diff --git a/eventstore/mmm/lockfile_test.go b/eventstore/mmm/lockfile_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a25f488
--- /dev/null
+++ b/eventstore/mmm/lockfile_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package mmm
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestLockfile(t *testing.T) {
+	// create a temporary directory for the test
+	tmpDir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "mmm-lockfile-test-*")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+
+	// initialize first MMM instance
+	mmmm1 := &MultiMmapManager{Dir: tmpDir}
+	err = mmmm1.Init()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer mmmm1.Close()
+
+	// try to initialize second MMM instance on the same directory
+	mmmm2 := &MultiMmapManager{Dir: tmpDir}
+	err = mmmm2.Init()
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "already in use by another instance")
+
+	// close first instance
+	mmmm1.Close()
+
+	// now second instance should be able to open
+	err = mmmm2.Init()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	mmmm2.Close()
+}
diff --git a/eventstore/mmm/mmmm.go b/eventstore/mmm/mmmm.go
index 43dc2b5..3e82613 100644
--- a/eventstore/mmm/mmmm.go
+++ b/eventstore/mmm/mmmm.go
@@ -56,6 +56,15 @@ func (b *MultiMmapManager) Init() error {
 		b.Logger = &nopLogger
 	}
 
+	// create lockfile to prevent multiple instances
+	lockfilePath := filepath.Join(b.Dir, "mmmm.lock")
+	if _, err := os.OpenFile(lockfilePath, os.O_CREATE|os.O_EXCL|os.O_RDWR, 0644); err != nil {
+		if os.IsExist(err) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("database at %s is already in use by another instance", b.Dir)
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create lockfile %s: %w", lockfilePath, err)
+	}
+
 	// create directory if it doesn't exist
 	dbpath := filepath.Join(b.Dir, "mmmm")
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(dbpath, 0755); err != nil {
@@ -333,4 +342,8 @@ func (b *MultiMmapManager) Close() {
 	}
 
 	syscall.Munmap(b.mmapf)
+
+	// remove lockfile
+	lockfilePath := filepath.Join(b.Dir, "mmmm.lock")
+	os.Remove(lockfilePath)
 }