diff --git a/modules/translation/i18n/i18n.go b/modules/translation/i18n/i18n.go
index acce5f19fb0dc..268aca3ae8c43 100644
--- a/modules/translation/i18n/i18n.go
+++ b/modules/translation/i18n/i18n.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/log"
@@ -31,11 +32,11 @@ type locale struct {
 
 	sourceFileName      string
 	sourceFileInfo      os.FileInfo
-	lastReloadCheckTime time.Time
+	lastReloadCheckTime atomic.Value
 }
 
 type LocaleStore struct {
-	reloadMu *sync.Mutex // for non-prod(dev), use a mutex for live-reload. for prod, no mutex, no live-reload.
+	reloadMu *sync.RWMutex // for non-prod(dev), use a mutex for live-reload. for prod, no mutex, no live-reload.
 
 	langNames []string
 	langDescs []string
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ type LocaleStore struct {
 func NewLocaleStore(isProd bool) *LocaleStore {
 	ls := &LocaleStore{localeMap: make(map[string]*locale), textIdxMap: make(map[string]int)}
 	if !isProd {
-		ls.reloadMu = &sync.Mutex{}
+		ls.reloadMu = &sync.RWMutex{}
 	}
 	return ls
 }
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ func (ls *LocaleStore) AddLocaleByIni(langName, langDesc string, source interfac
 	if fileName, ok := source.(string); ok {
 		lc.sourceFileName = fileName
 		lc.sourceFileInfo, _ = os.Stat(fileName) // live-reload only works for regular files. the error can be ignored
+		lc.lastReloadCheckTime.Store(&time.Time{})
 	}
 
 	ls.langNames = append(ls.langNames, langName)
@@ -136,25 +138,39 @@ func (ls *LocaleStore) Tr(lang, trKey string, trArgs ...interface{}) string {
 // Tr translates content to locale language. fall back to default language.
 func (l *locale) Tr(trKey string, trArgs ...interface{}) string {
 	if l.store.reloadMu != nil {
-		l.store.reloadMu.Lock()
-		defer l.store.reloadMu.Unlock()
+		l.store.reloadMu.RLock()
+		defer l.store.reloadMu.RUnlock()
+	}
+	msg, _ := l.tryTr(trKey, trArgs...)
+	return msg
+}
+
+func (l *locale) tryTr(trKey string, trArgs ...interface{}) (msg string, found bool) {
+	if l.store.reloadMu != nil {
 		now := time.Now()
-		if now.Sub(l.lastReloadCheckTime) >= time.Second && l.sourceFileInfo != nil && l.sourceFileName != "" {
-			l.lastReloadCheckTime = now
-			if sourceFileInfo, err := os.Stat(l.sourceFileName); err == nil && !sourceFileInfo.ModTime().Equal(l.sourceFileInfo.ModTime()) {
+		lastCheckTime, ok := l.lastReloadCheckTime.Load().(*time.Time)
+		if ok && now.Sub(*lastCheckTime) >= time.Second && l.sourceFileInfo != nil {
+			lastModTime := l.sourceFileInfo.ModTime()
+			l.store.reloadMu.RUnlock() // the file may need to be reloaded with a write-lock, release the read-lock first
+
+			sourceFileInfo, err := os.Stat(l.sourceFileName)
+			casOk := l.lastReloadCheckTime.CompareAndSwap(lastCheckTime, &now)
+			if err == nil && casOk && !sourceFileInfo.ModTime().Equal(lastModTime) {
+				l.store.reloadMu.Lock() // acquire the write-lock only if the file need to be reloaded
 				if err = l.store.reloadLocaleByIni(l.langName, l.sourceFileName); err == nil {
 					l.sourceFileInfo = sourceFileInfo
+					log.Info("reloaded locale file %q", l.sourceFileName)
 				} else {
 					log.Error("unable to live-reload the locale file %q, err: %v", l.sourceFileName, err)
 				}
+				l.store.reloadMu.Unlock() // release the write-lock
+			} else if err != nil {
+				log.Error("unable to stat the locale file %q, err: %v", l.sourceFileName, err)
 			}
+
+			l.store.reloadMu.RLock() // re-acquire the read-lock, which was managed by outer Tr function
 		}
 	}
-	msg, _ := l.tryTr(trKey, trArgs...)
-	return msg
-}
-
-func (l *locale) tryTr(trKey string, trArgs ...interface{}) (msg string, found bool) {
 	trMsg := trKey
 	textIdx, ok := l.store.textIdxMap[trKey]
 	if ok {