diff --git a/src/lockhelper.h b/src/lockhelper.h
index e829967..e8178b6 100644
--- a/src/lockhelper.h
+++ b/src/lockhelper.h
@@ -13,40 +13,44 @@ class LockHelper
     CPP_DISABLE_COPY_MOVE(LockHelper)
 
 public:
-    LockHelper(QueueHandle_t _xMutex, TickType_t xTicksToWait=portMAX_DELAY) :
-        xMutex{_xMutex}
-    {
-        locked = xSemaphoreTakeRecursive(xMutex, xTicksToWait);
-    }
+    LockHelper(SemaphoreHandle_t xMutex, TickType_t xTicksToWait = portMAX_DELAY) :
+        m_xMutex{xMutex},
+        m_locked{xSemaphoreTake(m_xMutex, xTicksToWait) == pdPASS}
+    {}
 
     ~LockHelper()
     {
-        if (locked)
-            xSemaphoreGiveRecursive(xMutex);
+        if (m_locked)
+            xSemaphoreGive(m_xMutex);
     }
 
-    bool lock(TickType_t xTicksToWait=portMAX_DELAY)
+    bool lock(TickType_t xTicksToWait = portMAX_DELAY)
     {
-        if (locked)
+        if (m_locked)
             return false;
 
-        locked = xSemaphoreTakeRecursive(xMutex, xTicksToWait);
+        m_locked = xSemaphoreTake(m_xMutex, xTicksToWait);
 
-        return locked;
+        return m_locked;
     }
 
     bool unlock()
     {
-        if (!locked)
+        if (!m_locked)
             return false;
 
-        locked = !xSemaphoreGiveRecursive(xMutex);
+        m_locked = !xSemaphoreGive(m_xMutex);
 
-        return locked;
+        return m_locked;
+    }
+
+    bool locked() const
+    {
+        return m_locked;
     }
 
 private:
-    const QueueHandle_t xMutex;
-    bool locked;
+    const SemaphoreHandle_t m_xMutex;
+    bool m_locked;
 };
 } // namespace espcpputils
diff --git a/src/lockingqueue.h b/src/lockingqueue.h
index 6bddf85..a6ad258 100644
--- a/src/lockingqueue.h
+++ b/src/lockingqueue.h
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
 
 // local includes
 #include "delayedconstruction.h"
-#include "wrappers/recursive_mutex_semaphore.h"
-#include "recursivelockhelper.h"
+#include "wrappers/mutex_semaphore.h"
+#include "lockhelper.h"
 
 namespace espcpputils {
 template<typename T>
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ public:
     std::size_t size() const { return m_size; }
 
 private:
-    espcpputils::recursive_mutex_semaphore m_lock;
+    espcpputils::mutex_semaphore m_lock;
     std::queue<T> m_queue;
     std::size_t m_size{}; // double-buffered to allow for reading without taking a lock
 };
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ private:
 template<typename T>
 void LockingQueue<T>::push(const T &val)
 {
-    RecursiveLockHelper helper{m_lock.handle};
+    LockHelper helper{m_lock.handle};
     m_queue.push(val);
     m_size = m_queue.size();
 }
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ void LockingQueue<T>::push(const T &val)
 template<typename T>
 void LockingQueue<T>::push(T &&val)
 {
-    RecursiveLockHelper helper{m_lock.handle};
+    LockHelper helper{m_lock.handle};
     m_queue.emplace(std::move(val));
     m_size = m_queue.size();
 }
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ void LockingQueue<T>::push(T &&val)
 template<typename T>
 std::optional<T> LockingQueue<T>::tryPop()
 {
-    RecursiveLockHelper helper{m_lock.handle};
+    LockHelper helper{m_lock.handle};
     if (m_queue.empty())
         return std::nullopt;
 
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ std::optional<T> LockingQueue<T>::tryPop()
 template<typename T>
 void LockingQueue<T>::clear()
 {
-    RecursiveLockHelper helper{m_lock.handle};
+    LockHelper helper{m_lock.handle};
     m_queue = {};
 }
 } // namespace espcpputils
diff --git a/src/recursivelockhelper.h b/src/recursivelockhelper.h
index f9136d8..d9810f3 100644
--- a/src/recursivelockhelper.h
+++ b/src/recursivelockhelper.h
@@ -13,40 +13,44 @@ class RecursiveLockHelper
     CPP_DISABLE_COPY_MOVE(RecursiveLockHelper)
 
 public:
-    RecursiveLockHelper(QueueHandle_t _xMutex, TickType_t xTicksToWait=portMAX_DELAY) :
-        xMutex{_xMutex}
-    {
-        locked = xSemaphoreTakeRecursive(xMutex, xTicksToWait);
-    }
+    RecursiveLockHelper(SemaphoreHandle_t _xMutex, TickType_t xTicksToWait = portMAX_DELAY) :
+        m_xMutex{xMutex},
+        m_locked{xSemaphoreTakeRecursive(xMutex, xTicksToWait) == pdPASS}
+    {}
 
     ~RecursiveLockHelper()
     {
-        if (locked)
-            xSemaphoreGiveRecursive(xMutex);
+        if (m_locked)
+            xSemaphoreGiveRecursive(m_xMutex);
     }
 
-    bool lock(TickType_t xTicksToWait=portMAX_DELAY)
+    bool lock(TickType_t xTicksToWait = portMAX_DELAY)
     {
-        if (locked)
+        if (m_locked)
             return false;
 
-        locked = xSemaphoreTakeRecursive(xMutex, xTicksToWait);
+        m_locked = xSemaphoreTakeRecursive(m_xMutex, xTicksToWait);
 
-        return locked;
+        return m_locked;
     }
 
     bool unlock()
     {
-        if (!locked)
+        if (!m_locked)
             return false;
 
-        locked = !xSemaphoreGiveRecursive(xMutex);
+        m_locked = !xSemaphoreGiveRecursive(m_xMutex);
 
-        return locked;
+        return m_locked;
+    }
+
+    bool locked() const
+    {
+        return m_locked;
     }
 
 private:
-    const QueueHandle_t xMutex;
-    bool locked;
+    const SemaphoreHandle_t m_xMutex;
+    bool m_locked;
 };
 } // namespace espcpputils