diff --git a/aspen/internal/cluster/cluster.go b/aspen/internal/cluster/cluster.go
index 50e4f16aeb..67ad6761d4 100644
--- a/aspen/internal/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/aspen/internal/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -136,16 +136,30 @@ type Cluster struct {
 }
 
 // Key implements the Cluster interface.
-func (c *Cluster) Key() uuid.UUID { return c.Store.PeekState().ClusterKey }
+func (c *Cluster) Key() uuid.UUID {
+	s, release := c.Store.PeekState()
+	defer release()
+	return s.ClusterKey
+}
 
 // Host implements the Cluster interface.
-func (c *Cluster) Host() node.Node { return c.Store.GetHost() }
+func (c *Cluster) Host() node.Node {
+	return c.Store.GetHost()
+}
 
 // HostKey implements the Cluster interface.
-func (c *Cluster) HostKey() node.Key { return c.Store.PeekState().HostKey }
+func (c *Cluster) HostKey() node.Key {
+	s, release := c.Store.PeekState()
+	defer release()
+	return s.HostKey
+}
 
 // Nodes implements the Cluster interface.
-func (c *Cluster) Nodes() node.Group { return c.Store.PeekState().Nodes }
+func (c *Cluster) Nodes() node.Group {
+	s, release := c.Store.PeekState()
+	defer release()
+	return s.Nodes
+}
 
 // Node implements the Cluster interface.
 func (c *Cluster) Node(key node.Key) (node.Node, error) {
diff --git a/aspen/internal/cluster/pledge/pledge_test.go b/aspen/internal/cluster/pledge/pledge_test.go
index 63bb567245..386e72ae06 100644
--- a/aspen/internal/cluster/pledge/pledge_test.go
+++ b/aspen/internal/cluster/pledge/pledge_test.go
@@ -243,9 +243,11 @@ var _ = Describe("PledgeServer", func() {
 					mu         sync.Mutex
 					nodes      = make(node.Group)
 					candidates = func(i int) func() node.Group {
-						mu.Lock()
-						defer mu.Unlock()
-						return func() node.Group { return nodes.Copy() }
+						return func() node.Group {
+							mu.Lock()
+							defer mu.Unlock()
+							return nodes.Copy()
+						}
 					}
 					numCandidates = 10
 					numPledges    = 2
diff --git a/aspen/internal/cluster/store/store.go b/aspen/internal/cluster/store/store.go
index 1be09eac7b..78e28f6dd4 100644
--- a/aspen/internal/cluster/store/store.go
+++ b/aspen/internal/cluster/store/store.go
@@ -104,24 +104,34 @@ type core struct {
 }
 
 // ClusterKey implements Store.
-func (c *core) ClusterKey() uuid.UUID { return c.Observable.PeekState().ClusterKey }
+func (c *core) ClusterKey() uuid.UUID {
+	s, release := c.Observable.PeekState()
+	ck := s.ClusterKey
+	release()
+	return ck
+}
 
 // SetClusterKey implements Store.
 func (c *core) SetClusterKey(ctx context.Context, key uuid.UUID) {
-	s := c.Observable.PeekState()
+	s := c.Observable.CopyState()
 	s.ClusterKey = key
 	c.Observable.SetState(ctx, s)
 }
 
 // GetNode implements Store.
 func (c *core) GetNode(key node.Key) (node.Node, bool) {
-	n, ok := c.Observable.PeekState().Nodes[key]
+	state, release := c.Observable.PeekState()
+	defer release()
+	n, ok := state.Nodes[key]
 	return n, ok
 }
 
