diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/locks/ProcessLockUtils.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/locks/ProcessLockUtils.java
index 3307eb5e..e2a66164 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/locks/ProcessLockUtils.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/locks/ProcessLockUtils.java
@@ -44,7 +44,9 @@ import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.actions.tables.update.UpdateInput;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.data.QRecord;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.session.QSession;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils.CollectionUtils;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils.ObjectUtils;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils.SleepUtils;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils.StringUtils;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils.ValueUtils;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils.memoization.Memoization;
 import static com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.logging.LogUtils.logPair;
@@ -80,7 +82,10 @@ public class ProcessLockUtils
       }
 
       QSession qSession = QContext.getQSession();
-      holder = qSession.getUser().getIdReference() + "-" + qSession.getUuid() + "-" + holder;
+      holder = ObjectUtils.tryAndRequireNonNullElse(() -> qSession.getUser().getIdReference(), "anonymous")
+         + "-"
+         + ObjectUtils.tryAndRequireNonNullElse(() -> qSession.getUuid(), "no-session")
+         + (StringUtils.hasContent(holder) ? ("-" + holder) : "");
 
       Instant now = Instant.now();
       ProcessLock processLock = new ProcessLock()
@@ -240,9 +245,53 @@ public class ProcessLockUtils
    /*******************************************************************************
     **
     *******************************************************************************/
-   public static void release(ProcessLock processLock) throws QException
+   public static void releaseById(Integer id)
    {
-      DeleteOutput deleteOutput = new DeleteAction().execute(new DeleteInput(ProcessLock.TABLE_NAME).withPrimaryKey(processLock.getId()));
+      if(id == null)
+      {
+         LOG.debug("No id passed in to releaseById - returning with noop");
+         return;
+      }
+
+      ProcessLock processLock = null;
+      try
+      {
+         processLock = ProcessLockUtils.getById(id);
+         if(processLock == null)
+         {
+            LOG.info("Process lock not found in releaseById call", logPair("id", id));
+         }
+      }
+      catch(QException e)
+      {
+         LOG.warn("Exception releasing processLock byId", e, logPair("id", id));
+      }
+
+      if(processLock != null)
+      {
+         release(processLock);
+      }
+   }
+
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   public static void release(ProcessLock processLock)
+   {
+      try
+      {
+         DeleteOutput deleteOutput = new DeleteAction().execute(new DeleteInput(ProcessLock.TABLE_NAME).withPrimaryKey(processLock.getId()));
+         if(CollectionUtils.nullSafeHasContents(deleteOutput.getRecordsWithErrors()))
+         {
+            throw (new QException("Error deleting processLock record: " + deleteOutput.getRecordsWithErrors().get(0).getErrorsAsString()));
+         }
+      }
+      catch(QException e)
+      {
+         LOG.warn("Exception releasing processLock", e, logPair("processLockId", () -> processLock.getId()));
+      }
    }
 
 
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/locks/ProcessLockUtilsTest.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/locks/ProcessLockUtilsTest.java
index b665fed0..5c17420c 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/locks/ProcessLockUtilsTest.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/test/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/processes/locks/ProcessLockUtilsTest.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.actions.tables.insert.InsertInput;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.MetaDataProducerMultiOutput;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.QInstance;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.metadata.tables.QTableMetaData;
+import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.model.session.QUser;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils.SleepUtils;
 import com.kingsrook.qqq.backend.core.utils.TestUtils;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
@@ -189,8 +190,56 @@ class ProcessLockUtilsTest extends BaseTest
       ProcessLockUtils.checkIn(processLock);
 
       ProcessLock freshLock = ProcessLockUtils.getById(processLock.getId());
+      assertNotNull(freshLock);
       assertNotEquals(originalCheckIn, freshLock.getCheckInTimestamp());
       assertNotEquals(originalExpiration, freshLock.getExpiresAtTimestamp());
    }
 
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   @Test
+   void testReleaseById() throws QException
+   {
+      ////////////////////////////////////////////
+      // assert no exceptions for these 2 cases //
+      ////////////////////////////////////////////
+      ProcessLockUtils.releaseById(null);
+      ProcessLockUtils.releaseById(1);
+
+      ProcessLock processLock = ProcessLockUtils.create("1", "typeA", "me");
+      ProcessLockUtils.releaseById(processLock.getId());
+      assertNull(ProcessLockUtils.getById(processLock.getId()));
+   }
+
+
+
+   /*******************************************************************************
+    **
+    *******************************************************************************/
+   @Test
+   void testHolders() throws QException
+   {
+      QContext.getQSession().setUser(new QUser().withIdReference("me"));
+      assertThat(ProcessLockUtils.create("1", "typeA", null).getHolder())
+         .isEqualTo("me-" + QContext.getQSession().getUuid());
+
+      assertThat(ProcessLockUtils.create("2", "typeA", "foo").getHolder())
+         .isEqualTo("me-" + QContext.getQSession().getUuid() + "-foo");
+
+      QContext.getQSession().setUser(null);
+      assertThat(ProcessLockUtils.create("3", "typeA", "bar").getHolder())
+         .isEqualTo("anonymous-" + QContext.getQSession().getUuid() + "-bar");
+
+      QContext.getQSession().setUuid(null);
+      assertThat(ProcessLockUtils.create("4", "typeA", "baz").getHolder())
+         .isEqualTo("anonymous-no-session-baz");
+
+      QContext.getQSession().setUuid(null);
+      assertThat(ProcessLockUtils.create("5", "typeA", "").getHolder())
+         .isEqualTo("anonymous-no-session");
+   }
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file