diff --git a/entry.go b/entry.go
index 36a1614..a4d6e66 100644
--- a/entry.go
+++ b/entry.go
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 package icache
 
-import "sync"
-
 type entries[T any] map[uint64]*entry[T]
 
 type entrySlice[T any] []*entry[T]
@@ -13,5 +11,4 @@ type entry[T any] struct {
 	expiresAt int64
 	tags      []uint64
 	deleted   bool
-	rw        sync.RWMutex
 }
diff --git a/pot.go b/pot.go
index 5e795d6..6ab8c6d 100644
--- a/pot.go
+++ b/pot.go
@@ -58,16 +58,10 @@ func (p *pot[T]) Purge() {
 }
 
 func (p *pot[T]) Len() int {
-	p.windowRW.RLock()
-	defer p.windowRW.RUnlock()
-
 	return p.shards.EntriesLen()
 }
 
 func (p *pot[T]) Exists(key string) (ok bool) {
-	p.windowRW.RLock()
-	defer p.windowRW.RUnlock()
-
 	k, shard := keyGen(key)
 	exists := p.shards[shard].EntryExists(k)
 
@@ -75,16 +69,11 @@ func (p *pot[T]) Exists(key string) (ok bool) {
 }
 
 func (p *pot[T]) ExpireTime(key string) (t *time.Time, err error) {
-	p.windowRW.RLock()
-	defer p.windowRW.RUnlock()
-
 	e, ok := p.getEntry(key)
 	if !ok {
 		return nil, ErrNotFound
 	}
 
-	e.rw.RLock()
-	defer e.rw.RUnlock()
 	ti := time.UnixMilli(e.expiresAt)
 	return &ti, nil
 }
@@ -100,9 +89,6 @@ func (p *pot[T]) getEntry(key string) (*entry[T], bool) {
 }
 
 func (p *pot[T]) GetByTag(tag string) ([]T, error) {
-	p.windowRW.RLock()
-	defer p.windowRW.RUnlock()
-
 	entries := p.tags.getEntriesWithTags(tagKeyGen(tag)...)
 	if len(entries) == 0 {
 		return nil, ErrNotFound
@@ -115,16 +101,11 @@ func (p *pot[T]) GetByTag(tag string) ([]T, error) {
 }
 
 func (p *pot[T]) Get(key string) (v T, err error) {
-	p.windowRW.RLock()
-	defer p.windowRW.RUnlock()
-
 	e, ok := p.getEntry(key)
 	if !ok {
 		return v, ErrNotFound
 	}
 
-	e.rw.RLock()
-	defer e.rw.RUnlock()
 	if e.deleted {
 		p.dropEntry(e)
 		return v, ErrNotFound
@@ -135,9 +116,6 @@ func (p *pot[T]) Get(key string) (v T, err error) {
 
 func (p *pot[T]) Set(key string, v T, tags ...string) {
 	expireTime := time.Now().Add(p.ttl).UnixNano()
-	p.windowRW.Lock()
-	defer p.windowRW.Unlock()
-
 	k, shard := keyGen(key)
 	e, found := p.shards[shard].GetEntry(k)
 	if found {
@@ -153,7 +131,9 @@ func (p *pot[T]) Set(key string, v T, tags ...string) {
 	}
 
 	if p.ttl > 0 {
+		p.windowRW.Lock()
 		p.window = append(p.window, e)
+		p.windowRW.Unlock()
 	}
 
 	p.tags.add(e)
@@ -161,8 +141,6 @@ func (p *pot[T]) Set(key string, v T, tags ...string) {
 }
 
 func (p *pot[T]) DropTags(tags ...string) {
-	p.windowRW.Lock()
-	defer p.windowRW.Unlock()
 	entriesToDrop := p.tags.getEntriesWithTags(tagKeyGen(tags...)...)
 	for _, e := range entriesToDrop {
 		p.dropEntry(e)
@@ -170,8 +148,6 @@ func (p *pot[T]) DropTags(tags ...string) {
 }
 
 func (p *pot[T]) Drop(keys ...string) {
-	p.windowRW.Lock()
-	defer p.windowRW.Unlock()
 	for _, key := range keys {
 		if e, ok := p.getEntry(key); ok {
 			p.dropEntry(e)
@@ -181,7 +157,6 @@ func (p *pot[T]) Drop(keys ...string) {
 
 func (p *pot[T]) dropExpiredEntries(at time.Time) {
 	now := at.UnixNano()
-
 	p.windowRW.Lock()
 	defer p.windowRW.Unlock()
 
@@ -191,15 +166,12 @@ func (p *pot[T]) dropExpiredEntries(at time.Time) {
 			expiredWindows++
 			continue
 		}
-		e.rw.Lock()
 		if e.expiresAt >= now { // not expired yet
-			e.rw.Unlock()
 			break
 		}
 		e.deleted = true
 		p.dropEntry(e)
 		expiredWindows++
-		e.rw.Unlock()
 	}
 	if expiredWindows > 0 {
 		remaining := len(p.window) - expiredWindows
diff --git a/shard.go b/shard.go
index 920fdde..79e9576 100644
--- a/shard.go
+++ b/shard.go
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@ func (s *shard[T]) EntryExists(key uint64) bool {
 	if !ok || e == nil {
 		return false
 	}
-	e.rw.RLock()
-	defer e.rw.RUnlock()
 	return !e.deleted
 }
 
diff --git a/tags.go b/tags.go
index e585228..bf4599d 100644
--- a/tags.go
+++ b/tags.go
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ func (t *tags[T]) dropTagIfNoOtherEntriesExist(tag uint64) {
 }
 
 func (t *tags[T]) getEntriesWithTags(tags ...uint64) entrySlice[T] {
+
 	t.rw.RLock()
 	defer t.rw.RUnlock()
 
@@ -58,11 +59,9 @@ func (t *tags[T]) getEntriesWithTags(tags ...uint64) entrySlice[T] {
 			if e == nil {
 				continue
 			}
-			e.rw.RLock()
 			if !e.deleted {
 				results = append(results, e)
 			}
-			e.rw.RUnlock()
 		}
 	}
 	return results