 // GetHost implements Store.
 func (c *core) GetHost() node.Node {
-	n, _ := c.GetNode(c.Observable.PeekState().HostKey)
+	state, release := c.Observable.PeekState()
+	h := state.HostKey
+	release()
+	n, _ := c.GetNode(h)
 	return n
 }
 
diff --git a/aspen/internal/kv/gossip.go b/aspen/internal/kv/gossip.go
index 78a4bcd023..6b5096a46a 100644
--- a/aspen/internal/kv/gossip.go
+++ b/aspen/internal/kv/gossip.go
@@ -79,7 +79,9 @@ func (g *operationReceiver) handle(ctx context.Context, req TxRequest) (TxReques
 		return TxRequest{}, ctx.Err()
 	case g.Out.Inlet() <- req:
 	}
-	br := g.store.PeekState().toBatchRequest(ctx)
+	s, release := g.store.PeekState()
+	defer release()
+	br := s.toBatchRequest(ctx)
 	br.Sender = g.Cluster.HostKey()
 	return br, nil
 }
diff --git a/aspen/internal/kv/store.go b/aspen/internal/kv/store.go
index 7aeaa9db25..3d31583e96 100644
--- a/aspen/internal/kv/store.go
+++ b/aspen/internal/kv/store.go
@@ -57,7 +57,9 @@ func newStoreEmitter(s store, cfg Config) source {
 }
 
 func (e *storeEmitter) Emit(ctx context.Context) (TxRequest, error) {
-	return e.store.PeekState().toBatchRequest(ctx), nil
+	s, release := e.store.PeekState()
+	defer release()
+	return s.toBatchRequest(ctx), nil
 }
 
 type storeSink struct {
diff --git a/synnax/pkg/distribution/cluster/ontology.go b/synnax/pkg/distribution/cluster/ontology.go
index b71f51912d..70dccd306e 100644
--- a/synnax/pkg/distribution/cluster/ontology.go
+++ b/synnax/pkg/distribution/cluster/ontology.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func (s *NodeOntologyService) ListenForChanges(ctx context.Context) {
 	if err := s.Ontology.NewWriter(nil).DefineResource(ctx, NodeOntologyID(core.Free)); err != nil {
 		s.L.Error("failed to define free node ontology resource", zap.Error(err))
 	}
-	s.update(ctx, s.Cluster.PeekState())
+	s.update(ctx, s.Cluster.CopyState())
 	s.Cluster.OnChange(func(ctx context.Context, change core.ClusterChange) {
 		s.update(ctx, change.State)
 	})
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func (s *NodeOntologyService) OnChange(f func(context.Context, iter.Nexter[schem
 // OpenNexter implements ontology.Service.
 func (s *NodeOntologyService) OpenNexter() (iter.NexterCloser[ontology.Resource], error) {
 	return iter.NexterNopCloser(
-		iter.All(lo.MapToSlice(s.Cluster.PeekState().Nodes, func(_ core.NodeKey, n core.Node) ontology.Resource {
+		iter.All(lo.MapToSlice(s.Cluster.CopyState().Nodes, func(_ core.NodeKey, n core.Node) ontology.Resource {
 			return newNodeResource(n)
 		})),
 	), nil
diff --git a/x/go/store/store.go b/x/go/store/store.go
index e21f5b3fd0..0bdb60805e 100644
--- a/x/go/store/store.go
+++ b/x/go/store/store.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ type Reader[S any] interface {
 	CopyState() S
 	// PeekState returns a read-only view of the current state.
 	// Modifications to the returned state may cause undefined behavior.
-	PeekState() S
+	PeekState() (S, func())
 }
 
 // Writer is a writable Store.
@@ -78,10 +78,9 @@ func (c *core[S]) CopyState() S {
 }
 
 // PeekState implements Store.
-func (c *core[S]) PeekState() S {
+func (c *core[S]) PeekState() (S, func()) {
 	c.mu.RLock()
-	defer c.mu.RUnlock()
-	return c.state
+	return c.state, c.mu.RUnlock
 }
 
 // Observable is a wrapper around a Store that allows the caller to observe
@@ -148,7 +147,8 @@ func WrapObservable[S, O any](
 
 // SetState implements Store.
 func (o *observable[S, O]) SetState(ctx context.Context, state S) {
-	notify, shouldNotify := o.Transform(o.PeekState(), state)
+	prev := o.CopyState()
+	notify, shouldNotify := o.Transform(prev, state)
 	if shouldNotify {
 		lo.Ternary(
 			*o.ObservableConfig.GoNotify,