedVersions.clear();
 	}
 	
-	XMLlock.unlock();
-	
 	return handler.errorString();
 }
 
diff --git a/nifmodel.cpp b/nifmodel.cpp
index 29f3c9973..33b0c5fb8 100644
--- a/nifmodel.cpp
+++ b/nifmodel.cpp
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ bool NifModel::updateArrayItem( NifItem * array, bool fast )
 
 QModelIndex NifModel::insertNiBlock( const QString & identifier, int at, bool fast )
 {
-	XMLlock.lockForRead();
+	QReadLocker lck( &XMLlock );
 	NifBlock * block = blocks.value( identifier );
 	if ( block )
 	{
@@ -310,13 +310,11 @@ QModelIndex NifModel::insertNiBlock( const QString & identifier, int at, bool fa
 			updateFooter();
 			emit linksChanged();
 		}
-		XMLlock.unlock();
 		return createIndex( branch->row(), 0, branch );
 	}
 	else
 	{
 		msg( Message() << "unknown block " << identifier );
-		XMLlock.unlock();
 		return QModelIndex();
 	}
 }
@@ -457,7 +455,7 @@ int NifModel::getBlockCount() const
 
 void NifModel::insertAncestor( NifItem * parent, const QString & identifier, int at )
 {
-	XMLlock.lockForRead();
+	QReadLocker lck( &XMLlock );
 	NifBlock * ancestor = blocks.value( identifier );
 	if ( ancestor )
 	{
@@ -468,20 +466,16 @@ void NifModel::insertAncestor( NifItem * parent, const QString & identifier, int
 			insertType( parent, data );
 	}
 	else
-	{
 		msg( Message() << "unknown ancestor " << identifier );
-	}
-	XMLlock.unlock();
 }
 
 bool NifModel::inherits( const QString & name, const QString & aunty )
 {
-	XMLlock.lockForRead();
+	QReadLocker lck( &XMLlock );
     if ( name == aunty ) return true;
 	NifBlock * type = blocks.value( name );
 	if ( type && ( type->ancestor == aunty || inherits( type->ancestor, aunty ) ) )
 		return true;
-	XMLlock.unlock();
 	return false;
 }
 
@@ -517,7 +511,7 @@ void NifModel::insertType( NifItem * parent, const NifData & data, int at )
 		return;
 	}
 
-	XMLlock.lockForRead();
+	QReadLocker lck( &XMLlock );
 	NifBlock * compound = compounds.value( data.type() );
 	if ( compound )
 	{
@@ -550,7 +544,6 @@ void NifModel::insertType( NifItem * parent, const NifData & data, int at )
 		else
 			parent->insertChild( data, at );
 	}
-	XMLlock.unlock();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/nifmodel.h b/nifmodel.h
index 4278938c7..696268516 100644
--- a/nifmodel.h
+++ b/nifmodel.h
@@ -206,47 +206,38 @@ Q_OBJECT
 
 inline QStringList NifModel::allNiBlocks()
 {
-	XMLlock.lockForRead();
+	QReadLocker lck( &XMLlock );
 	QStringList lst;
 	foreach ( NifBlock * blk, blocks )
 		if ( ! blk->abstract )
 			lst.append( blk->id );
-	XMLlock.unlock();
 	return lst;
 }
 
 inline bool NifModel::isNiBlock( const QString & name )
 {
-	XMLlock.lockForRead();
+	QReadLocker lck( &XMLlock );
 	NifBlock * blk = blocks.value( name );
-	bool x = blk && ! blk->abstract;
-	XMLlock.unlock();
-	return x;
+	return blk && ! blk->abstract;
 }
 
 inline bool NifModel::isAncestor( const QString & name )
 {
-	XMLlock.lockForRead();
+	QReadLocker lck( &XMLlock );
 	NifBlock * blk = blocks.value( name );
-	bool x = blk && blk->abstract;
-	XMLlock.unlock();
-	return x;
+	return blk && blk->abstract;
 }
 
 inline bool NifModel::isCompound( const QString & name )
 {
-	XMLlock.lockForRead();
-	bool x = compounds.contains( name );
-	XMLlock.unlock();
-	return x;
+	QReadLocker lck( &XMLlock );
+	return compounds.contains( name );
 }
 
 inline bool NifModel::isVersionSupported( quint32 v )
 {
-	XMLlock.lockForRead();
-	bool x = supportedVersions.contains( v );
-	XMLlock.unlock();
-	return x;
+	QReadLocker lck( &XMLlock );
+	return supportedVersions.contains( v );
 }
 
 inline QList<int> NifModel::getRootLinks() const
diff --git a/nifxml.cpp b/nifxml.cpp
index 57f77bd92..fa255354e 100644
--- a/nifxml.cpp
+++ b/nifxml.cpp
@@ -363,8 +363,7 @@ bool NifModel::loadXML()
 
 QString NifModel::parseXmlDescription( const QString & filename )
 {
-	if ( ! XMLlock.tryLockForWrite() )
-		return QString( "internal error: xml is locked" );
+	QWriteLocker lck( &XMLlock );
 	
 	qDeleteAll( compounds );	compounds.clear();
 	qDeleteAll( blocks );		blocks.clear();
@@ -378,10 +377,7 @@ QString NifModel::parseXmlDescription( const QString & filename )
 	{
 		f.setFileName( ":/res/nif.xml" );
 		if ( ! f.open( QIODevice::ReadOnly | QIODevice::Text ) )
-		{
-			XMLlock.unlock();
 			return QString( "error: couldn't open xml description file: " + filename );
-		}
 	}
 	
 	NifXmlHandler handler;
@@ -399,8 +395,6 @@ QString NifModel::parseXmlDescription( const QString & filename )
 		supportedVersions.clear();
 	}
 	
-	XMLlock.unlock();
-	
 	return handler.errorString();
 }