diff --git a/src/core/persist/knex/process.js b/src/core/persist/knex/process.js
index fd47b290..a9f5785b 100644
--- a/src/core/persist/knex/process.js
+++ b/src/core/persist/knex/process.js
@@ -198,6 +198,27 @@ class ProcessKnexPersist extends KnexPersist {
     }
   }
 
+  async lockBatch(batch, trx) {
+    return await trx(this._table)
+      .select(`${this._table}.*`)
+      .join(this._state_table, "process_state.id", "process.current_state_id")
+      .where("current_status", "running")
+      .limit(batch)
+      .forUpdate()
+      .skipLocked();
+  }
+
+  async getAndLock(id, processStateId, trx) {
+    return await trx(this._table)
+      .select("id", "current_state_id")
+      .from("process")
+      .where("id", id)
+      .where("current_state_id", processStateId)
+      .first()
+      .forUpdate()
+      .noWait();
+  }
+
   _getTasks(filters) {
     return this._db
       .select(
diff --git a/src/core/persist/knex/processState.js b/src/core/persist/knex/processState.js
index 2bfbe0cf..683d2b68 100644
--- a/src/core/persist/knex/processState.js
+++ b/src/core/persist/knex/processState.js
@@ -27,6 +27,15 @@ class ProcessStateKnexPersist extends KnexPersist {
       })
       .first();
   }
+
+  async getAndLock(processStateId, trx) {
+    return await trx(this._table)
+      .select()
+      .where("id", processStateId)
+      .forUpdate()
+      .noWait()
+      .first();
+  }
 }
 
 module.exports = { ProcessStateKnexPersist };
diff --git a/src/core/workflow/process.js b/src/core/workflow/process.js
index 839c7ff7..c0dfad94 100644
--- a/src/core/workflow/process.js
+++ b/src/core/workflow/process.js
@@ -108,6 +108,11 @@ class Process extends PersistedEntity {
     return last_step_number + 1;
   }
 
+  static async fetchAndLockBatch(batch, trx) {
+    const processes = await Process.getPersist().lockBatch(batch, trx);
+    return _.map(processes, (process) => Process.deserialize(process));
+  }
+
   constructor(workflow_data, blueprint_spec) {
     super();
 
@@ -380,14 +385,7 @@ class Process extends PersistedEntity {
   }
 
   async __inerLoop(current_state_id, { custom_lisp, actor_data }, trx) {
-    const p_lock = await trx
-      .select("id", "current_state_id")
-      .from("process")
-      .where("id", this.id)
-      .where("current_state_id", current_state_id)
-      .first()
-      .forUpdate()
-      .noWait();
+    const p_lock = await this.getPersist().getAndLock(this.id, current_state_id, trx);
     if (!p_lock) {
       throw new Error(`No process found for lock, process_id [${this.id}] current_state_id [${current_state_id}]`);
     }
@@ -395,13 +393,7 @@ class Process extends PersistedEntity {
       process_id: p_lock.id,
     });
 
-    const ps_lock = await trx
-      .select("id")
-      .from("process_state")
-      .first()
-      .where("id", current_state_id)
-      .forUpdate()
-      .noWait();
+    const ps_lock = await ProcessState.getPersist().getAndLock(current_state_id, trx);
     if (!ps_lock) {
       throw new Error(`No lock for process state [${current_state_id}]`);
     }
diff --git a/src/core/workflow/process_state.js b/src/core/workflow/process_state.js
index b80a8bb6..4b6e3828 100644
--- a/src/core/workflow/process_state.js
+++ b/src/core/workflow/process_state.js
@@ -93,6 +93,11 @@ class ProcessState extends PersistedEntity {
     return ProcessState.deserialize(state);
   }
 
+  static async fetchAndLock(processStateId, trx) {
+    const state = await this.getPersist().getAndLock(processStateId, trx);
+    return ProcessState.deserialize(state);
+  }
+
   constructor(
     process_id,
     step_number,
diff --git a/src/engine/heartbeat/process.js b/src/engine/heartbeat/process.js
index 71a97b91..e3055bef 100644
--- a/src/engine/heartbeat/process.js
+++ b/src/engine/heartbeat/process.js
@@ -1,21 +1,14 @@
 
 const emitter = require("../../core/utils/emitter");
 const { Process } = require("../../core/workflow/process");
-const { ENGINE_ID } = require("../../core/workflow/process_state");
+const { ProcessState } = require("../../core/workflow/process_state");
 
 const processHeartBeat = async () => {
   const PROCESS_BATCH = process.env.PROCESS_BATCH || 10;
   const processes = await Process.getPersist()._db.transaction(async (trx) => {
     try {
       emitter.emit("ENGINE.PROCESSES_FETCHING", `  FETCHING PROCESSES ON HEARTBEAT BATCH [${PROCESS_BATCH}]`);
-      const locked_processes = await trx("process")
-        .select("process.*")
-        .join("process_state", "process_state.id", "process.current_state_id")
-        .where("engine_id", "!=", ENGINE_ID)
-        .where("current_status", "running")
-        .limit(PROCESS_BATCH)
-        .forUpdate()
-        .skipLocked();
+      const locked_processes = await Process.fetchAndLockBatch(PROCESS_BATCH, trx);
       emitter.emit("ENGINE.PROCESSES_FETCHED", `  FETCHED [${locked_processes.length}] PROCESSES ON HEARTBEAT`, {
         processes: locked_processes.length,
       });
@@ -24,18 +17,12 @@ const processHeartBeat = async () => {
           emitter.emit("ENGINE.PROCESS_FETCHING", `  FETCHING PS FOR PROCESS [${process.id}] ON HEARTBEAT`, {
             process_id: process.id,
           });
-          process.state = await trx("process_state")
-            .select()
-            .where("id", process.current_state_id)
-            .where("engine_id", "!=", ENGINE_ID)
-            .forUpdate()
-            .noWait()
-            .first();
+          process.state = await ProcessState.fetchAndLock(process._current_state_id, trx);
           emitter.emit("ENGINE.PROCESS_FETCHED", `  FETCHED PS FOR PROCESS [${process.id}] ON HEARTBEAT`, {
             process_id: process.id,
           });
           if (process.state) {
-            return Process.deserialize(process);
+            return process;
           }
         })
       );