diff --git a/src/database/sql/sql.go b/src/database/sql/sql.go
index 09de1c34e8..9d8afb01b0 100644
--- a/src/database/sql/sql.go
+++ b/src/database/sql/sql.go
@@ -983,9 +983,10 @@ func (db *DB) prepare(query string, strategy connReuseStrategy) (*Stmt, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	dc.Lock()
-	si, err := dc.prepareLocked(query)
-	dc.Unlock()
+	var si driver.Stmt
+	withLock(dc, func() {
+		si, err = dc.prepareLocked(query)
+	})
 	if err != nil {
 		db.putConn(dc, err)
 		return nil, err
@@ -1028,13 +1029,15 @@ func (db *DB) exec(query string, args []interface{}, strategy connReuseStrategy)
 	}()
 
 	if execer, ok := dc.ci.(driver.Execer); ok {
-		dargs, err := driverArgs(nil, args)
+		var dargs []driver.Value
+		dargs, err = driverArgs(nil, args)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		dc.Lock()
-		resi, err := execer.Exec(query, dargs)
-		dc.Unlock()
+		var resi driver.Result
+		withLock(dc, func() {
+			resi, err = execer.Exec(query, dargs)
+		})
 		if err != driver.ErrSkip {
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
@@ -1043,9 +1046,10 @@ func (db *DB) exec(query string, args []interface{}, strategy connReuseStrategy)
 		}
 	}
 
-	dc.Lock()
-	si, err := dc.ci.Prepare(query)
-	dc.Unlock()
+	var si driver.Stmt
+	withLock(dc, func() {
+		si, err = dc.ci.Prepare(query)
+	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -1088,9 +1092,10 @@ func (db *DB) queryConn(dc *driverConn, releaseConn func(error), query string, a
 			releaseConn(err)
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		dc.Lock()
-		rowsi, err := queryer.Query(query, dargs)
-		dc.Unlock()
+		var rowsi driver.Rows
+		withLock(dc, func() {
+			rowsi, err = queryer.Query(query, dargs)
+		})
 		if err != driver.ErrSkip {
 			if err != nil {
 				releaseConn(err)
@@ -1107,9 +1112,11 @@ func (db *DB) queryConn(dc *driverConn, releaseConn func(error), query string, a
 		}
 	}
 
-	dc.Lock()
-	si, err := dc.ci.Prepare(query)
-	dc.Unlock()
+	var si driver.Stmt
+	var err error
+	withLock(dc, func() {
+		si, err = dc.ci.Prepare(query)
+	})
 	if err != nil {
 		releaseConn(err)
 		return nil, err
@@ -1118,9 +1125,9 @@ func (db *DB) queryConn(dc *driverConn, releaseConn func(error), query string, a
 	ds := driverStmt{dc, si}
 	rowsi, err := rowsiFromStatement(ds, args...)
 	if err != nil {
-		dc.Lock()
-		si.Close()
-		dc.Unlock()
+		withLock(dc, func() {
+			si.Close()
+		})
 		releaseConn(err)
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -1166,9 +1173,10 @@ func (db *DB) begin(strategy connReuseStrategy) (tx *Tx, err error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	dc.Lock()
-	txi, err := dc.ci.Begin()
-	dc.Unlock()
+	var txi driver.Tx
+	withLock(dc, func() {
+		txi, err = dc.ci.Begin()
+	})
 	if err != nil {
 		db.putConn(dc, err)
 		return nil, err
@@ -1238,10 +1246,10 @@ func (tx *Tx) grabConn() (*driverConn, error) {
 // Closes all Stmts prepared for this transaction.
 func (tx *Tx) closePrepared() {
 	tx.stmts.Lock()
+	defer tx.stmts.Unlock()
 	for _, stmt := range tx.stmts.v {
 		stmt.Close()
 	}
-	tx.stmts.Unlock()
 }
 
