diff --git a/pkg/sql/catalog/descs/uncommitted_descriptors.go b/pkg/sql/catalog/descs/uncommitted_descriptors.go
index d353071a9c3f..337626774ad1 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/catalog/descs/uncommitted_descriptors.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/catalog/descs/uncommitted_descriptors.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 package descs
 
 import (
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/keys"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/catalog"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/catalog/dbdesc"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/catalog/descpb"
@@ -100,11 +101,16 @@ type uncommittedDescriptors struct {
 	//
 	// TODO(postamar): better uncommitted namespace changes handling after 22.1.
 	descNames nstree.Set
+
+	// addedSystemDatabase is used to mark whether the optimization to add the
+	// system database to the set of uncommitted descriptors has occurred.
+	addedSystemDatabase bool
 }
 
 func (ud *uncommittedDescriptors) reset() {
 	ud.descs.Clear()
 	ud.descNames.Clear()
+	ud.addedSystemDatabase = false
 }
 
 // add adds a descriptor to the set of uncommitted descriptors and returns
@@ -124,7 +130,9 @@ func (ud *uncommittedDescriptors) add(mut catalog.MutableDescriptor) (catalog.De
 // checkOut checks out an uncommitted mutable descriptor for use in the
 // transaction. This descriptor should later be checked in again.
 func (ud *uncommittedDescriptors) checkOut(id descpb.ID) (catalog.MutableDescriptor, error) {
-	ud.maybeInitialize()
+	if id == keys.SystemDatabaseID {
+		ud.maybeAddSystemDatabase()
+	}
 	entry := ud.descs.GetByID(id)
 	if entry == nil {
 		return nil, errors.NewAssertionErrorWithWrappedErrf(
@@ -182,7 +190,9 @@ func maybeRefreshCachedFieldsOnTypeDescriptor(
 
 // getByID looks up an uncommitted descriptor by ID.
 func (ud *uncommittedDescriptors) getByID(id descpb.ID) catalog.Descriptor {
-	ud.maybeInitialize()
+	if id == keys.SystemDatabaseID && !ud.addedSystemDatabase {
+		ud.maybeAddSystemDatabase()
+	}
 	entry := ud.descs.GetByID(id)
 	if entry == nil {
 		return nil
@@ -200,12 +210,18 @@ func (ud *uncommittedDescriptors) getByID(id descpb.ID) catalog.Descriptor {
 func (ud *uncommittedDescriptors) getByName(
 	dbID descpb.ID, schemaID descpb.ID, name string,
 ) (hasKnownRename bool, desc catalog.Descriptor) {
-	ud.maybeInitialize()
+	if dbID == 0 && schemaID == 0 && name == systemschema.SystemDatabaseName {
+		ud.maybeAddSystemDatabase()
+	}
 	// Walk latest to earliest so that a DROP followed by a CREATE with the same
 	// name will result in the CREATE being seen.
 	if got := ud.descs.GetByName(dbID, schemaID, name); got != nil {
 		return false, got.(*uncommittedDescriptor).immutable
 	}
+	// Check whether the set is empty to avoid allocating the NameInfo.
+	if ud.descNames.Empty() {
+		return false, nil
+	}
 	return ud.descNames.Contains(descpb.NameInfo{
 		ParentID:       dbID,
 		ParentSchemaID: schemaID,
@@ -216,7 +232,6 @@ func (ud *uncommittedDescriptors) getByName(
 func (ud *uncommittedDescriptors) iterateNewVersionByID(
 	fn func(entry catalog.NameEntry, originalVersion lease.IDVersion) error,
 ) error {
-	ud.maybeInitialize()
 	return ud.descs.IterateByID(func(entry catalog.NameEntry) error {
 		mut := entry.(*uncommittedDescriptor).mutable
 		if mut == nil || mut.IsNew() || !mut.IsUncommittedVersion() {
@@ -229,7 +244,6 @@ func (ud *uncommittedDescriptors) iterateNewVersionByID(
 func (ud *uncommittedDescriptors) iterateImmutableByID(
 	fn func(imm catalog.Descriptor) error,
 ) error {
-	ud.maybeInitialize()
 	return ud.descs.IterateByID(func(entry catalog.NameEntry) error {
 		return fn(entry.(*uncommittedDescriptor).immutable)
 	})
@@ -286,8 +300,9 @@ var systemUncommittedDatabase = &uncommittedDescriptor{
 	// value lazily when this is needed, which ought to be exceedingly rare.
 }
 
