diff --git a/lib/resque/plugins/lock_timeout.rb b/lib/resque/plugins/lock_timeout.rb
index e1d893d..2d7f33f 100644
--- a/lib/resque/plugins/lock_timeout.rb
+++ b/lib/resque/plugins/lock_timeout.rb
@@ -297,7 +297,12 @@ def around_perform_lock(*args)
         end
       end
 
+      def on_failure_lock(exception, *args)
+        # In case of a DirtyExit, the ensure block of the around hook is not called
+        if exception.is_a?(Resque::DirtyExit)
+          release_lock!(*args)
+        end
+      end
     end
-
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/lock_test.rb b/test/lock_test.rb
index 53fb81a..167d4d2 100644
--- a/test/lock_test.rb
+++ b/test/lock_test.rb
@@ -65,6 +65,20 @@ def test_lock_is_released_on_failure
     assert_equal false, FastJob.locked?, 'lock should have been released'
   end
 
+  if Process.respond_to?(:fork) && Gem::Version.new(Resque::VERSION) >= Gem::Version.new('1.20.0')
+    def test_lock_is_released_on_dirty_exit
+      Resque.enqueue(FailingKilledJob)
+      job = @worker.reserve
+      child = fork do
+        Resque.redis.client.reconnect
+        job.perform
+      end
+      Process.waitpid(child)
+      job.fail(Resque::DirtyExit.new)
+      assert_equal false, FailingKilledJob.locked?, 'lock should have been released'
+    end
+  end
+
   def test_can_acquire_lock_with_timeout
     now = Time.now.to_i
     assert SlowWithTimeoutJob.acquire_lock!, 'acquire lock'
diff --git a/test/test_jobs.rb b/test/test_jobs.rb
index e5ed862..2f1213e 100644
--- a/test/test_jobs.rb
+++ b/test/test_jobs.rb
@@ -38,6 +38,16 @@ def self.perform
   end
 end
 
+# Job that fails with a SIGKILL
+class FailingKilledJob
+  extend Resque::Plugins::LockTimeout
+  @queue = :test
+
+  def self.perform
+    Process.kill("KILL", Process.pid)
+  end
+end
+
 # Job that enables the timeout algorithm.
 class SlowWithTimeoutJob
   extend Resque::Plugins::LockTimeout