diff --git a/procrastinate/manager.py b/procrastinate/manager.py
index d83e7a0df..1927884a5 100644
--- a/procrastinate/manager.py
+++ b/procrastinate/manager.py
@@ -148,10 +148,16 @@ async def fetch_job(self, queues: Iterable[str] | None) -> jobs.Job | None:
         :
             None if no suitable job was found. The job otherwise.
         """
-
-        row = await self.connector.execute_query_one_async(
-            query=sql.queries["fetch_job"], queues=queues
-        )
+        try:
+            row = await self.connector.execute_query_one_async(
+                query=sql.queries["fetch_job"], queues=queues
+            )
+        except exceptions.UniqueViolation as _exc:
+            # getting a job with lock lead to conflicts
+            # get any doable job instead
+            row = await self.connector.execute_query_one_async(
+                query=sql.queries["fetch_job_without_lock"], queues=queues
+            )
 
         # fetch_tasks will always return a row, but is there's no relevant
         # value, it will all be None
diff --git a/procrastinate/sql/migrations/03.00.00_02_pre_new_fetch_job_function.sql b/procrastinate/sql/migrations/03.00.00_02_pre_new_fetch_job_function.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a8b55c5f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/procrastinate/sql/migrations/03.00.00_02_pre_new_fetch_job_function.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+-- new fetch job. Only checks for doing. On update conflict return NULL
+CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION procrastinate_fetch_job_v1(target_queue_names character varying[])
+ RETURNS procrastinate.procrastinate_jobs
+ LANGUAGE plpgsql
+AS $function$
+DECLARE
+    found_jobs procrastinate_jobs;
+    retry_count INT := 0;
+BEGIN
+    LOOP
+        BEGIN
+            WITH candidate AS (
+                SELECT jobs.*
+                FROM procrastinate_jobs AS jobs
+                WHERE
+                    (jobs.lock IS NULL OR
+                    NOT EXISTS ( -- reject the job if its lock has current jobs
+                        SELECT 1
+                        FROM procrastinate_jobs AS jobs_with_locks
+                        WHERE
+                            jobs.lock IS NOT NULL
+                            AND jobs_with_locks.lock = jobs.lock
+                            AND jobs_with_locks.status = 'doing'
+                            LIMIT 1
+                    ))
+                    AND jobs.status = 'todo'
+                    AND (target_queue_names IS NULL OR jobs.queue_name = ANY(target_queue_names))
+                    AND (jobs.scheduled_at IS NULL OR jobs.scheduled_at <= now())
+                ORDER BY jobs.priority DESC, jobs.id ASC LIMIT 1
+                FOR UPDATE OF jobs SKIP LOCKED
+            )
+            UPDATE procrastinate_jobs
+            SET status = 'doing'
+            FROM candidate
+            WHERE procrastinate_jobs.id = candidate.id
+            RETURNING procrastinate_jobs.* INTO found_jobs;
+
+            RETURN found_jobs;
+        EXCEPTION
+            WHEN unique_violation THEN
+                PERFORM pg_sleep(random() * 0.01); -- fuzzy retry with upto 10ms sleep
+                retry_count := retry_count + 1;
+                IF retry_count >= 3 THEN
+                    RAISE; --reraise
+                END IF;
+        END;
+    END LOOP;
+END;
+$function$
+;
+
+CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION procrastinate_fetch_job_without_lock_v1(target_queue_names character varying[])
+ RETURNS procrastinate.procrastinate_jobs
+ LANGUAGE plpgsql
+AS $$
+DECLARE
+    found_jobs procrastinate_jobs;
+BEGIN
+    WITH candidate AS (
+        SELECT jobs.*
+        FROM procrastinate_jobs AS jobs
+        WHERE
+            jobs.lock IS NULL
+            AND jobs.status = 'todo'
+            AND (target_queue_names IS NULL OR jobs.queue_name = ANY(target_queue_names))
+            AND (jobs.scheduled_at IS NULL OR jobs.scheduled_at <= now())
+        ORDER BY jobs.priority DESC, jobs.id ASC LIMIT 1
+        FOR UPDATE OF jobs SKIP LOCKED
+    )
+    UPDATE procrastinate_jobs
+    SET status = 'doing'
+    FROM candidate
+    WHERE procrastinate_jobs.id = candidate.id
+    RETURNING procrastinate_jobs.* INTO found_jobs;
+    RETURN found_jobs;
+END;
+$$;
diff --git a/procrastinate/sql/queries.sql b/procrastinate/sql/queries.sql
index ddb1b92c2..9c35d0826 100644
--- a/procrastinate/sql/queries.sql
+++ b/procrastinate/sql/queries.sql