 // Commit commits the transaction.
@@ -1249,9 +1257,10 @@ func (tx *Tx) Commit() error {
 	if tx.done {
 		return ErrTxDone
 	}
-	tx.dc.Lock()
-	err := tx.txi.Commit()
-	tx.dc.Unlock()
+	var err error
+	withLock(tx.dc, func() {
+		err = tx.txi.Commit()
+	})
 	if err != driver.ErrBadConn {
 		tx.closePrepared()
 	}
@@ -1264,9 +1273,10 @@ func (tx *Tx) Rollback() error {
 	if tx.done {
 		return ErrTxDone
 	}
-	tx.dc.Lock()
-	err := tx.txi.Rollback()
-	tx.dc.Unlock()
+	var err error
+	withLock(tx.dc, func() {
+		err = tx.txi.Rollback()
+	})
 	if err != driver.ErrBadConn {
 		tx.closePrepared()
 	}
@@ -1299,9 +1309,10 @@ func (tx *Tx) Prepare(query string) (*Stmt, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	dc.Lock()
-	si, err := dc.ci.Prepare(query)
-	dc.Unlock()
+	var si driver.Stmt
+	withLock(dc, func() {
+		si, err = dc.ci.Prepare(query)
+	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -1346,9 +1357,10 @@ func (tx *Tx) Stmt(stmt *Stmt) *Stmt {
 	if err != nil {
 		return &Stmt{stickyErr: err}
 	}
-	dc.Lock()
-	si, err := dc.ci.Prepare(stmt.query)
-	dc.Unlock()
+	var si driver.Stmt
+	withLock(dc, func() {
+		si, err = dc.ci.Prepare(stmt.query)
+	})
 	txs := &Stmt{
 		db: tx.db,
 		tx: tx,
@@ -1378,9 +1390,10 @@ func (tx *Tx) Exec(query string, args ...interface{}) (Result, error) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		dc.Lock()
-		resi, err := execer.Exec(query, dargs)
-		dc.Unlock()
+		var resi driver.Result
+		withLock(dc, func() {
+			resi, err = execer.Exec(query, dargs)
+		})
 		if err == nil {
 			return driverResult{dc, resi}, nil
 		}
@@ -1389,9 +1402,10 @@ func (tx *Tx) Exec(query string, args ...interface{}) (Result, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	dc.Lock()
-	si, err := dc.ci.Prepare(query)
-	dc.Unlock()
+	var si driver.Stmt
+	withLock(dc, func() {
+		si, err = dc.ci.Prepare(query)
+	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -1578,9 +1592,9 @@ func (s *Stmt) connStmt() (ci *driverConn, releaseConn func(error), si driver.St
 	s.mu.Unlock()
 
 	// No luck; we need to prepare the statement on this connection
-	dc.Lock()
-	si, err = dc.prepareLocked(s.query)
-	dc.Unlock()
+	withLock(dc, func() {
+		si, err = dc.prepareLocked(s.query)
+	})
 	if err != nil {
 		s.db.putConn(dc, err)
 		return nil, nil, nil, err
@@ -1635,9 +1649,10 @@ func (s *Stmt) Query(args ...interface{}) (*Rows, error) {
 }
 
 func rowsiFromStatement(ds driverStmt, args ...interface{}) (driver.Rows, error) {
-	ds.Lock()
-	want := ds.si.NumInput()
-	ds.Unlock()
+	var want int
+	withLock(ds, func() {
+		want = ds.si.NumInput()
+	})
 
 	// -1 means the driver doesn't know how to count the number of
 	// placeholders, so we won't sanity check input here and instead let the
@@ -1652,8 +1667,8 @@ func rowsiFromStatement(ds driverStmt, args ...interface{}) (driver.Rows, error)
 	}
 
 	ds.Lock()
+	defer ds.Unlock()
 	rowsi, err := ds.si.Query(dargs)
-	ds.Unlock()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -1695,9 +1710,8 @@ func (s *Stmt) Close() error {
 	s.closed = true
 
 	if s.tx != nil {
-		err := s.txsi.Close()
-		s.mu.Unlock()
-		return err
+		defer s.mu.Unlock()
+		return s.txsi.Close()
 	}
 	s.mu.Unlock()
 
diff --git a/src/database/sql/sql_test.go b/src/database/sql/sql_test.go
index 08df0c7666..41afd00e92 100644
--- a/src/database/sql/sql_test.go
+++ b/src/database/sql/sql_test.go
@@ -2299,6 +2299,53 @@ func TestConnectionLeak(t *testing.T) {
 	wg.Wait()
 }
 
+// badConn implements a bad driver.Conn, for TestBadDriver.
+// The Exec method panics.
+type badConn struct{}
+
+func (bc badConn) Prepare(query string) (driver.Stmt, error) {
+	return nil, errors.New("badConn Prepare")
+}
+
+func (bc badConn) Close() error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (bc badConn) Begin() (driver.Tx, error) {
+	return nil, errors.New("badConn Begin")
+}
+
+func (bc badConn) Exec(query string, args []driver.Value) (driver.Result, error) {
+	panic("badConn.Exec")
+}
+
+// badDriver is a driver.Driver that uses badConn.
+type badDriver struct{}
+
+func (bd badDriver) Open(name string) (driver.Conn, error) {
+	return badConn{}, nil
+}
+
+// Issue 15901.
+func TestBadDriver(t *testing.T) {
+	Register("bad", badDriver{})
+	db, err := Open("bad", "ignored")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r == nil {
+			t.Error("expected panic")
+		} else {
+			if want := "badConn.Exec"; r.(string) != want {
+				t.Errorf("panic was %v, expected %v", r, want)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+	defer db.Close()
+	db.Exec("ignored")
+}
+
 func BenchmarkConcurrentDBExec(b *testing.B) {
 	b.ReportAllocs()
 	ct := new(concurrentDBExecTest)