-func (ud *uncommittedDescriptors) maybeInitialize() {
-	if ud.descs.Len() == 0 {
+func (ud *uncommittedDescriptors) maybeAddSystemDatabase() {
+	if !ud.addedSystemDatabase {
+		ud.addedSystemDatabase = true
 		ud.descs.Upsert(systemUncommittedDatabase)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/descriptor_state.go b/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/descriptor_state.go
index a6c75aa7b7c3..75112018c413 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/descriptor_state.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/descriptor_state.go
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ type descriptorState struct {
 func (t *descriptorState) findForTimestamp(
 	ctx context.Context, timestamp hlc.Timestamp,
 ) (*descriptorVersionState, bool, error) {
+	expensiveLogEnabled := log.ExpensiveLogEnabled(ctx, 2)
 	t.mu.Lock()
 	defer t.mu.Unlock()
 
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ func (t *descriptorState) findForTimestamp(
 			latest := i+1 == len(t.mu.active.data)
 			if !desc.hasExpired(timestamp) {
 				// Existing valid descriptor version.
-				desc.incRefCount(ctx)
+				desc.incRefCount(ctx, expensiveLogEnabled)
 				return desc, latest, nil
 			}
 
@@ -220,29 +221,37 @@ func (t *descriptorState) release(ctx context.Context, s *descriptorVersionState
 
 	// Decrements the refcount and returns true if the lease has to be removed
 	// from the store.
-	decRefcount := func(s *descriptorVersionState) *storedLease {
+	expensiveLoggingEnabled := log.ExpensiveLogEnabled(ctx, 2)
+	decRefCount := func(s *descriptorVersionState) (shouldRemove bool) {
+		s.mu.Lock()
+		defer s.mu.Unlock()
+		s.mu.refcount--
+		if expensiveLoggingEnabled {
+			log.Infof(ctx, "release: %s", s.stringLocked())
+		}
+		return s.mu.refcount == 0
+	}
+	maybeMarkRemoveStoredLease := func(s *descriptorVersionState) *storedLease {
 		// Figure out if we'd like to remove the lease from the store asap (i.e.
 		// when the refcount drops to 0). If so, we'll need to mark the lease as
 		// invalid.
-		removeOnceDereferenced := t.m.removeOnceDereferenced() ||
+		removeOnceDereferenced :=
 			// Release from the store if the descriptor has been dropped or taken
 			// offline.
 			t.mu.takenOffline ||
-			// Release from the store if the lease is not for the latest
-			// version; only leases for the latest version can be acquired.
-			s != t.mu.active.findNewest() ||
-			s.GetVersion() < t.mu.maxVersionSeen
-
+				// Release from the store if the lease is not for the latest
+				// version; only leases for the latest version can be acquired.
+				s != t.mu.active.findNewest() ||
+				s.GetVersion() < t.mu.maxVersionSeen ||
+				t.m.removeOnceDereferenced()
+		if !removeOnceDereferenced {
+			return nil
+		}
 		s.mu.Lock()
 		defer s.mu.Unlock()
-		s.mu.refcount--
-		if log.ExpensiveLogEnabled(ctx, 2) {
-			log.Infof(ctx, "release: %s", s.stringLocked())
-		}
 		if s.mu.refcount < 0 {
 			panic(errors.AssertionFailedf("negative ref count: %s", s))
 		}
-
 		if s.mu.refcount == 0 && s.mu.lease != nil && removeOnceDereferenced {
 			l := s.mu.lease
 			s.mu.lease = nil
@@ -251,9 +260,12 @@ func (t *descriptorState) release(ctx context.Context, s *descriptorVersionState
 		return nil
 	}
 	maybeRemoveLease := func() *storedLease {
+		if shouldRemove := decRefCount(s); !shouldRemove {
+			return nil
+		}
 		t.mu.Lock()
 		defer t.mu.Unlock()
-		if l := decRefcount(s); l != nil {
+		if l := maybeMarkRemoveStoredLease(s); l != nil {
 			t.mu.active.remove(s)
 			return l
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/descriptor_version_state.go b/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/descriptor_version_state.go
index eed9b57810d2..062e682db347 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/descriptor_version_state.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/descriptor_version_state.go
@@ -77,9 +77,7 @@ func (s *descriptorVersionState) Underlying() catalog.Descriptor {
 }
 
