diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajacommon.cpp b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajacommon.cpp
index bd0e5fd41b..8b749a017b 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajacommon.cpp
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajacommon.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <fcntl.h>
-#include <semaphore.h>
+#include <sys/file.h>
 
 #include "gstajacommon.h"
 
@@ -713,8 +713,20 @@ GstAjaNtv2Device *gst_aja_ntv2_device_obtain(const gchar *device_identifier) {
     return NULL;
   }
 
+  gchar *path = g_strdup_printf("/dev/ajantv2%d", device->GetIndexNumber());
+  int fd = open(path, O_RDONLY);
+  if (fd < 0) {
+    GST_ERROR("Failed to open device node %s: %s", path, g_strerror(errno));
+    delete device;
+    g_free(path);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+
   GstAjaNtv2Device *dev = g_atomic_rc_box_new0(GstAjaNtv2Device);
   dev->device = device;
+  dev->fd = fd;
+
+  g_free(path);
 
   return dev;
 }
@@ -728,35 +740,18 @@ void gst_aja_ntv2_device_unref(GstAjaNtv2Device *device) {
     GstAjaNtv2Device *dev = (GstAjaNtv2Device *)data;
 
     delete dev->device;
+    close(dev->fd);
   });
 }
 
-static gpointer init_setup_mutex(gpointer data) {
-  sem_t *s = SEM_FAILED;
-  s = sem_open("/gstreamer-aja-sem", O_CREAT, S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR, 1);
-  if (s == SEM_FAILED) {
-    g_critical("Failed to create SHM semaphore for GStreamer AJA plugin: %s",
-               g_strerror(errno));
-  }
-  return s;
+GstAjaNtv2DeviceLocker::GstAjaNtv2DeviceLocker(GstAjaNtv2Device *device) {
+  _device = gst_aja_ntv2_device_ref(device);
+  flock(_device->fd, LOCK_EX);
 }
 
-static sem_t *get_setup_mutex(void) {
-  static GOnce once = G_ONCE_INIT;
-
-  g_once(&once, init_setup_mutex, NULL);
-
-  return (sem_t *)once.retval;
-}
-
-ShmMutexLocker::ShmMutexLocker() {
-  sem_t *s = get_setup_mutex();
-  if (s != SEM_FAILED) sem_wait(s);
-}
-
-ShmMutexLocker::~ShmMutexLocker() {
-  sem_t *s = get_setup_mutex();
-  if (s != SEM_FAILED) sem_post(s);
+GstAjaNtv2DeviceLocker::~GstAjaNtv2DeviceLocker() {
+  flock(_device->fd, LOCK_UN);
+  gst_aja_ntv2_device_unref(_device);
 }
 
 static guint gst_aja_device_get_frame_multiplier(GstAjaNtv2Device *device,
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajacommon.h b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajacommon.h
index 1629cf08a2..ed1c638bf8 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajacommon.h
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajacommon.h
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ GstAjaAudioMeta *gst_buffer_add_aja_audio_meta(GstBuffer *buffer,
 
 typedef struct {
   CNTV2Card *device;
+  int fd;
 } GstAjaNtv2Device;
 
 G_GNUC_INTERNAL
@@ -319,10 +320,12 @@ void gst_aja_common_init(void);
 
 G_END_DECLS
 
-class ShmMutexLocker {
+class GstAjaNtv2DeviceLocker {
  public:
-  ShmMutexLocker();
-  ~ShmMutexLocker();
+  GstAjaNtv2DeviceLocker(GstAjaNtv2Device *device);
+  ~GstAjaNtv2DeviceLocker();
+ private:
+  GstAjaNtv2Device *_device;
 };
 
 G_GNUC_INTERNAL
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajasink.cpp b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajasink.cpp
index f071616a24..959856bdc0 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajasink.cpp
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajasink.cpp
@@ -724,7 +724,7 @@ static gboolean gst_aja_sink_set_caps(GstBaseSink *bsink, GstCaps *caps) {
 
   // Make sure to globally lock here as the routing settings and others are
   // global shared state
-  ShmMutexLocker locker;
+  GstAjaNtv2DeviceLocker locker(self->device);
 
   if (!::NTV2DeviceCanDoVideoFormat(self->device_id, video_format)) {
     GST_ERROR_OBJECT(self, "Device does not support mode %d",
@@ -1931,7 +1931,7 @@ restart:
   {
     // Make sure to globally lock here as the routing settings and others are
     // global shared state
-    ShmMutexLocker locker;
+    GstAjaNtv2DeviceLocker locker(self->device);
 
     self->device->device->AutoCirculateStop(self->channel);
 
@@ -2238,7 +2238,7 @@ restart:
 out: {
   // Make sure to globally lock here as the routing settings and others are
   // global shared state
-  ShmMutexLocker locker;
+  GstAjaNtv2DeviceLocker locker(self->device);
 
   self->device->device->AutoCirculateStop(self->channel);
   self->device->device->UnsubscribeOutputVerticalEvent(self->channel);
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajasrc.cpp b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajasrc.cpp
index 9655ca526d..012c0ab8f7 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajasrc.cpp
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/aja/gstajasrc.cpp
@@ -623,7 +623,7 @@ static gboolean gst_aja_src_close(GstAjaSrc *self) {
   return TRUE;
 }
 
-// Must be called with ShmMutexLocker
+// Must be called with GstAjaNtv2DeviceLocker
 static gboolean gst_aja_src_configure(GstAjaSrc *self) {
   GST_DEBUG_OBJECT(self, "Starting");
 
@@ -2301,7 +2301,7 @@ restart:
 
       // Make sure to globally lock here as the routing settings and others are
       // global shared state
-      ShmMutexLocker locker;
+      GstAjaNtv2DeviceLocker locker(self->device);
 
       if (!gst_aja_src_configure(self)) {
         g_mutex_lock(&self->queue_lock);
@@ -2788,7 +2788,7 @@ restart:
 out: {
   // Make sure to globally lock here as the routing settings and others are
   // global shared state
-  ShmMutexLocker locker;
+  GstAjaNtv2DeviceLocker locker(self->device);
 
   self->device->device->AutoCirculateStop(self->channel);
   self->device->device->UnsubscribeInputVerticalEvent(self->channel);