“But NOLOCK won’t hurt me if I’m using an index!”

· Brentozar · Sept. 15, 2026, 1:18 p.m.
Summary
The blog post discusses the risks of using the NOLOCK hint in SQL queries, particularly the misconceptions that it is safe when an index is employed. The author highlights ongoing pushback from users who believe their specific situations are immune to the problems that NOLOCK can introduce, including retrieving inaccurate or uncommitted data.
AUTHOR