diff --git a/src/utils/SessionLock.ts b/src/utils/SessionLock.ts
index 861c87ead5..c93097aba1 100644
--- a/src/utils/SessionLock.ts
+++ b/src/utils/SessionLock.ts
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ export const SESSION_LOCK_CONSTANTS = {
     /**
      * The number of milliseconds after which we consider a lock claim stale
      */
-    LOCK_EXPIRY_TIME_MS: 30000,
+    LOCK_EXPIRY_TIME_MS: 15000,
 };
 
 /**
@@ -140,7 +140,10 @@ export async function getSessionLock(onNewInstance: () => Promise<void>): Promis
         }
 
         const timeAgo = Date.now() - parseInt(lastPingTime);
-        const remaining = SESSION_LOCK_CONSTANTS.LOCK_EXPIRY_TIME_MS - timeAgo;
+        // If the last ping time is in the future (i.e., timeAgo is negative), the chances are that the system clock has
+        // been wound back since the ping. Rather than waiting hours/days/millenia for us to get there, treat a future
+        // ping as "just now" by clipping to 0.
+        const remaining = SESSION_LOCK_CONSTANTS.LOCK_EXPIRY_TIME_MS - Math.max(timeAgo, 0);
         if (remaining <= 0) {
             // another session claimed the lock, but it is stale.
             prefixedLogger.info(`Last ping (from ${lockHolder}) was ${timeAgo}ms ago: proceeding with startup`);
@@ -242,13 +245,23 @@ export async function getSessionLock(onNewInstance: () => Promise<void>): Promis
             };
         });
 
+        // We construct our own promise here rather than using the `sleep` utility, to make it easier to test the
+        // SessionLock in a separate Window.
         const sleepPromise = new Promise((resolve) => {
             setTimeout(resolve, remaining, undefined);
         });
 
         window.addEventListener("storage", onStorageUpdate!);
-        await Promise.race([sleepPromise, storageUpdatePromise]);
+        const winner = await Promise.race([sleepPromise, storageUpdatePromise]);
         window.removeEventListener("storage", onStorageUpdate!);
+
+        // If we got through the whole of the sleep without any writes to the store, we know that the
+        // ping is now stale. There's no point in going round and calling `checkLock` again: we know that
+        // nothing has changed since last time.
+        if (!(winner instanceof StorageEvent)) {
+            prefixedLogger.info("Existing claim went stale: proceeding with startup");
+            break;
+        }
     }
 
     // If we get here, we know the lock is ours for the taking.
diff --git a/test/unit-tests/utils/SessionLock-test.ts b/test/unit-tests/utils/SessionLock-test.ts
index fb3ab7e6ea..67202c7193 100644
--- a/test/unit-tests/utils/SessionLock-test.ts
+++ b/test/unit-tests/utils/SessionLock-test.ts
@@ -71,15 +71,15 @@ describe("SessionLock", () => {
         jest.advanceTimersByTime(5000);
         expect(checkSessionLockFree()).toBe(false);
 
-        // second instance tries to start. This should block for 25 more seconds
+        // second instance tries to start. This should block for 10 more seconds
         const onNewInstance2 = jest.fn();
         let session2Result: boolean | undefined;
         getSessionLock(onNewInstance2).then((res) => {
             session2Result = res;
         });
 
-        // after another 24.5 seconds, we are still waiting
-        jest.advanceTimersByTime(24500);
+        // after another 9.5 seconds, we are still waiting
+        jest.advanceTimersByTime(9500);
         expect(session2Result).toBe(undefined);
         expect(checkSessionLockFree()).toBe(false);
 
@@ -92,6 +92,40 @@ describe("SessionLock", () => {
         expect(onNewInstance2).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
+    it("A second instance starts up when the first terminated uncleanly and the clock was wound back", async () => {
+        // first instance starts...
+        expect(await getSessionLock(() => Promise.resolve())).toBe(true);
+        expect(checkSessionLockFree()).toBe(false);
+
+        // oops, now it dies. We simulate this by forcibly clearing the timers.
+        const time = Date.now();
+        jest.clearAllTimers();
+        expect(checkSessionLockFree()).toBe(false);
+
+        // Now, the clock gets wound back an hour.
+        jest.setSystemTime(time - 3600 * 1000);
+        expect(checkSessionLockFree()).toBe(false);
+
+        // second instance tries to start. This should block for 15 seconds
+        const onNewInstance2 = jest.fn();
+        let session2Result: boolean | undefined;
+        getSessionLock(onNewInstance2).then((res) => {
+            session2Result = res;
+        });
+
+        // after another 14.5 seconds, we are still waiting
+        jest.advanceTimersByTime(14500);
+        expect(session2Result).toBe(undefined);
+        expect(checkSessionLockFree()).toBe(false);
+
+        // another 500ms and we get the lock
+        await jest.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(500);
+        expect(session2Result).toBe(true);
+        expect(checkSessionLockFree()).toBe(false); // still false, because the new session has claimed it
+
+        expect(onNewInstance2).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
     it("A second instance waits for the first to shut down", async () => {
         // first instance starts. Once it gets the shutdown signal, it will wait two seconds and then release the lock.
         await getSessionLock(