diff --git a/base/loading.jl b/base/loading.jl
index ef0d5e4bf6f5f..b3f02a68c2a96 100644
--- a/base/loading.jl
+++ b/base/loading.jl
@@ -2967,14 +2967,17 @@ global parse_pidfile_hook
 # the same package cannot be precompiled from different projects and/or different preferences at the same time.
 compilecache_pidfile_path(pkg::PkgId) = compilecache_path(pkg, UInt64(0); project="") * ".pidfile"
 
+const compilecache_pidlock_stale_age = 10
+
 # Allows processes to wait if another process is precompiling a given source already.
-# The lock file mtime will be updated when held every `stale_age/2` seconds.
+# The lock file mtime will be updated when held at most every `stale_age/2` seconds, with expected
+# variance of 10 seconds or more being infrequent but not unusual.
 # After `stale_age` seconds beyond the mtime of the lock file, the lock file is deleted and
-# precompilation will proceed if
-#  - the locking process no longer exists
-#  - the lock is held by another host, since processes cannot be checked remotely
-# or after `stale_age * 25` seconds if the process does still exist.
-function maybe_cachefile_lock(f, pkg::PkgId, srcpath::String; stale_age=10)
+# precompilation will proceed if the locking process no longer exists or after `stale_age * 5`
+# seconds if the process does still exist.
+# If the lock is held by another host, it will conservatively wait `stale_age * 5`
+# seconds since processes cannot be checked remotely
+function maybe_cachefile_lock(f, pkg::PkgId, srcpath::String; stale_age=compilecache_pidlock_stale_age)
     if @isdefined(mkpidlock_hook) && @isdefined(trymkpidlock_hook) && @isdefined(parse_pidfile_hook)
         pidfile = compilecache_pidfile_path(pkg)
         cachefile = invokelatest(trymkpidlock_hook, f, pidfile; stale_age)
@@ -2982,9 +2985,9 @@ function maybe_cachefile_lock(f, pkg::PkgId, srcpath::String; stale_age=10)
             pid, hostname, age = invokelatest(parse_pidfile_hook, pidfile)
             verbosity = isinteractive() ? CoreLogging.Info : CoreLogging.Debug
             if isempty(hostname) || hostname == gethostname()
-                @logmsg verbosity "Waiting for another process (pid: $pid) to finish precompiling $pkg"
+                @logmsg verbosity "Waiting for another process (pid: $pid) to finish precompiling $pkg. Pidfile: $pidfile"
             else
-                @logmsg verbosity "Waiting for another machine (hostname: $hostname, pid: $pid) to finish precompiling $pkg"
+                @logmsg verbosity "Waiting for another machine (hostname: $hostname, pid: $pid) to finish precompiling $pkg. Pidfile: $pidfile"
             end
             # wait until the lock is available, but don't actually acquire it
             # returning nothing indicates a process waited for another
diff --git a/stdlib/FileWatching/src/pidfile.jl b/stdlib/FileWatching/src/pidfile.jl
index 6d40414e20db2..ada192b2493a0 100644
--- a/stdlib/FileWatching/src/pidfile.jl
+++ b/stdlib/FileWatching/src/pidfile.jl
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ Optional keyword arguments:
  - `mode`: file access mode (modified by the process umask). Defaults to world-readable.
  - `poll_interval`: Specify the maximum time to between attempts (if `watch_file` doesn't work)
  - `stale_age`: Delete an existing pidfile (ignoring the lock) if it is older than this many seconds, based on its mtime.
-     The file won't be deleted until 25x longer than this if the pid in the file appears that it may be valid.
+     The file won't be deleted until 5x longer than this if the pid in the file appears that it may be valid.
+     Or 25x longer if `refresh` is overridden to 0 to disable lock refreshing.
      By default this is disabled (`stale_age` = 0), but a typical recommended value would be about 3-5x an
      estimated normal completion time.
  - `refresh`: Keeps a lock from becoming stale by updating the mtime every interval of time that passes.
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ mutable struct LockMonitor
         atdir, atname = splitdir(at)
         isempty(atdir) && (atdir = pwd())
         at = realpath(atdir) * path_separator * atname
-        fd = open_exclusive(at; stale_age=stale_age, kwopts...)
+        fd = open_exclusive(at; stale_age, refresh, kwopts...)
         update = nothing
         try
             write_pidfile(fd, pid)
@@ -184,15 +185,16 @@ function isvalidpid(hostname::AbstractString, pid::Cuint)
 end
 
