diff --git a/store/file/file.go b/store/file/file.go
index e6856289..36f553b3 100644
--- a/store/file/file.go
+++ b/store/file/file.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
-	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/v2/store"
@@ -29,9 +28,7 @@ var (
 
 // NewStore returns a memory store
 func NewStore(opts ...store.Option) store.Store {
-	s := &fileStore{
-		handles: make(map[string]*fileHandle),
-	}
+	s := &fileStore{}
 	s.init(opts...)
 	return s
 }
@@ -39,10 +36,6 @@ func NewStore(opts ...store.Option) store.Store {
 type fileStore struct {
 	options store.Options
 	dir     string
-
-	// the database handle
-	sync.RWMutex
-	handles map[string]*fileHandle
 }
 
 type fileHandle struct {
@@ -62,8 +55,8 @@ func key(database, table string) string {
 	return database + ":" + table
 }
 
-func (m *fileStore) delete(fd *fileHandle, key string) error {
-	return fd.db.Update(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
+func (m *fileStore) delete(db *bolt.DB, key string) error {
+	return db.Update(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
 		b := tx.Bucket([]byte(dataBucket))
 		if b == nil {
 			return nil
@@ -96,7 +89,7 @@ func (m *fileStore) init(opts ...store.Option) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (f *fileStore) getDB(database, table string) (*fileHandle, error) {
+func (f *fileStore) getDB(database, table string) (*bolt.DB, error) {
 	if len(database) == 0 {
 		database = f.options.Database
 	}
@@ -104,23 +97,6 @@ func (f *fileStore) getDB(database, table string) (*fileHandle, error) {
 		table = f.options.Table
 	}
 
-	k := key(database, table)
-	f.RLock()
-	fd, ok := f.handles[k]
-	f.RUnlock()
-
-	// return the file handle
-	if ok {
-		return fd, nil
-	}
-
-	// double check locking
-	f.Lock()
-	defer f.Unlock()
-	if fd, ok := f.handles[k]; ok {
-		return fd, nil
-	}
-
 	// create a directory /tmp/micro
 	dir := filepath.Join(DefaultDir, database)
 	// create the database handle
@@ -132,23 +108,13 @@ func (f *fileStore) getDB(database, table string) (*fileHandle, error) {
 
 	// create new db handle
 	// Bolt DB only allows one process to open the file R/W so make sure we're doing this under a lock
-	db, err := bolt.Open(dbPath, 0700, &bolt.Options{Timeout: 5 * time.Second})
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	fd = &fileHandle{
-		key: k,
-		db:  db,
-	}
-	f.handles[k] = fd
-
-	return fd, nil
+	return bolt.Open(dbPath, 0700, &bolt.Options{Timeout: 5 * time.Second})
 }
 
-func (m *fileStore) list(fd *fileHandle, limit, offset uint) []string {
+func (m *fileStore) list(db *bolt.DB, limit, offset uint) []string {
 	var allItems []string
 
-	fd.db.View(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
+	db.View(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
 		b := tx.Bucket([]byte(dataBucket))
 		// nothing to read
 		if b == nil {
@@ -199,10 +165,10 @@ func (m *fileStore) list(fd *fileHandle, limit, offset uint) []string {
 	return allKeys
 }
 
-func (m *fileStore) get(fd *fileHandle, k string) (*store.Record, error) {
+func (m *fileStore) get(db *bolt.DB, k string) (*store.Record, error) {
 	var value []byte
 
-	fd.db.View(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
+	db.View(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
 		// @todo this is still very experimental...
 		b := tx.Bucket([]byte(dataBucket))
 		if b == nil {
@@ -242,7 +208,7 @@ func (m *fileStore) get(fd *fileHandle, k string) (*store.Record, error) {
 	return newRecord, nil
 }
 
