diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/execution/WorkflowExecutor.java b/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/execution/WorkflowExecutor.java
index 0b4396048..b70c4c5ed 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/execution/WorkflowExecutor.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/execution/WorkflowExecutor.java
@@ -105,12 +105,6 @@ void restart(String workflowId, boolean useLatestDefinitions)
      */
     WorkflowModel decide(String workflowId);
 
-    /**
-     * @param workflow workflow to be evaluated
-     * @return updated workflow
-     */
-    WorkflowModel decideWithLock(WorkflowModel workflow);
-
     /**
      * @param workflowId id of the workflow to be terminated
      * @param reason termination reason to be recorded
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/execution/WorkflowExecutorOps.java b/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/execution/WorkflowExecutorOps.java
index 8c8db4b57..f40a32297 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/execution/WorkflowExecutorOps.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/execution/WorkflowExecutorOps.java
@@ -1039,33 +1039,6 @@ public WorkflowModel decide(String workflowId) {
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * This method overloads the {@link #decide(String)}. It will acquire a lock and evaluate the
-     * state of the workflow.
-     *
-     * @param workflow the workflow to evaluate the state for
-     * @return the workflow
-     */
-    @Override
-    public WorkflowModel decideWithLock(WorkflowModel workflow) {
-        if (workflow == null) {
-            return null;
-        }
-        StopWatch watch = new StopWatch();
-        watch.start();
-        if (!executionLockService.acquireLock(workflow.getWorkflowId())) {
-            return null;
-        }
-        try {
-            return decide(workflow);
-
-        } finally {
-            executionLockService.releaseLock(workflow.getWorkflowId());
-            watch.stop();
-            Monitors.recordWorkflowDecisionTime(watch.getTime());
-        }
-    }
-
     /**
      * @param workflow the workflow to evaluate the state for
      * @return true if the workflow has completed (success or failed), false otherwise. Note: This
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/WorkflowSweeper.java b/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/WorkflowSweeper.java
index b12529a62..3f5a9c5b6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/WorkflowSweeper.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/WorkflowSweeper.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 import com.netflix.conductor.model.TaskModel;
 import com.netflix.conductor.model.TaskModel.Status;
 import com.netflix.conductor.model.WorkflowModel;
+import com.netflix.conductor.service.ExecutionLockService;
 
 import static com.netflix.conductor.core.config.SchedulerConfiguration.SWEEPER_EXECUTOR_NAME;
 import static com.netflix.conductor.core.utils.Utils.DECIDER_QUEUE;
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ public class WorkflowSweeper {
     private final WorkflowRepairService workflowRepairService;
     private final QueueDAO queueDAO;
     private final ExecutionDAOFacade executionDAOFacade;
+    private final ExecutionLockService executionLockService;
 
     private static final String CLASS_NAME = WorkflowSweeper.class.getSimpleName();
 
@@ -57,12 +59,14 @@ public WorkflowSweeper(
             Optional<WorkflowRepairService> workflowRepairService,
             ConductorProperties properties,
             QueueDAO queueDAO,
-            ExecutionDAOFacade executionDAOFacade) {
+            ExecutionDAOFacade executionDAOFacade,
+            ExecutionLockService executionLockService) {
         this.properties = properties;
         this.queueDAO = queueDAO;
         this.workflowExecutor = workflowExecutor;
         this.executionDAOFacade = executionDAOFacade;
         this.workflowRepairService = workflowRepairService.orElse(null);
+        this.executionLockService = executionLockService;
         LOGGER.info("WorkflowSweeper initialized.");
     }
 
@@ -73,25 +77,26 @@ public CompletableFuture<Void> sweepAsync(String workflowId) {
     }
 
     public void sweep(String workflowId) {
+        WorkflowContext workflowContext = new WorkflowContext(properties.getAppId());
+        WorkflowContext.set(workflowContext);
         WorkflowModel workflow = null;
         try {
-            WorkflowContext workflowContext = new WorkflowContext(properties.getAppId());
-            WorkflowContext.set(workflowContext);
-            LOGGER.debug("Running sweeper for workflow {}", workflowId);
-
+            if (!executionLockService.acquireLock(workflowId)) {
+                return;
+            }
             workflow = executionDAOFacade.getWorkflowModel(workflowId, true);
-
+            LOGGER.debug("Running sweeper for workflow {}", workflowId);
             if (workflowRepairService != null) {
                 // Verify and repair tasks in the workflow.
                 workflowRepairService.verifyAndRepairWorkflowTasks(workflow);
             }
-
-            workflow = workflowExecutor.decideWithLock(workflow);
+            long decideStartTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
+            workflow = workflowExecutor.decide(workflow.getWorkflowId());
+            Monitors.recordWorkflowDecisionTime(System.currentTimeMillis() - decideStartTime);
             if (workflow != null && workflow.getStatus().isTerminal()) {
                 queueDAO.remove(DECIDER_QUEUE, workflowId);
                 return;
             }
-
         } catch (NotFoundException nfe) {
             queueDAO.remove(DECIDER_QUEUE, workflowId);
             LOGGER.info(
@@ -100,6 +105,8 @@ public void sweep(String workflowId) {
         } catch (Exception e) {
             Monitors.error(CLASS_NAME, "sweep");
             LOGGER.error("Error running sweep for " + workflowId, e);
+        } finally {
+            executionLockService.releaseLock(workflowId);
         }
         long workflowOffsetTimeout =
                 workflowOffsetWithJitter(properties.getWorkflowOffsetTimeout().getSeconds());
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/TestWorkflowSweeper.java b/core/src/test/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/TestWorkflowSweeper.java
index 5accfb580..53bd3bb48 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/TestWorkflowSweeper.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/TestWorkflowSweeper.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 import com.netflix.conductor.model.TaskModel;
 import com.netflix.conductor.model.TaskModel.Status;
 import com.netflix.conductor.model.WorkflowModel;
+import com.netflix.conductor.service.ExecutionLockService;
 
 import static com.netflix.conductor.core.utils.Utils.DECIDER_QUEUE;
 
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ public class TestWorkflowSweeper {
     private QueueDAO queueDAO;
     private ExecutionDAOFacade executionDAOFacade;
     private WorkflowSweeper workflowSweeper;
+    private ExecutionLockService executionLockService;
 
     private int defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds = 1800;
 
@@ -55,13 +57,15 @@ public void setUp() {
         queueDAO = mock(QueueDAO.class);
         workflowRepairService = mock(WorkflowRepairService.class);
         executionDAOFacade = mock(ExecutionDAOFacade.class);
+        executionLockService = mock(ExecutionLockService.class);
         workflowSweeper =
                 new WorkflowSweeper(
                         workflowExecutor,
                         Optional.of(workflowRepairService),
                         properties,
                         queueDAO,
-                        executionDAOFacade);
+                        executionDAOFacade,
+                        executionLockService);
     }
 
     @Test