diff --git a/storage/intent_resolver.go b/storage/intent_resolver.go
index 0f372062fb52..5edcbdf0af32 100644
--- a/storage/intent_resolver.go
+++ b/storage/intent_resolver.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/roachpb"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/util/log"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/util/tracing"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/util/uuid"
 	"github.com/opentracing/opentracing-go"
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 )
@@ -35,10 +36,20 @@ import (
 // resolving intents.
 type intentResolver struct {
 	store *Store
+
+	mu struct {
+		sync.Mutex
+		// Maps transaction ids to a refcount.
+		inFlight map[*uuid.UUID]int
+	}
 }
 
 func newIntentResolver(store *Store) *intentResolver {
-	return &intentResolver{store}
+	ir := &intentResolver{
+		store: store,
+	}
+	ir.mu.inFlight = map[*uuid.UUID]int{}
+	return ir
 }
 
 // processWriteIntentError tries to push the conflicting
@@ -59,7 +70,7 @@ func (ir *intentResolver) processWriteIntentError(ctx context.Context, wiErr roa
 	method := args.Method()
 	readOnly := roachpb.IsReadOnly(args) // TODO(tschottdorf): pass as param
 
-	resolveIntents, pushErr := ir.maybePushTransactions(ctx, wiErr.Intents, h, pushType)
+	resolveIntents, pushErr := ir.maybePushTransactions(ctx, wiErr.Intents, h, pushType, false)
 	if resErr := ir.resolveIntents(ctx, r, resolveIntents, false /* !wait */, true /* poison */); resErr != nil {
 		// When resolving without waiting, errors should not
 		// usually be returned here, although there are some cases
@@ -113,8 +124,17 @@ func (ir *intentResolver) processWriteIntentError(ctx context.Context, wiErr roa
 // c) resolving intents upon EndTransaction which are not local to the given
 //    range. This is the only path in which the transaction is going to be
 //    in non-pending state and doesn't require a push.
-func (ir *intentResolver) maybePushTransactions(ctx context.Context, intents []roachpb.Intent, h roachpb.Header, pushType roachpb.PushTxnType) ([]roachpb.Intent, *roachpb.Error) {
+func (ir *intentResolver) maybePushTransactions(ctx context.Context, intents []roachpb.Intent, h roachpb.Header, pushType roachpb.PushTxnType, skipInFlight bool) ([]roachpb.Intent, *roachpb.Error) {
+	now := ir.store.Clock().Now()
+
 	pusherTxn := h.Txn
+	// If there's no pusher, we communicate a priority by sending an empty
+	// txn with only the priority set.
+	if pusherTxn == nil {
+		pusherTxn = &roachpb.Transaction{
+			Priority: roachpb.MakePriority(h.UserPriority),
+		}
+	}
 
 	sp, cleanupSp := tracing.SpanFromContext(opStore, ir.store.Tracer(), ctx)
 	defer cleanupSp()
@@ -122,29 +142,27 @@ func (ir *intentResolver) maybePushTransactions(ctx context.Context, intents []r
 
 	// Split intents into those we need to push and those which are good to
 	// resolve.
+	ir.mu.Lock()
 	// TODO(tschottdorf): can optimize this and use same underlying slice.
 	var pushIntents, resolveIntents []roachpb.Intent
 	for _, intent := range intents {
-		// The current intent does not need conflict resolution.
 		if intent.Status != roachpb.PENDING {
+			// The current intent does not need conflict resolution
+			// because the transaction is already finalized.
+			// TODO(bdarnell): can this happen any more?
 			resolveIntents = append(resolveIntents, intent)
+		} else if _, ok := ir.mu.inFlight[intent.Txn.ID]; ok && skipInFlight {
+			// Another goroutine is working on this transaction so we can
+			// skip it.
+			continue
 		} else {
 			pushIntents = append(pushIntents, intent)
+			ir.mu.inFlight[intent.Txn.ID]++
 		}
 	}
+	ir.mu.Unlock()
 
 	// Attempt to push the transaction(s) which created the conflicting intent(s).
-	now := ir.store.Clock().Now()
-
-	// TODO(tschottdorf): need deduplication here (many pushes for the same
-	// txn are awkward but even worse, could ratchet up the priority).
-	// If there's no pusher, we communicate a priority by sending an empty
-	// txn with only the priority set.
-	if pusherTxn == nil {
-		pusherTxn = &roachpb.Transaction{
-			Priority: roachpb.MakePriority(h.UserPriority),
-		}
-	}
 	var pushReqs []roachpb.Request
 	for _, intent := range pushIntents {
 		pushReqs = append(pushReqs, &roachpb.PushTxnRequest{
@@ -168,6 +186,14 @@ func (ir *intentResolver) maybePushTransactions(ctx context.Context, intents []r
 	b := &client.Batch{}
 	b.InternalAddRequest(pushReqs...)
 	br, err := ir.store.db.RunWithResponse(b)
+	ir.mu.Lock()
+	for _, intent := range pushIntents {
+		ir.mu.inFlight[intent.Txn.ID]--
+		if ir.mu.inFlight[intent.Txn.ID] == 0 {
+			delete(ir.mu.inFlight, intent.Txn.ID)
+		}
+	}
+	ir.mu.Unlock()
 	if err != nil {
 		// TODO(bdarnell): return resolveIntents even on error.
 		return nil, err
@@ -208,7 +234,7 @@ func (ir *intentResolver) processIntentsAsync(r *Replica, intents []intentsWithA
 				defer cancel()
 				h := roachpb.Header{Timestamp: now}
 				resolveIntents, pushErr := ir.maybePushTransactions(ctxWithTimeout,
-					item.intents, h, roachpb.PUSH_TOUCH)
+					item.intents, h, roachpb.PUSH_TOUCH, true /* skipInFlight */)
 				if pErr := ir.resolveIntents(ctxWithTimeout, r, resolveIntents, true /* wait */, false /* TODO(tschottdorf): #5088 */); pErr != nil {
 					log.Warningc(ctxWithTimeout, "failed to resolve intents: %s", pErr)
 					return