diff --git a/src/twinkle/sampler/vllm_sampler/vllm_engine.py b/src/twinkle/sampler/vllm_sampler/vllm_engine.py
index 9f444728..27dd4eba 100644
--- a/src/twinkle/sampler/vllm_sampler/vllm_engine.py
+++ b/src/twinkle/sampler/vllm_sampler/vllm_engine.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 from twinkle.sampler.base_engine import BaseSamplerEngine
 from twinkle.utils import Platform
 from twinkle.utils.framework import Torch
+from twinkle.utils.parallel import PosixFileLock
 from twinkle.utils.zmq_utils import configure_zmq_socket, get_timeout_s_from_env
 
 logger = get_logger()
@@ -346,10 +347,11 @@ def _create_engine(self):
         engine_args = AsyncEngineArgs(**filtered_engine_config)
         vllm_config = engine_args.create_engine_config(usage_context=UsageContext.OPENAI_API_SERVER)
 
-        engine = AsyncLLM.from_vllm_config(
-            vllm_config=vllm_config,
-            usage_context=UsageContext.OPENAI_API_SERVER,
-        )
+        with PosixFileLock('/tmp/twinkle-vllm-engine-init.lock'):
+            engine = AsyncLLM.from_vllm_config(
+                vllm_config=vllm_config,
+                usage_context=UsageContext.OPENAI_API_SERVER,
+            )
 
         logger.info(f'VLLMEngine initialized: model={self.model_id}')
         return engine
diff --git a/tests/sampler/test_vllm_startup_lock.py b/tests/sampler/test_vllm_startup_lock.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d07ad74a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/sampler/test_vllm_startup_lock.py
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import multiprocessing
+import os
+
+import pytest
+
+from twinkle.utils.parallel import PosixFileLock
+
+
+def _hold_startup_lock(lock_path: str, acquired, release) -> None:
+    with PosixFileLock(lock_path):
+        acquired.set()
+        if not release.wait(timeout=5):
+            raise TimeoutError('test did not release vLLM startup lock')
+
+
+def _acquire_startup_lock(lock_path: str, started, acquired) -> None:
+    started.set()
+    with PosixFileLock(lock_path):
+        acquired.set()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(os.name == 'nt', reason='vLLM startup lock requires fcntl')
+def test_vllm_engine_startup_is_serialized(tmp_path):
+    """Concurrent local sampler actors must not race vLLM's free-port probe."""
+    context = multiprocessing.get_context('spawn')
+    lock_path = str(tmp_path / 'vllm-engine-init.lock')
+    first_acquired = context.Event()
+    release_first = context.Event()
+    second_started = context.Event()
+    second_acquired = context.Event()
+    first = context.Process(target=_hold_startup_lock, args=(lock_path, first_acquired, release_first))
+    second = context.Process(target=_acquire_startup_lock, args=(lock_path, second_started, second_acquired))
+
+    try:
+        first.start()
+        assert first_acquired.wait(timeout=5)
+
+        second.start()
+        assert second_started.wait(timeout=5)
+        assert not second_acquired.wait(timeout=0.2)
+
+        release_first.set()
+        assert second_acquired.wait(timeout=5)
+    finally:
+        release_first.set()
+        for process in (first, second):
+            process.join(timeout=5)
+            if process.is_alive():
+                process.terminate()
+                process.join(timeout=5)
+
+    assert first.exitcode == 0
+    assert second.exitcode == 0