diff --git a/cluster/leader.go b/cluster/leader.go
index f252420a..e53a873c 100644
--- a/cluster/leader.go
+++ b/cluster/leader.go
@@ -292,7 +292,8 @@ func (c *cluster) establishLeadership(ctx context.Context, emergency bool) error
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
 	c.cancelLeaderShip = cancel
 
-	go c.startSynchronizeAndRebalance(ctx, c.syncInterval, emergency)
+	go c.synchronizeAndRebalance(ctx, c.syncInterval, emergency)
+	go c.clearLocks(ctx, time.Minute)
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -300,10 +301,13 @@ func (c *cluster) establishLeadership(ctx context.Context, emergency bool) error
 func (c *cluster) revokeLeadership() {
 	c.logger.Debug().Log("Revoking leadership")
 
-	c.cancelLeaderShip()
+	if c.cancelLeaderShip != nil {
+		c.cancelLeaderShip()
+		c.cancelLeaderShip = nil
+	}
 }
 
-// startSynchronizeAndRebalance synchronizes and rebalances the processes in a given interval. Synchronizing
+// synchronizeAndRebalance synchronizes and rebalances the processes in a given interval. Synchronizing
 // takes care that all processes in the cluster DB are running on one node. It writes the process->node mapping
 // to the cluster DB such that when a new leader gets elected it knows where which process should be running.
 // This is checked against the actual state. If a node is not reachable, the leader still knows which processes
@@ -324,7 +328,7 @@ func (c *cluster) revokeLeadership() {
 //
 // The goal of synchronizing and rebalancing is to make as little moves as possible and to be tolerant for
 // a while if a node is not reachable.
-func (c *cluster) startSynchronizeAndRebalance(ctx context.Context, interval time.Duration, emergency bool) {
+func (c *cluster) synchronizeAndRebalance(ctx context.Context, interval time.Duration, emergency bool) {
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(interval)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 
@@ -350,6 +354,38 @@ func (c *cluster) startSynchronizeAndRebalance(ctx context.Context, interval tim
 	}
 }
 
+func (c *cluster) clearLocks(ctx context.Context, interval time.Duration) {
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(interval)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			locks := c.ListLocks()
+			hasExpiredLocks := false
+
+			for _, validUntil := range locks {
+				if time.Now().Before(validUntil) {
+					continue
+				}
+
+				hasExpiredLocks = true
+				break
+			}
+
+			if hasExpiredLocks {
+				c.logger.Debug().Log("Clearing locks")
+				c.applyCommand(&store.Command{
+					Operation: store.OpClearLocks,
+					Data:      &store.CommandClearLocks{},
+				})
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 var errNotEnoughResources = errors.New("no node with enough resources is available")
 var errNotEnoughResourcesForRebalancing = errors.New("no other node to move the process to is available")
 var errNoLimitsDefined = errors.New("no process limits are defined")
diff --git a/cluster/store/store.go b/cluster/store/store.go
index 47201ab8..57e28173 100644
--- a/cluster/store/store.go
+++ b/cluster/store/store.go
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ const (
 	OpSetProcessNodeMap  Operation = "setProcessNodeMap"
 	OpCreateLock         Operation = "createLock"
 	OpDeleteLock         Operation = "deleteLock"
+	OpClearLocks         Operation = "clearLocks"
 )
 
 type Command struct {
@@ -120,6 +121,8 @@ type CommandDeleteLock struct {
 	Name string
 }
 
+type CommandClearLocks struct{}
+
 type storeData struct {
 	Version        uint64
 	Process        map[string]Process
@@ -354,6 +357,18 @@ func (s *store) applyCommand(c Command) error {
 		}
 
 		err = s.deleteLock(cmd)
+	case OpClearLocks:
+		b, err = json.Marshal(c.Data)
+		if err != nil {
+			break
+		}
+		cmd := CommandClearLocks{}
+		err = json.Unmarshal(b, &cmd)
+		if err != nil {
+			break
+		}
+
+		err = s.clearLocks(cmd)
 	default:
 		s.logger.Warn().WithField("operation", c.Operation).Log("Unknown operation")
 		err = fmt.Errorf("unknown operation: %s", c.Operation)
@@ -608,6 +623,22 @@ func (s *store) deleteLock(cmd CommandDeleteLock) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (s *store) clearLocks(cmd CommandClearLocks) error {
+	s.lock.Lock()
+	defer s.lock.Unlock()
+
+	for name, validUntil := range s.data.Locks {
+		if time.Now().Before(validUntil) {
+			// Lock is still valid
+			continue
+		}
+
+		delete(s.data.Locks, name)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (s *store) OnApply(fn func(op Operation)) {
 	s.lock.Lock()
 	defer s.lock.Unlock()
diff --git a/cluster/store/store_test.go b/cluster/store/store_test.go
index 3a0993b7..c08aa9b7 100644
--- a/cluster/store/store_test.go
+++ b/cluster/store/store_test.go
@@ -950,6 +950,70 @@ func TestDeleteLock(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
 
+func TestClearLocksCommand(t *testing.T) {
+	s, err := createStore()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = s.applyCommand(Command{
+		Operation: OpCreateLock,
+		Data: CommandCreateLock{
+			Name:       "foobar",
+			ValidUntil: time.Now().Add(3 * time.Second),
+		},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, ok := s.data.Locks["foobar"]
+	require.True(t, ok)
+
+	err = s.applyCommand(Command{
+		Operation: OpClearLocks,
+		Data:      CommandClearLocks{},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, ok = s.data.Locks["foobar"]
+	require.True(t, ok)
+
+	time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
+
+	err = s.applyCommand(Command{
+		Operation: OpClearLocks,
+		Data:      CommandClearLocks{},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, ok = s.data.Locks["foobar"]
+	require.False(t, ok)
+}
+
+func TestClearLocks(t *testing.T) {
+	s, err := createStore()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	cmd := CommandCreateLock{
+		Name:       "foobar",
+		ValidUntil: time.Now().Add(3 * time.Second),
+	}
+
+	err = s.createLock(cmd)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = s.clearLocks(CommandClearLocks{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = s.createLock(cmd)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+
+	time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
+
+	err = s.clearLocks(CommandClearLocks{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = s.createLock(cmd)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
+
 func TestApplyCommand(t *testing.T) {
 	s, err := createStore()
 	require.NoError(t, err)