diff --git a/plugins/logs/encoder.go b/plugins/logs/encoder.go
index 6bc07247e9..d301664dd7 100644
--- a/plugins/logs/encoder.go
+++ b/plugins/logs/encoder.go
@@ -61,8 +61,10 @@ func (enc *chunkEncoder) Write(event EventV1) (result [][]byte, err error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	bs := buf.Bytes()
+	return enc.WriteBytes(buf.Bytes())
+}
 
+func (enc *chunkEncoder) WriteBytes(bs []byte) (result [][]byte, err error) {
 	if len(bs) == 0 {
 		return nil, nil
 	} else if int64(len(bs)+2) > enc.limit {
diff --git a/plugins/logs/plugin.go b/plugins/logs/plugin.go
index 64a58a4b32..9001e201d0 100644
--- a/plugins/logs/plugin.go
+++ b/plugins/logs/plugin.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 package logs
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
@@ -420,6 +421,7 @@ type Plugin struct {
 	buffer       *logBuffer
 	enc          *chunkEncoder
 	mtx          sync.Mutex
+	statusMtx    sync.Mutex
 	stop         chan chan struct{}
 	reconfig     chan reconfigure
 	preparedMask prepareOnce
@@ -714,9 +716,7 @@ func (p *Plugin) Log(ctx context.Context, decision *server.Info) error {
 	}
 
 	if p.config.Service != "" {
-		p.mtx.Lock()
 		p.encodeAndBufferEvent(event)
-		p.mtx.Unlock()
 	}
 
 	if p.config.Plugin != nil {
@@ -831,13 +831,11 @@ func (p *Plugin) loop() {
 func (p *Plugin) doOneShot(ctx context.Context) error {
 	uploaded, err := p.oneShot(ctx)
 
-	// Make a local copy of the plugins's status. This is needed as locking the status for
-	// the status upload duration will block policy evaluation and result in
-	// increased latency for OPA clients
-	p.mtx.Lock()
+	// Make a local copy of the plugins's status.
+	p.statusMtx.Lock()
 	p.status.SetError(err)
 	oldStatus := p.status
-	p.mtx.Unlock()
+	p.statusMtx.Unlock()
 
 	if s := status.Lookup(p.manager); s != nil {
 		s.UpdateDecisionLogsStatus(*oldStatus)
@@ -892,12 +890,9 @@ func (p *Plugin) oneShot(ctx context.Context) (ok bool, err error) {
 					continue
 				}
 
-				p.mtx.Lock()
 				for _, event := range events {
 					p.encodeAndBufferEvent(event)
 				}
-				p.mtx.Unlock()
-
 			} else {
 				// requeue the chunk
 				p.mtx.Lock()
@@ -938,7 +933,7 @@ func (p *Plugin) encodeAndBufferEvent(event EventV1) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	result, err := p.enc.Write(event)
+	result, err := p.encodeEvent(event)
 	if err != nil {
 		// If there's no ND builtins cache in the event, then we don't
 		// need to retry encoding anything.
@@ -958,7 +953,7 @@ func (p *Plugin) encodeAndBufferEvent(event EventV1) {
 		newEvent := event
 		newEvent.NDBuiltinCache = nil
 
-		result, err = p.enc.Write(newEvent)
+		result, err = p.encodeEvent(newEvent)
 		if err != nil {
 			if p.metrics != nil {
 				p.metrics.Counter(logEncodingFailureCounterName).Incr()
@@ -972,11 +967,24 @@ func (p *Plugin) encodeAndBufferEvent(event EventV1) {
 		p.metrics.Counter(logNDBDropCounterName).Incr()
 	}
 
+	p.mtx.Lock()
+	defer p.mtx.Unlock()
 	for _, chunk := range result {
 		p.bufferChunk(p.buffer, chunk)
 	}
 }
 
+func (p *Plugin) encodeEvent(event EventV1) ([][]byte, error) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	if err := json.NewEncoder(&buf).Encode(event); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	p.mtx.Lock()
+	defer p.mtx.Unlock()
+	return p.enc.WriteBytes(buf.Bytes())
+}
+
 func (p *Plugin) bufferChunk(buffer *logBuffer, bs []byte) {
 	dropped := buffer.Push(bs)
 	if dropped > 0 {