diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d4e60da..1d3d1ef 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ return [
 | global            | `true`                | all HTTP_HOSTs will share the same cache                                     |
 | atomic            | `true`                | will lock the cache while a request is processed to achieve data consistency |
 | sleep             | `1000`                | duration in MICRO seconds before checking the lock again                     |
+| auto-unlock-cache | `true`                | will forcibly unlock the cache if it could not get a lock within set time    |
 | auto-clean-cache  | `true`                | will clean the cache once before the first get()                             |
 | patch-dir-class   | always on             | monkey-patch the \Kirby\Filesystem\Dir class to use Nitro for caching        |
 | patch-files-class | `true`                | monkey-patch the \Kirby\CMS\Files class to use Nitro for caching its content |
diff --git a/classes/Nitro/SingleFileCache.php b/classes/Nitro/SingleFileCache.php
index f2c1d8d..a50c2b3 100644
--- a/classes/Nitro/SingleFileCache.php
+++ b/classes/Nitro/SingleFileCache.php
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ public function __construct(array $options = [])
             'global' => option('bnomei.nitro.global'),
             'atomic' => option('bnomei.nitro.atomic'),
             'sleep' => option('bnomei.nitro.sleep'),
+            'auto-unlock-cache' => option('bnomei.nitro.auto-unlock-cache'),
             'auto-clean-cache' => option('bnomei.nitro.auto-clean-cache'),
             'json-encode-flags' => option('bnomei.nitro.json-encode-flags'),
             'cacheDir' => realpath(__DIR__.'/../').'/cache', // must be here as well for when used without nitro like as uuid cache
@@ -175,6 +176,7 @@ protected function file(?string $key = null): string
     public function write(bool $lock = true): bool
     {
         // if is atomic but has no file, don't write
+        // this might happen if other request force unlocked the cache
         if ($this->options['atomic'] && ! F::exists($this->file().'.lock')) {
             return false;
         }
@@ -271,16 +273,23 @@ private function atomic(): bool
         if ($maxExecutionTime === 0) {
             $maxExecutionTime = 30; // default, might happen in xdebug mode
         }
+        // leave 5 seconds for script execution
+        $maxExecutionTime = $maxExecutionTime - 5 > 0 ? $maxExecutionTime - 5 : ceil($maxExecutionTime / 2);
         $maxCycles = $maxExecutionTime * 1000 * 1000; // seconds to microseconds
         $sleep = $this->options['sleep'];
 
         while ($this->isLocked()) {
+            usleep($sleep);
             $maxCycles -= $sleep;
+
             if ($maxCycles <= 0) {
-                throw new \Exception('Something is very wrong. SingleFileCache could not get lock within '.$maxExecutionTime.' seconds! Are using xdebug breakpoints or maybe you need to forcibly `kirby nitro:unlock`?');
+                if ($this->options['auto-unlock-cache']) {
+                    $this->unlock();
+                    break;
+                } else {
+                    throw new \Exception('Something is very wrong. SingleFileCache could not get lock within ' . $maxExecutionTime . ' seconds! Are using xdebug breakpoints or maybe you need to forcibly `kirby nitro:unlock`?');
+                }
             }
-
-            usleep($sleep);
         }
 
         return $this->lock();
diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index 7824d49..1c565ea 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
     "name": "bnomei/kirby-nitro",
     "type": "kirby-plugin",
-    "version": "2.0.1",
+    "version": "2.1.0",
     "description": "Nitro speeds up the loading of content in your Kirby project.",
     "license": "MIT",
     "authors": [
diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index 867d327..6573b29 100644
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ function nitro(): \Bnomei\Nitro
         'atomic' => true,
         'sleep' => 1_000, // MICROSECONDS with usleep, 1ms
         'patch-files-class' => true,
+        'auto-unlock-cache' => true,
         'auto-clean-cache' => true,
         'max-dirty-cache' => 512, // write every N changes or on destruct
         'json-encode-flags' => JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR, // | JSON_INVALID_UTF8_IGNORE,
diff --git a/vendor/composer/installed.php b/vendor/composer/installed.php
index f05ced9..fbc2a94 100644
--- a/vendor/composer/installed.php
+++ b/vendor/composer/installed.php
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 <?php return array(
     'root' => array(
         'name' => 'bnomei/kirby-nitro',
-        'pretty_version' => '2.0.1',
-        'version' => '2.0.1.0',
+        'pretty_version' => '2.1.0',
+        'version' => '2.1.0.0',
         'reference' => null,
         'type' => 'kirby-plugin',
         'install_path' => __DIR__ . '/../../',
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
     ),
     'versions' => array(
         'bnomei/kirby-nitro' => array(
-            'pretty_version' => '2.0.1',
-            'version' => '2.0.1.0',
+            'pretty_version' => '2.1.0',
+            'version' => '2.1.0.0',
             'reference' => null,
             'type' => 'kirby-plugin',
             'install_path' => __DIR__ . '/../../',