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ SELECT procrastinate_defer_periodic_job_v1(%(queue)s, %(lock)s, %(queueing_lock)
 SELECT id, status, task_name, priority, lock, queueing_lock, args, scheduled_at, queue_name, attempts
     FROM procrastinate_fetch_job_v1(%(queues)s::varchar[]);
 
+-- fetch_job_without_lock --
+-- Get the first awaiting job
+SELECT id, status, task_name, priority, lock, queueing_lock, args, scheduled_at, queue_name, attempts
+    FROM procrastinate_fetch_job_without_lock_v1(%(queues)s);
+
 -- select_stalled_jobs --
 -- Get running jobs that started more than a given time ago
 SELECT job.id, status, task_name, priority, lock, queueing_lock, args, scheduled_at, queue_name, attempts, max(event.at) started_at
diff --git a/procrastinate/sql/schema.sql b/procrastinate/sql/schema.sql
index 3160f1d0d..11eb90f34 100644
--- a/procrastinate/sql/schema.sql
+++ b/procrastinate/sql/schema.sql
@@ -164,34 +164,74 @@ CREATE FUNCTION procrastinate_fetch_job_v1(
     LANGUAGE plpgsql
 AS $$
 DECLARE
-	found_jobs procrastinate_jobs;
+    found_jobs procrastinate_jobs;
+    retry_count INT := 0;
 BEGIN
-    WITH candidate AS (
-        SELECT jobs.*
-            FROM procrastinate_jobs AS jobs
-            WHERE
-                -- reject the job if its lock has earlier jobs
-                NOT EXISTS (
-                    SELECT 1
-                        FROM procrastinate_jobs AS earlier_jobs
+    LOOP
+        BEGIN
+            WITH candidate AS (
+                SELECT jobs.*
+                FROM procrastinate_jobs AS jobs
+                WHERE
+                    (jobs.lock IS NULL OR
+                    NOT EXISTS ( -- reject the job if its lock has current jobs
+                        SELECT 1
+                        FROM procrastinate_jobs AS jobs_with_locks
                         WHERE
                             jobs.lock IS NOT NULL
-                            AND earlier_jobs.lock = jobs.lock
-                            AND earlier_jobs.status IN ('todo', 'doing')
-                            AND earlier_jobs.id < jobs.id)
-                AND jobs.status = 'todo'
-                AND (target_queue_names IS NULL OR jobs.queue_name = ANY( target_queue_names ))
-                AND (jobs.scheduled_at IS NULL OR jobs.scheduled_at <= now())
-            ORDER BY jobs.priority DESC, jobs.id ASC LIMIT 1
-            FOR UPDATE OF jobs SKIP LOCKED
+                            AND jobs_with_locks.lock = jobs.lock
+                            AND jobs_with_locks.status in ('doing', 'aborting')
+                            LIMIT 1
+                    ))
+                    AND jobs.status = 'todo'
+                    AND (target_queue_names IS NULL OR jobs.queue_name = ANY(target_queue_names))
+                    AND (jobs.scheduled_at IS NULL OR jobs.scheduled_at <= now())
+                ORDER BY jobs.priority DESC, jobs.id ASC LIMIT 1
+                FOR UPDATE OF jobs SKIP LOCKED
+            )
+            UPDATE procrastinate_jobs
+            SET status = 'doing'
+            FROM candidate
+            WHERE procrastinate_jobs.id = candidate.id
+            RETURNING procrastinate_jobs.* INTO found_jobs;
+
+            RETURN found_jobs;
+        EXCEPTION
+            WHEN unique_violation THEN
+                PERFORM pg_sleep(random() * 0.01); -- fuzzy retry with upto 10ms sleep
+                retry_count := retry_count + 1;
+                IF retry_count >= 3 THEN
+                    RAISE; --reraise
+                END IF;
+        END;
+    END LOOP;
+END;
+$$;
+
+CREATE FUNCTION procrastinate_fetch_job_without_lock_v1(target_queue_names character varying[])
+ RETURNS procrastinate.procrastinate_jobs
+ LANGUAGE plpgsql
+AS $$
+DECLARE
+    found_jobs procrastinate_jobs;
+BEGIN
+    WITH candidate AS (
+        SELECT jobs.*
+        FROM procrastinate_jobs AS jobs
+        WHERE
+            jobs.lock IS NULL
+            AND jobs.status = 'todo'
+            AND (target_queue_names IS NULL OR jobs.queue_name = ANY(target_queue_names))
+            AND (jobs.scheduled_at IS NULL OR jobs.scheduled_at <= now())
+        ORDER BY jobs.priority DESC, jobs.id ASC LIMIT 1
+        FOR UPDATE OF jobs SKIP LOCKED
     )
     UPDATE procrastinate_jobs
-        SET status = 'doing'
-        FROM candidate
-        WHERE procrastinate_jobs.id = candidate.id
-        RETURNING procrastinate_jobs.* INTO found_jobs;
-
-	RETURN found_jobs;
+    SET status = 'doing'
+    FROM candidate
+    WHERE procrastinate_jobs.id = candidate.id
+    RETURNING procrastinate_jobs.* INTO found_jobs;
+    RETURN found_jobs;
 END;
 $$;