diff --git a/pkg/registry/file/storage.go b/pkg/registry/file/storage.go
index 8ee59021c..639988bfd 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/file/storage.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/file/storage.go
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	clusterKey               = "cluster"
 	JsonExt                  = ".j"
 	MetadataExt              = ".m"
 	DefaultStorageRoot       = "/data"
@@ -119,6 +118,11 @@ func isPayloadFile(path string) bool {
 	return !IsMetadataFile(path)
 }
 
+func (s *StorageImpl) keyFromPath(path string) string {
+	extension := filepath.Ext(path)
+	return strings.TrimPrefix(strings.TrimSuffix(path, extension), s.root)
+}
+
 func (s *StorageImpl) writeFiles(key string, obj runtime.Object, metaOut runtime.Object) error {
 	// call processor on object to be saved
 	if err := s.processor.PreSave(obj); err != nil {
@@ -313,10 +317,6 @@ func (s *StorageImpl) GetList(ctx context.Context, key string, _ storage.ListOpt
 	ctx, span := otel.Tracer("").Start(ctx, "StorageImpl.GetList")
 	span.SetAttributes(attribute.String("key", key))
 	defer span.End()
-	_, spanLock := otel.Tracer("").Start(ctx, "waiting for lock")
-	s.locks.RLock(key)
-	defer s.locks.RUnlock(key)
-	spanLock.End()
 	listPtr, err := meta.GetItemsPtr(listObj)
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.L().Ctx(ctx).Error("get items ptr failed", helpers.Error(err), helpers.String("key", key))
@@ -346,20 +346,9 @@ func (s *StorageImpl) GetList(ctx context.Context, key string, _ storage.ListOpt
 		})
 	}
 	for _, path := range files {
-		// we need to read the whole file
-		file, err := s.appFs.Open(path)
-		if err != nil {
-			// skip if file is not readable, maybe it was deleted
-			continue
-		}
-
-		obj, err := getUnmarshaledRuntimeObject(v, file)
-		if err != nil {
-			logger.L().Ctx(ctx).Error("unmarshal file failed", helpers.Error(err), helpers.String("path", path))
-			continue
+		if err := s.appendJSONObjectFromFile(path, v); err != nil {
+			logger.L().Ctx(ctx).Error("appending JSON object from file failed", helpers.Error(err), helpers.String("path", path))
 		}
-		// append to list
-		v.Set(reflect.Append(v, reflect.ValueOf(obj).Elem()))
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -541,9 +530,6 @@ func (s *StorageImpl) Count(key string) (int64, error) {
 	p := filepath.Join(s.root, key)
 	metadataPath := makeMetadataPath(p)
 
-	s.locks.RLock(key)
-	defer s.locks.RUnlock(key)
-
 	pathExists, _ := afero.Exists(s.appFs, metadataPath)
 	pathIsDir, _ := afero.IsDir(s.appFs, metadataPath)
 	if pathExists && !pathIsDir {
@@ -576,10 +562,6 @@ func (s *StorageImpl) GetByNamespace(ctx context.Context, apiVersion, kind, name
 	ctx, span := otel.Tracer("").Start(ctx, "StorageImpl.GetByNamespace")
 	span.SetAttributes(attribute.String("apiVersion", apiVersion), attribute.String("kind", kind), attribute.String("namespace", namespace))
 	defer span.End()
-	_, spanLock := otel.Tracer("").Start(ctx, "waiting for lock")
-	s.locks.RLock(namespace)
-	defer s.locks.RUnlock(namespace)
-	spanLock.End()
 
 	listPtr, err := meta.GetItemsPtr(listObj)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -602,7 +584,7 @@ func (s *StorageImpl) GetByNamespace(ctx context.Context, apiVersion, kind, name
 		}
 
 		if err := s.appendJSONObjectFromFile(path, v); err != nil {
-			logger.L().Ctx(ctx).Error("unmarshal file failed", helpers.Error(err), helpers.String("path", path))
+			logger.L().Ctx(ctx).Error("appending JSON object from file failed", helpers.Error(err), helpers.String("path", path))
 		}
 
 		return nil
@@ -615,10 +597,6 @@ func (s *StorageImpl) GetByNamespace(ctx context.Context, apiVersion, kind, name
 func (s *StorageImpl) GetClusterScopedResource(ctx context.Context, apiVersion, kind string, listObj runtime.Object) error {
 	ctx, span := otel.Tracer("").Start(ctx, "StorageImpl.GetClusterScopedResource")
 	defer span.End()
-	_, spanLock := otel.Tracer("").Start(ctx, "waiting for lock")
-	s.locks.RLock(clusterKey)
-	defer s.locks.RUnlock(clusterKey)
-	spanLock.End()
 
 	listPtr, err := meta.GetItemsPtr(listObj)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -661,10 +639,6 @@ func (s *StorageImpl) GetClusterScopedResource(ctx context.Context, apiVersion,
 func (s *StorageImpl) GetByCluster(ctx context.Context, apiVersion, kind string, listObj runtime.Object) error {
 	ctx, span := otel.Tracer("").Start(ctx, "StorageImpl.GetByCluster")
 	defer span.End()
-	_, spanLock := otel.Tracer("").Start(ctx, "waiting for lock")
-	s.locks.RLock(clusterKey)
-	defer s.locks.RUnlock(clusterKey)
-	spanLock.End()
 
 	listPtr, err := meta.GetItemsPtr(listObj)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -709,6 +683,9 @@ func (s *StorageImpl) GetByCluster(ctx context.Context, apiVersion, kind string,
 
 // appendJSONObjectFromFile unmarshalls a json file into a runtime.Object and appends it to the underlying list object.
 func (s *StorageImpl) appendJSONObjectFromFile(path string, v reflect.Value) error {
+	key := s.keyFromPath(path)
+	s.locks.RLock(key)
+	defer s.locks.RUnlock(key)
 	file, err := s.appFs.Open(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		// skip if file is not readable, maybe it was deleted