diff --git a/core/storage/pager.rs b/core/storage/pager.rs
index 0114e58ef..f0bffb2c4 100644
--- a/core/storage/pager.rs
+++ b/core/storage/pager.rs
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ enum CommitState {
     /// Sync WAL header after prepare
     PrepareWalSync,
     /// Appends all frames to the WAL.
-    Start,
+    PrepareFrames,
     /// Fsync the on-disk WAL.
     SyncWal,
     /// Checkpoint the WAL to the database file (if needed).
@@ -1263,7 +1263,8 @@ impl Pager {
         let mut pages = Vec::with_capacity(len);
         let page_sz = self.page_size.get().unwrap_or_default();
 
-        if let Some(c) = wal.borrow_mut().prepare_wal_start(page_sz)? {
+        let prepare = wal.borrow_mut().prepare_wal_start(page_sz)?;
+        if let Some(c) = prepare {
             self.io.wait_for_completion(c)?;
             let c = wal.borrow_mut().prepare_wal_finish()?;
             self.io.wait_for_completion(c)?;
@@ -1340,7 +1341,7 @@ impl Pager {
                     let page_sz = self.page_size.get().expect("page size not set");
                     let c = wal.borrow_mut().prepare_wal_start(page_sz)?;
                     let Some(c) = c else {
-                        self.commit_info.state.set(CommitState::Start);
+                        self.commit_info.state.set(CommitState::PrepareFrames);
                         continue;
                     };
                     self.commit_info.state.set(CommitState::PrepareWalSync);
@@ -1350,12 +1351,12 @@ impl Pager {
                 }
                 CommitState::PrepareWalSync => {
                     let c = wal.borrow_mut().prepare_wal_finish()?;
-                    self.commit_info.state.set(CommitState::Start);
+                    self.commit_info.state.set(CommitState::PrepareFrames);
                     if !c.is_completed() {
                         io_yield_one!(c);
                     }
                 }
-                CommitState::Start => {
+                CommitState::PrepareFrames => {
                     let now = self.io.now();
                     self.commit_info.time.set(now);
                     let db_size_after = {
@@ -1503,7 +1504,7 @@ impl Pager {
                     let mut completions = self.commit_info.completions.borrow_mut();
                     if completions.iter().all(|c| c.is_completed()) {
                         completions.clear();
-                        self.commit_info.state.set(CommitState::Start);
+                        self.commit_info.state.set(CommitState::PrepareWal);
                         wal.borrow_mut().finish_append_frames_commit()?;
                         let result = self.commit_info.result.borrow_mut().take();
                         return Ok(IOResult::Done(result.expect("commit result should be set")));
@@ -2229,7 +2230,7 @@ impl Pager {
     fn reset_internal_states(&self) {
         *self.checkpoint_state.write() = CheckpointState::Checkpoint;
         self.syncing.replace(false);
-        self.commit_info.state.set(CommitState::Start);
+        self.commit_info.state.set(CommitState::PrepareWal);
         self.commit_info.time.set(self.io.now());
         self.allocate_page_state.replace(AllocatePageState::Start);
         self.free_page_state.replace(FreePageState::Start);
diff --git a/core/storage/wal.rs b/core/storage/wal.rs
index 7ac294346..6c4b2a242 100644
--- a/core/storage/wal.rs
+++ b/core/storage/wal.rs
@@ -1936,7 +1936,9 @@ impl WalFile {
                     if mode.require_all_backfilled() && !checkpoint_result.everything_backfilled() {
                         return Err(LimboError::Busy);
                     }
-                    self.restart_log_if_needed(mode)?;
+                    if mode.should_restart_log() {
+                        self.restart_log(mode)?;
+                    }
                     self.ongoing_checkpoint.state = CheckpointState::Truncate {
                         checkpoint_result: Some(checkpoint_result),
                         truncate_sent: false,
@@ -1944,7 +1946,12 @@ impl WalFile {
                     };
                 }
                 CheckpointState::Truncate { .. } => {
-                    return_if_io!(self.truncate_log_if_needed(mode));
+                    if matches!(mode, CheckpointMode::Truncate { .. }) {
+                        return_if_io!(self.truncate_log());
+                    }
+                    if mode.should_restart_log() {
+                        Self::unlock(&self.shared, None);
+                    }
                     let mut checkpoint_result = {
                         let CheckpointState::Truncate {
                             checkpoint_result, ..
@@ -2051,10 +2058,11 @@ impl WalFile {
 
     /// Called once the entire WAL has been back‑filled in RESTART or TRUNCATE mode.
     /// Must be invoked while writer and checkpoint locks are still held.
-    fn restart_log_if_needed(&mut self, mode: CheckpointMode) -> Result<()> {
-        if !mode.should_restart_log() {
-            return Ok(());
-        }
+    fn restart_log(&mut self, mode: CheckpointMode) -> Result<()> {
+        turso_assert!(
+            mode.should_restart_log(),
+            "CheckpointMode must be Restart or Truncate"
+        );
         turso_assert!(
             matches!(self.checkpoint_guard, Some(CheckpointLocks::Writer { .. })),
             "We must hold writer and checkpoint locks to restart the log, found: {:?}",
@@ -2089,11 +2097,7 @@ impl WalFile {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn truncate_log_if_needed(&mut self, mode: CheckpointMode) -> Result<IOResult<()>> {
-        if !matches!(mode, CheckpointMode::Truncate { .. }) {
-            Self::unlock(&self.shared, None);
-            return Ok(IOResult::Done(()));
-        }
+    fn truncate_log(&mut self) -> Result<IOResult<()>> {
         let file = {
             let shared = self.get_shared();
             assert!(
@@ -2143,8 +2147,6 @@ impl WalFile {
                 .inspect_err(|e| Self::unlock(&self.shared, Some(e)))?;
             *sync_sent = true;
             io_yield_one!(c);
-        } else {
-            Self::unlock(&self.shared, None);
         }
         Ok(IOResult::Done(()))
     }