diff --git a/backend/remote-state/consul/client.go b/backend/remote-state/consul/client.go
index a5578a3c13..8b4ed6e7ef 100644
--- a/backend/remote-state/consul/client.go
+++ b/backend/remote-state/consul/client.go
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ func (c *RemoteClient) Lock(info *state.LockInfo) (string, error) {
 
 		lock, err := c.Client.LockOpts(opts)
 		if err != nil {
-			return "", nil
+			return "", err
 		}
 
 		c.consulLock = lock
@@ -143,14 +143,15 @@ func (c *RemoteClient) Lock(info *state.LockInfo) (string, error) {
 
 	err = c.putLockInfo(info)
 	if err != nil {
-		err = multierror.Append(err, c.Unlock(""))
+		err = multierror.Append(err, c.Unlock(info.ID))
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	return "", nil
+	return info.ID, nil
 }
 
 func (c *RemoteClient) Unlock(id string) error {
+	// this doesn't use the lock id, because the lock is tied to the consul client.
 	if c.consulLock == nil || c.lockCh == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/state/remote/testing.go b/state/remote/testing.go
index bd71aefcbf..b379b509df 100644
--- a/state/remote/testing.go
+++ b/state/remote/testing.go
@@ -85,6 +85,10 @@ func TestRemoteLocks(t *testing.T, a, b Client) {
 		t.Fatal("unable to obtain lock from client B")
 	}
 
+	if lockIDB == lockIDA {
+		t.Fatalf("duplicate lock IDs: %q", lockIDB)
+	}
+
 	if err = lockerB.Unlock(lockIDB); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("error unlocking client B:", err)
 	}