diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Factory.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Factory.php
index c050145f90978..e9fdde97e8b35 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Factory.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Factory.php
@@ -36,14 +36,15 @@ public function __construct(StoreInterface $store)
     /**
      * Creates a lock for the given resource.
      *
-     * @param string $resource The resource to lock
-     * @param float  $ttl      maximum expected lock duration
+     * @param string $resource    The resource to lock
+     * @param float  $ttl         Maximum expected lock duration in seconds
+     * @param bool   $autoRelease Whether to automatically release the lock or not when the lock instance is destroyed
      *
      * @return Lock
      */
-    public function createLock($resource, $ttl = 300.0)
+    public function createLock($resource, $ttl = 300.0, $autoRelease = true)
     {
-        $lock = new Lock(new Key($resource), $this->store, $ttl);
+        $lock = new Lock(new Key($resource), $this->store, $ttl, $autoRelease);
         $lock->setLogger($this->logger);
 
         return $lock;
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Lock.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Lock.php
index d8271569d8c05..e81878a43725c 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Lock.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Lock.php
@@ -32,21 +32,37 @@ final class Lock implements LockInterface, LoggerAwareInterface
     private $store;
     private $key;
     private $ttl;
+    private $autoRelease;
+    private $dirty = false;
 
     /**
-     * @param Key            $key
-     * @param StoreInterface $store
-     * @param float|null     $ttl
+     * @param Key            $key         Resource to lock
+     * @param StoreInterface $store       Store used to handle lock persistence
+     * @param float|null     $ttl         Maximum expected lock duration in seconds
+     * @param bool           $autoRelease Whether to automatically release the lock or not when the lock instance is destroyed
      */
-    public function __construct(Key $key, StoreInterface $store, $ttl = null)
+    public function __construct(Key $key, StoreInterface $store, $ttl = null, $autoRelease = true)
     {
         $this->store = $store;
         $this->key = $key;
         $this->ttl = $ttl;
+        $this->autoRelease = (bool) $autoRelease;
 
         $this->logger = new NullLogger();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Automatically releases the underlying lock when the object is destructed.
+     */
+    public function __destruct()
+    {
+        if (!$this->autoRelease || !$this->dirty || !$this->isAcquired()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $this->release();
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritdoc}
      */
@@ -59,6 +75,7 @@ public function acquire($blocking = false)
                 $this->store->waitAndSave($this->key);
             }
 
+            $this->dirty = true;
             $this->logger->info('Successfully acquired the "{resource}" lock.', array('resource' => $this->key));
 
             if ($this->ttl) {
@@ -71,6 +88,7 @@ public function acquire($blocking = false)
 
             return true;
         } catch (LockConflictedException $e) {
+            $this->dirty = false;
             $this->logger->warning('Failed to acquire the "{resource}" lock. Someone else already acquired the lock.', array('resource' => $this->key));
 
             if ($blocking) {
@@ -96,6 +114,7 @@ public function refresh()
         try {
             $this->key->resetLifetime();
             $this->store->putOffExpiration($this->key, $this->ttl);
+            $this->dirty = true;
 
             if ($this->key->isExpired()) {
                 throw new LockExpiredException(sprintf('Failed to put off the expiration of the "%s" lock within the specified time.', $this->key));
@@ -103,6 +122,7 @@ public function refresh()
 
             $this->logger->info('Expiration defined for "{resource}" lock for "{ttl}" seconds.', array('resource' => $this->key, 'ttl' => $this->ttl));
         } catch (LockConflictedException $e) {
+            $this->dirty = false;
             $this->logger->warning('Failed to define an expiration for the "{resource}" lock, someone else acquired the lock.', array('resource' => $this->key));
             throw $e;
         } catch (\Exception $e) {
@@ -116,7 +136,7 @@ public function refresh()
      */
     public function isAcquired()
     {
-        return $this->store->exists($this->key);
+        return $this->dirty = $this->store->exists($this->key);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -125,6 +145,7 @@ public function isAcquired()
     public function release()
     {
         $this->store->delete($this->key);
+        $this->dirty = false;
 
         if ($this->store->exists($this->key)) {
             $this->logger->warning('Failed to release the "{resource}" lock.', array('resource' => $this->key));
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Store/SemaphoreStore.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Store/SemaphoreStore.php
index fe9455cccea09..a6cc9ea8b9f1d 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Store/SemaphoreStore.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Store/SemaphoreStore.php
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ public function delete(Key $key)
      */
     public function putOffExpiration(Key $key, $ttl)
     {
-        // do nothing, the flock locks forever.
+        // do nothing, the semaphore locks forever.
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Tests/LockTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Tests/LockTest.php
index 97b376621169a..ece5cf667963a 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Tests/LockTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Lock/Tests/LockTest.php
@@ -103,10 +103,10 @@ public function testIsAquired()
         $lock = new Lock($key, $store, 10);
 
         $store
-            ->expects($this->once())
+            ->expects($this->any())
             ->method('exists')
             ->with($key)
-            ->willReturn(true);
+            ->will($this->onConsecutiveCalls(true, false));
 
         $this->assertTrue($lock->isAcquired());
     }
@@ -131,6 +131,44 @@ public function testRelease()
         $lock->release();
     }
 
+    public function testReleaseOnDestruction()
+    {
+        $key = new Key(uniqid(__METHOD__, true));
+        $store = $this->getMockBuilder(StoreInterface::class)->getMock();
+        $lock = new Lock($key, $store, 10);
+
+        $store
+            ->method('exists')
+            ->willReturnOnConsecutiveCalls(array(true, false))
+        ;
+        $store
+            ->expects($this->once())
+            ->method('delete')
+        ;
+
+        $lock->acquire(false);
+        unset($lock);
+    }
+
+    public function testNoAutoReleaseWhenNotConfigured()
+    {
+        $key = new Key(uniqid(__METHOD__, true));
+        $store = $this->getMockBuilder(StoreInterface::class)->getMock();
+        $lock = new Lock($key, $store, 10, false);
+
+        $store
+            ->method('exists')
+            ->willReturnOnConsecutiveCalls(array(true, false))
+        ;
+        $store
+            ->expects($this->never())
+            ->method('delete')
+        ;
+
+        $lock->acquire(false);
+        unset($lock);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @expectedException \Symfony\Component\Lock\Exception\LockReleasingException
      */