 """
-    stale_pidfile(path::String, stale_age::Real) :: Bool
+    stale_pidfile(path::String, stale_age::Real, refresh::Real) :: Bool
 
 Helper function for `open_exclusive` for deciding if a pidfile is stale.
 """
-function stale_pidfile(path::String, stale_age::Real)
+function stale_pidfile(path::String, stale_age::Real, refresh::Real)
     pid, hostname, age = parse_pidfile(path)
     age < -stale_age && @warn "filesystem time skew detected" path=path
+    longer_factor = refresh == 0 ? 25 : 5
     if age > stale_age
-        if (age > stale_age * 25) || !isvalidpid(hostname, pid)
+        if (age > stale_age * longer_factor) || !isvalidpid(hostname, pid)
             return true
         end
     end
@@ -219,7 +221,7 @@ struct PidlockedError <: Exception
 end
 
 """
-    open_exclusive(path::String; mode, poll_interval, wait, stale_age) :: File
+    open_exclusive(path::String; mode, poll_interval, wait, stale_age, refresh) :: File
 
 Create a new a file for read-write advisory-exclusive access.
 If `wait` is `false` then error out if the lock files exist
@@ -231,13 +233,14 @@ function open_exclusive(path::String;
                         mode::Integer = 0o444 #= read-only =#,
                         poll_interval::Real = 10 #= seconds =#,
                         wait::Bool = true #= return on failure if false =#,
-                        stale_age::Real = 0 #= disabled =#)
+                        stale_age::Real = 0 #= disabled =#,
+                        refresh::Real = stale_age/2)
     # fast-path: just try to open it
     file = tryopen_exclusive(path, mode)
     file === nothing || return file
     if !wait
         if file === nothing && stale_age > 0
-            if stale_age > 0 && stale_pidfile(path, stale_age)
+            if stale_age > 0 && stale_pidfile(path, stale_age, refresh)
                 @warn "attempting to remove probably stale pidfile" path=path
                 tryrmopenfile(path)
             end
@@ -263,7 +266,7 @@ function open_exclusive(path::String;
         file = tryopen_exclusive(path, mode)
         file === nothing || return file
         Base.wait(t) # sleep for a bit before trying again
-        if stale_age > 0 && stale_pidfile(path, stale_age)
+        if stale_age > 0 && stale_pidfile(path, stale_age, refresh)
             # if the file seems stale, try to remove it before attempting again
             # set stale_age to zero so we won't attempt again, even if the attempt fails
             stale_age -= stale_age
diff --git a/stdlib/FileWatching/test/pidfile.jl b/stdlib/FileWatching/test/pidfile.jl
index c2cb0c88a1b1e..3464a24175632 100644
--- a/stdlib/FileWatching/test/pidfile.jl
+++ b/stdlib/FileWatching/test/pidfile.jl
@@ -203,18 +203,33 @@ end
 
 @assert !ispath("pidfile")
 @testset "open_exclusive: break lock" begin
-    # test for stale_age
-    t = @elapsed f = open_exclusive("pidfile", poll_interval=3, stale_age=10)::File
-    try
-        write_pidfile(f, getpid())
-    finally
+    @testset "using stale_age without lock refreshing" begin
+        t = @elapsed f = open_exclusive("pidfile", poll_interval=3, stale_age=10, refresh=0)::File
+        try
+            write_pidfile(f, getpid())
+        finally
+            close(f)
+        end
+        @test t < 2
+        t = @elapsed f = open_exclusive("pidfile", poll_interval=3, stale_age=1, refresh=0)::File
         close(f)
+        @test 20 < t < 50
+        rm("pidfile")
+    end
+
+    @testset "using stale_age with lock refreshing on (default)" begin
+        t = @elapsed f = open_exclusive("pidfile", poll_interval=3, stale_age=10)::File
+        try
+            write_pidfile(f, getpid())
+        finally
+            close(f)
+        end
+        @test t < 2
+        t = @elapsed f = open_exclusive("pidfile", poll_interval=3, stale_age=5)::File
+        close(f)
+        @test 20 < t < 50
+        rm("pidfile")
     end
-    @test t < 2
-    t = @elapsed f = open_exclusive("pidfile", poll_interval=3, stale_age=1)::File
-    close(f)
-    @test 20 < t < 50
-    rm("pidfile")
 
     t = @elapsed f = open_exclusive("pidfile", poll_interval=3, stale_age=10)::File
     close(f)