A system, method, and computer program product for improving physical lock acquisition for database transaction logs are described herein. In an embodiment, the method operates by receiving a request for a transaction log page and determining whether a requested log page is newly-allocated or already exists. A determination is made regarding whether the last log page is being modified. A physical lock is taken on the requested log page when it has been determined that the requested log page is not newly-allocated and that the last log page is not being modified. Operations on the last log page are synchronized without a physical lock when it is determined that the requested log page is newly-allocated or that the last log page is being modified.