diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e8d534171..1f557d134 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 # Changelog
 
-## [unreleased]
+## v0.81
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Fixed a deadlock issue that could cause karma to hang #2888.
 
 ### Added
 
diff --git a/cmd/karma/main_test.go b/cmd/karma/main_test.go
index 3eb149eb9..ac0d0de6b 100644
--- a/cmd/karma/main_test.go
+++ b/cmd/karma/main_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/prymitive/karma/internal/config"
 
@@ -122,36 +121,3 @@ func TestGetViewURL(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
-
-func TestPullFromAlertmanager(t *testing.T) {
-	zerolog.SetGlobalLevel(zerolog.FatalLevel)
-	mockConfig()
-	mockCache()
-	lastPull = time.Time{}
-
-	start := time.Now()
-	pullFromAlertmanager()
-	dur := time.Since(start)
-	if dur > time.Second {
-		t.Errorf("First pullFromAlertmanager took %s, expected <= 1s", dur)
-		return
-	}
-
-	start = time.Now()
-	pullFromAlertmanager()
-	dur = time.Since(start)
-	if dur < time.Second*5 {
-		t.Errorf("Second pullFromAlertmanager took %s, expected >= 5s", dur)
-		return
-	}
-
-	time.Sleep(time.Second * 6)
-
-	start = time.Now()
-	pullFromAlertmanager()
-	dur = time.Since(start)
-	if dur > time.Second {
-		t.Errorf("Third pullFromAlertmanager took %s, expected <= 1s", dur)
-		return
-	}
-}
diff --git a/cmd/karma/timer.go b/cmd/karma/timer.go
index ba95c6a5d..d7d432f15 100644
--- a/cmd/karma/timer.go
+++ b/cmd/karma/timer.go
@@ -3,30 +3,16 @@ package main
 import (
 	"runtime"
 	"sync"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/prymitive/karma/internal/alertmanager"
 
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 )
 
-var (
-	lastPull time.Time
-)
-
 func pullFromAlertmanager() {
 	// always flush cache once we're done
 	defer apiCache.Flush()
 
-	// Ensure that we're not putting write locks in a tight loop
-	// We need at least 5s since last pull
-	nextPull := lastPull.Add(time.Second * 5)
-	waitNeeded := time.Until(nextPull)
-	if waitNeeded > 0 {
-		log.Warn().Dur("wait", waitNeeded).Msg("Less than 5s since the last pull, will wait before next cycle to process client requests, try increasing alertmanager.interval option if you see this warning too often")
-		time.Sleep(waitNeeded)
-	}
-
 	log.Info().Msg("Pulling latest alerts and silences from Alertmanager")
 
 	upstreams := alertmanager.GetAlertmanagers()
@@ -48,8 +34,6 @@ func pullFromAlertmanager() {
 
 	log.Info().Msg("Collection completed")
 	runtime.GC()
-
-	lastPull = time.Now()
 }
 
 // Tick is the background timer used to call PullFromAlertmanager
diff --git a/cmd/karma/views_test.go b/cmd/karma/views_test.go
index 6f5a512e8..14bc2810f 100644
--- a/cmd/karma/views_test.go
+++ b/cmd/karma/views_test.go
@@ -147,7 +147,6 @@ func mockAlerts(version string) {
 	mock.RegisterURL("http://localhost/api/v2/silences", version, "api/v2/silences")
 	mock.RegisterURL("http://localhost/api/v2/alerts/groups", version, "api/v2/alerts/groups")
 
-	lastPull = time.Time{}
 	pullFromAlertmanager()
 }
 
@@ -2309,7 +2308,6 @@ func TestUpstreamStatus(t *testing.T) {
 			for _, m := range testCase.mocks {
 				httpmock.RegisterResponder("GET", m.uri, httpmock.NewStringResponder(m.code, m.body))
 			}
-			lastPull = time.Time{}
 			pullFromAlertmanager()
 
 			req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/alerts.json?q=@receiver=by-cluster-service&q=alertname=HTTP_Probe_Failed&q=instance=web1", nil)
@@ -2552,7 +2550,6 @@ func TestAlertFilters(t *testing.T) {
 					t.Fatal(err)
 				}
 
-				lastPull = time.Time{}
 				pullFromAlertmanager()
 
 				r := testRouter()
diff --git a/internal/alertmanager/models.go b/internal/alertmanager/models.go
index af4789704..488f51893 100644
--- a/internal/alertmanager/models.go
+++ b/internal/alertmanager/models.go
@@ -546,19 +546,27 @@ func (am *Alertmanager) ClusterPeers() []string {
 // that are in the same cluster as this instance (including self).
 // Names are the same as in karma configuration.
 func (am *Alertmanager) ClusterMemberNames() []string {
+	// copy status so we don't need to hold RLock until return
+	status := models.AlertmanagerStatus{}
 	am.lock.RLock()
-	defer am.lock.RUnlock()
+	status.ID = am.status.ID
+	copy(am.status.PeerIDs, status.PeerIDs)
+	am.lock.RUnlock()
 
 	members := []string{am.Name}
 
 	upstreams := GetAlertmanagers()
 	for _, upstream := range upstreams {
+		// skip self, it's already part of members slice
+		if upstream.Name == am.Name {
+			continue
+		}
 		for _, peerID := range upstream.ClusterPeers() {
 			// IF
 			// other alertmanagers peerID is in this alertmanager cluster status
 			// OR
 			// this alertmanager peerID is in other alertmanagers cluster status
-			if slices.StringInSlice(am.status.PeerIDs, peerID) || peerID == am.status.ID {
+			if slices.StringInSlice(status.PeerIDs, peerID) || peerID == status.ID {
 				if !slices.StringInSlice(members, upstream.Name) {
 					members = append(members, upstream.Name)
 				}