 func (s *descriptorVersionState) Expiration() hlc.Timestamp {
-	s.mu.Lock()
-	defer s.mu.Unlock()
-	return s.mu.expiration
+	return s.getExpiration()
 }
 
 func (s *descriptorVersionState) SafeMessage() string {
@@ -113,15 +111,15 @@ func (s *descriptorVersionState) hasExpiredLocked(timestamp hlc.Timestamp) bool
 	return s.mu.expiration.LessEq(timestamp)
 }
 
-func (s *descriptorVersionState) incRefCount(ctx context.Context) {
+func (s *descriptorVersionState) incRefCount(ctx context.Context, expensiveLogEnabled bool) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
-	s.incRefCountLocked(ctx)
+	s.incRefCountLocked(ctx, expensiveLogEnabled)
 }
 
-func (s *descriptorVersionState) incRefCountLocked(ctx context.Context) {
+func (s *descriptorVersionState) incRefCountLocked(ctx context.Context, expensiveLogEnabled bool) {
 	s.mu.refcount++
-	if log.ExpensiveLogEnabled(ctx, 2) {
+	if expensiveLogEnabled {
 		log.VEventf(ctx, 2, "descriptorVersionState.incRefCount: %s", s.stringLocked())
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/lease.go b/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/lease.go
index 31134e1c45d4..809ad1ecf8b4 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/lease.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/lease.go
@@ -666,9 +666,9 @@ func NewLeaseManager(
 func NameMatchesDescriptor(
 	desc catalog.Descriptor, parentID descpb.ID, parentSchemaID descpb.ID, name string,
 ) bool {
-	return desc.GetParentID() == parentID &&
-		desc.GetParentSchemaID() == parentSchemaID &&
-		desc.GetName() == name
+	return desc.GetName() == name &&
+		desc.GetParentID() == parentID &&
+		desc.GetParentSchemaID() == parentSchemaID
 }
 
 // findNewest returns the newest descriptor version state for the ID.
diff --git a/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/name_cache.go b/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/name_cache.go
index a65a26960d2f..ef676ff37481 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/name_cache.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/catalog/lease/name_cache.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/catalog/descpb"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/catalog/nstree"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/hlc"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/log"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/syncutil"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/errors"
 )
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ func makeNameCache() nameCache {
 // from the store. The cache maintains the latest version for each name.
 // All methods are thread-safe.
 type nameCache struct {
-	mu          syncutil.Mutex
+	mu          syncutil.RWMutex
 	descriptors nstree.Map
 }
 
@@ -47,14 +48,15 @@ func (c *nameCache) get(
 	name string,
 	timestamp hlc.Timestamp,
 ) *descriptorVersionState {
-	c.mu.Lock()
+	c.mu.RLock()
 	desc, ok := c.descriptors.GetByName(
 		parentID, parentSchemaID, name,
 	).(*descriptorVersionState)
-	c.mu.Unlock()
+	c.mu.RUnlock()
 	if !ok {
 		return nil
 	}
+	expensiveLogEnabled := log.ExpensiveLogEnabled(ctx, 2)
 	desc.mu.Lock()
 	if desc.mu.lease == nil {
 		desc.mu.Unlock()
@@ -80,7 +82,7 @@ func (c *nameCache) get(
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	desc.incRefCountLocked(ctx)
+	desc.incRefCountLocked(ctx, expensiveLogEnabled)
 	return desc
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/sql/catalog/nstree/set.go b/pkg/sql/catalog/nstree/set.go
index 06592e8e87b2..d0bab68ada65 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/catalog/nstree/set.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/catalog/nstree/set.go
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ func (s *Set) Clear() {
 	*s = Set{}
 }
 
+// Empty returns true if the set has no entries.
+func (s *Set) Empty() bool {
+	return !s.initialized() || s.t.Len() == 0
+}
+
 func (s *Set) maybeInitialize() {
 	if s.initialized() {
 		return