diff --git a/vfs/README.md b/vfs/README.md
index cf0e3c3..0877797 100644
--- a/vfs/README.md
+++ b/vfs/README.md
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ like SQLite.
 
 You can also opt into a cross-platform locking implementation
 with the `sqlite3_dotlk` build tag.
-The only requirement is an atomic `os.Mkdir`.
 
 Otherwise, file locking is not supported, and you must use
 [`nolock=1`](https://sqlite.org/uri.html#urinolock)
diff --git a/vfs/os_dotlk.go b/vfs/os_dotlk.go
index 1c1a49c..b00a186 100644
--- a/vfs/os_dotlk.go
+++ b/vfs/os_dotlk.go
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ func osGetSharedLock(file *os.File) _ErrorCode {
 	name := file.Name()
 	locker := vfsDotLocks[name]
 	if locker == nil {
-		err := os.Mkdir(name+".lock", 0777)
+		f, err := os.OpenFile(name+".lock", os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_EXCL, 0666)
+		f.Close()
 		if errors.Is(err, fs.ErrExist) {
 			return _BUSY // Another process has the lock.
 		}