diff --git a/apps/lock_manager/conf/__init__.py b/apps/lock_manager/conf/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/apps/lock_manager/conf/settings.py b/apps/lock_manager/conf/settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..05f4ae374c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/lock_manager/conf/settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+from django.conf import settings
+
+DEFAULT_LOCK_TIMEOUT_VALUE = 10
+
+DEFAULT_LOCK_TIMEOUT = getattr(settings, 'LOCK_MANAGER_DEFAULT_LOCK_TIMEOUT', DEFAULT_LOCK_TIMEOUT_VALUE)
diff --git a/apps/lock_manager/exceptions.py b/apps/lock_manager/exceptions.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cede7b1642
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/lock_manager/exceptions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+class LockError(Exception):
+    pass
diff --git a/apps/lock_manager/managers.py b/apps/lock_manager/managers.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..96c57ca02b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/lock_manager/managers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+try:
+    from psycopg2 import OperationalError
+except ImportError:
+    class OperationalError(Exception):
+        pass
+
+import datetime
+
+from django.db.utils import DatabaseError
+from django.db.utils import IntegrityError
+from django.db import transaction
+from django.db import models
+
+from lock_manager.exceptions import LockError
+
+
+class LockManager(models.Manager):
+    @transaction.commit_manually
+    def acquire_lock(self, name, timeout=None):
+        lock = self.model(name=name, timeout=timeout)
+        try:
+            lock.save(force_insert=True)
+        except IntegrityError:
+            transaction.rollback()
+            # There is already an existing lock
+            # Check it's expiration date and if expired, delete it and 
+            # create it again
+            lock = self.model.objects.get(name=name)
+            transaction.rollback()
+
+            if datetime.datetime.now() > lock.creation_datetime + datetime.timedelta(seconds=lock.timeout):
+                self.release_lock(name)
+                lock.timeout=timeout
+                lock.save()
+                transaction.commit()
+            else:
+                raise LockError('Unable to acquire lock')
+        except DatabaseError:
+            transaction.rollback()
+            # Special case for ./manage.py syncdb
+        except (OperationalError, ImproperlyConfigured):
+            transaction.rollback()
+            # Special for DjangoZoom, which executes collectstatic media
+            # doing syncdb and creating the database tables
+        else:
+            transaction.commit()
+        
+    @transaction.commit_manually
+    def release_lock(self, name):
+        lock = self.model.objects.get(name=name)
+        lock.delete()
+        transaction.commit()
diff --git a/apps/lock_manager/models.py b/apps/lock_manager/models.py
index 56a2d3e483..53c6b6e49d 100644
--- a/apps/lock_manager/models.py
+++ b/apps/lock_manager/models.py
@@ -2,42 +2,14 @@ import datetime
 
 from django.db import models
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
-from django.db.utils import IntegrityError
-from django.db import transaction
 
+from lock_manager.managers import LockManager
+from lock_manager.conf.settings import DEFAULT_LOCK_TIMEOUT
 
-class LockError(Exception):
-    pass
-
-class LockManager(models.Manager):
-    @transaction.commit_manually
-    def acquire_lock(self, name):
-        lock = self.model(name=name)
-        try:
-            lock.save(force_insert=True)
-        except IntegrityError:
-            transaction.rollback()
-            # There is already an existing lock
-            # Check it's expiration date and if expired delete it and 
-            # re-create it
-            lock = Lock.objects.get(name=name)
-            if datetime.datetime.now() > lock.creation_datetime + datetime.timedelta(seconds=lock.expiration):
-                release_lock(self)
-                lock.save()
-            else:
-                raise LockError('Unable to acquire lock')
-        else:
-            transaction.commit()
-        
-    @transaction.commit_manually
-    def release_lock(self, name):
-        lock = Lock.objects.get(name=name)
-        lock.delete()
-        transaction.commit()
 
 class Lock(models.Model):
     creation_datetime = models.DateTimeField(verbose_name=_(u'creation datetime'))
-    expiration_time = models.IntegerField(default=3600, verbose_name=_(u'expiration time'))
+    timeout = models.IntegerField(default=DEFAULT_LOCK_TIMEOUT, verbose_name=_(u'timeout'))
     name = models.CharField(max_length=32, verbose_name=_(u'name'), unique=True)
     
     objects = LockManager()