diff --git a/app/scripts/controllers/transactions.js b/app/scripts/controllers/transactions.js
index 1fc48aadd..5f3d84ebe 100644
--- a/app/scripts/controllers/transactions.js
+++ b/app/scripts/controllers/transactions.js
@@ -484,12 +484,15 @@ module.exports = class TransactionController extends EventEmitter {
   // if confirmed sets the tx status as 'confirmed'
   async _checkPendingTxs () {
     const signedTxList = this.getFilteredTxList({status: 'submitted'})
+    // in order to keep the nonceTracker accurate we block it while updating pending transactions
+    const nonceGlobalLock = await this.nonceTracker.getGlobalLock()
     try {
       await Promise.all(signedTxList.map((txMeta) => this._checkPendingTx(txMeta)))
     } catch (err) {
       console.error('TransactionController - Error updating pending transactions')
       console.error(err)
     }
+    nonceGlobalLock.releaseLock()
   }
 
   async _checkPendingTx (txMeta) {
diff --git a/app/scripts/lib/nonce-tracker.js b/app/scripts/lib/nonce-tracker.js
index 7a450cb78..b76dac4e8 100644
--- a/app/scripts/lib/nonce-tracker.js
+++ b/app/scripts/lib/nonce-tracker.js
@@ -11,9 +11,18 @@ class NonceTracker {
     this.lockMap = {}
   }
 
+  async getGlobalLock () {
+    const globalMutex = this._lookupMutex('global')
+    // await global mutex free
+    const releaseLock = await globalMutex.acquire()
+    return { releaseLock }
+  }
+
   // releaseLock must be called
   // releaseLock must be called after adding signed tx to pending transactions (or discarding)
   async getNonceLock (address) {
+    // await global mutex free
+    await this._globalMutexFree()
     // await lock free, then take lock
     const releaseLock = await this._takeMutex(address)
     // calculate next nonce
@@ -40,21 +49,6 @@ class NonceTracker {
     })
   }
 
-  _lookupMutex (lockId) {
-    let mutex = this.lockMap[lockId]
-    if (!mutex) {
-      mutex = new Mutex()
-      this.lockMap[lockId] = mutex
-    }
-    return mutex
-  }
-
-  async _takeMutex (lockId) {
-    const mutex = this._lookupMutex(lockId)
-    const releaseLock = await mutex.acquire()
-    return releaseLock
-  }
-
   async _getTxCount (address, currentBlock) {
     const blockNumber = currentBlock.number
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
@@ -64,6 +58,27 @@ class NonceTracker {
     })
   }
 
+  async _globalMutexFree () {
+    const globalMutex = this._lookupMutex('global')
+    const release = await globalMutex.acquire()
+    release()
+  }
+
+  async _takeMutex (lockId) {
+    const mutex = this._lookupMutex(lockId)
+    const releaseLock = await mutex.acquire()
+    return releaseLock
+  }
+
+  _lookupMutex (lockId) {
+    let mutex = this.lockMap[lockId]
+    if (!mutex) {
+      mutex = new Mutex()
+      this.lockMap[lockId] = mutex
+    }
+    return mutex
+  }
+
 }
 
 module.exports = NonceTracker