diff --git a/tuf/ngclient/_internal/file_lock.py b/tuf/ngclient/_internal/file_lock.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a764f44a77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tuf/ngclient/_internal/file_lock.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# Copyright 2025, New York University and the TUF contributors
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT OR Apache-2.0
+
+"""Platform-specific support for file locking
+
+"""
+
+import os
+import sys
+
+
+if sys.platform in ['win32']:
+    def create_lockfile(filename: str) -> str:
+        # Use the name of the file but create lockfile in %TEMP%.
+        fn = os.path.basename(filename)
+        lockfile = os.path.join(os.getenv("TEMP"), "tuf" + fn)
+        #try:
+        #    with open(filename, "w+") as f:
+        #        f.truncate(1)
+        #        f.flush()
+        #except:
+        #    pass
+        return lockfile
+else:
+    def create_lockfile(filename: str) -> str:
+        return filename
diff --git a/tuf/ngclient/updater.py b/tuf/ngclient/updater.py
index a98e799ce4..fd48ae122c 100644
--- a/tuf/ngclient/updater.py
+++ b/tuf/ngclient/updater.py
@@ -62,8 +62,11 @@
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, cast
 from urllib import parse
 
+from filelock import FileLock
+
 from tuf.api import exceptions
 from tuf.api.metadata import Root, Snapshot, TargetFile, Targets, Timestamp
+from tuf.ngclient._internal.file_lock import create_lockfile
 from tuf.ngclient._internal.trusted_metadata_set import TrustedMetadataSet
 from tuf.ngclient.config import EnvelopeType, UpdaterConfig
 from tuf.ngclient.urllib3_fetcher import Urllib3Fetcher
@@ -348,7 +351,11 @@ def _persist_file(self, filename: str, data: bytes) -> None:
             ) as temp_file:
                 temp_file_name = temp_file.name
                 temp_file.write(data)
-            os.replace(temp_file.name, filename)
+            #print(f"filename: {filename}")
+
+            lck = os.path.join(self._dir, ".root.json.lck")
+            with FileLock(create_lockfile(lck)):
+                os.replace(temp_file.name, filename)
         except OSError as e:
             # remove tempfile if we managed to create one,
             # then let the exception happen
@@ -362,9 +369,13 @@ def _update_root_symlink(self) -> None:
         linkname = os.path.join(self._dir, "root.json")
         version = self._trusted_set.root.version
         current = os.path.join("root_history", f"{version}.root.json")
-        with contextlib.suppress(FileNotFoundError):
-            os.remove(linkname)
-        os.symlink(current, linkname)
+
+        #print(f"lck:{lck}")
+        lck = os.path.join(self._dir, ".root.json.lck")
+        with FileLock(create_lockfile(lck)):
+            with contextlib.suppress(FileNotFoundError):
+                os.remove(linkname)
+            os.symlink(current, linkname)
 
     def _load_root(self) -> None:
         """Load root metadata.
@@ -375,6 +386,7 @@ def _load_root(self) -> None:
         If metadata is loaded from remote repository, store it in local cache.
         """
 
+        Path(self._dir).mkdir(exist_ok=True, parents=True)
         # Update the root role
         lower_bound = self._trusted_set.root.version + 1
         upper_bound = lower_bound + self.config.max_root_rotations
@@ -386,8 +398,10 @@ def _load_root(self) -> None:
                     root_path = os.path.join(
                         self._dir, "root_history", f"{next_version}.root.json"
                     )
-                    with open(root_path, "rb") as f:
-                        self._trusted_set.update_root(f.read())
+                    lck = os.path.join(self._dir, ".root.json.lck")
+                    with FileLock(create_lockfile(lck)):
+                        with open(root_path, "rb") as f:
+                            self._trusted_set.update_root(f.read())
                     continue
                 except (OSError, exceptions.RepositoryError) as e:
                     # this root did not exist locally or is invalid