diff --git a/src/backend/storage/aio/method_worker.c b/src/backend/storage/aio/method_worker.c
index d9617c20e76..c1f99cdc25b 100644
--- a/src/backend/storage/aio/method_worker.c
+++ b/src/backend/storage/aio/method_worker.c
@@ -242,40 +242,51 @@ pgaio_worker_needs_synchronous_execution(PgAioHandle *ioh)
 static void
 pgaio_worker_submit_internal(int num_staged_ios, PgAioHandle **staged_ios)
 {
-	PgAioHandle *synchronous_ios[PGAIO_SUBMIT_BATCH_SIZE];
+	PgAioHandle **synchronous_ios = NULL;
 	int			nsync = 0;
 	Latch	   *wakeup = NULL;
 	int			worker;
 
 	Assert(num_staged_ios <= PGAIO_SUBMIT_BATCH_SIZE);
 
-	LWLockAcquire(AioWorkerSubmissionQueueLock, LW_EXCLUSIVE);
-	for (int i = 0; i < num_staged_ios; ++i)
+	if (LWLockConditionalAcquire(AioWorkerSubmissionQueueLock, LW_EXCLUSIVE))
 	{
-		Assert(!pgaio_worker_needs_synchronous_execution(staged_ios[i]));
-		if (!pgaio_worker_submission_queue_insert(staged_ios[i]))
+		for (int i = 0; i < num_staged_ios; ++i)
 		{
-			/*
-			 * We'll do it synchronously, but only after we've sent as many as
-			 * we can to workers, to maximize concurrency.
-			 */
-			synchronous_ios[nsync++] = staged_ios[i];
-			continue;
-		}
+			Assert(!pgaio_worker_needs_synchronous_execution(staged_ios[i]));
+			if (!pgaio_worker_submission_queue_insert(staged_ios[i]))
+			{
+				/*
+				 * Do the rest synchronously. If the queue is full, give up and
+				 * do the rest synchronously. We're holding an exclusive lock
+				 * on the queue so nothing can consume entries.
+				 */
+				synchronous_ios = &staged_ios[i];
+				nsync = (num_staged_ios - i);
 
-		if (wakeup == NULL)
-		{
-			/* Choose an idle worker to wake up if we haven't already. */
-			worker = pgaio_worker_choose_idle();
-			if (worker >= 0)
-				wakeup = io_worker_control->workers[worker].latch;
+				break;
+			}
 
-			pgaio_debug_io(DEBUG4, staged_ios[i],
-						   "choosing worker %d",
-						   worker);
+			if (wakeup == NULL)
+			{
+				/* Choose an idle worker to wake up if we haven't already. */
+				worker = pgaio_worker_choose_idle();
+				if (worker >= 0)
+					wakeup = io_worker_control->workers[worker].latch;
+
+				pgaio_debug_io(DEBUG4, staged_ios[i],
+							   "choosing worker %d",
+							   worker);
+			}
 		}
+		LWLockRelease(AioWorkerSubmissionQueueLock);
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		/* do everything synchronously, no wakeup needed */
+		synchronous_ios = staged_ios;
+		nsync = num_staged_ios;
 	}
-	LWLockRelease(AioWorkerSubmissionQueueLock);
 
 	if (wakeup)
 		SetLatch(wakeup);