-func (m *fileStore) set(fd *fileHandle, r *store.Record) error {
+func (m *fileStore) set(db *bolt.DB, r *store.Record) error {
 	// copy the incoming record and then
 	// convert the expiry in to a hard timestamp
 	item := &record{}
@@ -261,7 +227,7 @@ func (m *fileStore) set(fd *fileHandle, r *store.Record) error {
 	// marshal the data
 	data, _ := json.Marshal(item)
 
-	return fd.db.Update(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
+	return db.Update(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
 		b := tx.Bucket([]byte(dataBucket))
 		if b == nil {
 			var err error
@@ -275,12 +241,6 @@ func (m *fileStore) set(fd *fileHandle, r *store.Record) error {
 }
 
 func (f *fileStore) Close() error {
-	f.Lock()
-	defer f.Unlock()
-	for k, v := range f.handles {
-		v.db.Close()
-		delete(f.handles, k)
-	}
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -294,12 +254,13 @@ func (m *fileStore) Delete(key string, opts ...store.DeleteOption) error {
 		o(&deleteOptions)
 	}
 
-	fd, err := m.getDB(deleteOptions.Database, deleteOptions.Table)
+	db, err := m.getDB(deleteOptions.Database, deleteOptions.Table)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	defer db.Close()
 
-	return m.delete(fd, key)
+	return m.delete(db, key)
 }
 
 func (m *fileStore) Read(key string, opts ...store.ReadOption) ([]*store.Record, error) {
@@ -308,10 +269,11 @@ func (m *fileStore) Read(key string, opts ...store.ReadOption) ([]*store.Record,
 		o(&readOpts)
 	}
 
-	fd, err := m.getDB(readOpts.Database, readOpts.Table)
+	db, err := m.getDB(readOpts.Database, readOpts.Table)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	defer db.Close()
 
 	var keys []string
 
@@ -319,7 +281,7 @@ func (m *fileStore) Read(key string, opts ...store.ReadOption) ([]*store.Record,
 	// TODO: do range scan here rather than listing all keys
 	if readOpts.Prefix || readOpts.Suffix {
 		// list the keys
-		k := m.list(fd, readOpts.Limit, readOpts.Offset)
+		k := m.list(db, readOpts.Limit, readOpts.Offset)
 
 		// check for prefix and suffix
 		for _, v := range k {
@@ -338,7 +300,7 @@ func (m *fileStore) Read(key string, opts ...store.ReadOption) ([]*store.Record,
 	var results []*store.Record
 
 	for _, k := range keys {
-		r, err := m.get(fd, k)
+		r, err := m.get(db, k)
 		if err != nil {
 			return results, err
 		}
@@ -354,10 +316,11 @@ func (m *fileStore) Write(r *store.Record, opts ...store.WriteOption) error {
 		o(&writeOpts)
 	}
 
-	fd, err := m.getDB(writeOpts.Database, writeOpts.Table)
+	db, err := m.getDB(writeOpts.Database, writeOpts.Table)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	defer db.Close()
 
 	if len(opts) > 0 {
 		// Copy the record before applying options, or the incoming record will be mutated
@@ -378,10 +341,10 @@ func (m *fileStore) Write(r *store.Record, opts ...store.WriteOption) error {
 			newRecord.Metadata[k] = v
 		}
 
-		return m.set(fd, &newRecord)
+		return m.set(db, &newRecord)
 	}
 
-	return m.set(fd, r)
+	return m.set(db, r)
 }
 
 func (m *fileStore) Options() store.Options {
@@ -395,13 +358,14 @@ func (m *fileStore) List(opts ...store.ListOption) ([]string, error) {
 		o(&listOptions)
 	}
 
-	fd, err := m.getDB(listOptions.Database, listOptions.Table)
+	db, err := m.getDB(listOptions.Database, listOptions.Table)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	defer db.Close()
 
 	// TODO apply prefix/suffix in range query
-	allKeys := m.list(fd, listOptions.Limit, listOptions.Offset)
+	allKeys := m.list(db, listOptions.Limit, listOptions.Offset)
 
 	if len(listOptions.Prefix) > 0 {
 		var prefixKeys []string