Utilizing a hardware transactional approach to execute a code section by employing pseudo-transactions, after initially utilizing software locking, is disclosed. A method is disclosed that utilizes a software approach to locking memory to execute a code section relating to memory. The software approach employs a pseudo-transaction to determine whether a hardware approach to transactional memory to execute the threshold would have been successful. Where the hardware approach to transactional memory to execute the code section satisfies a threshold based on success of at least the pseudo-transaction, the method subsequently utilizes the hardware approach to execute the code section. The hardware approach may include starting a transaction inclusive of the code section, conditionally executing the transaction, and, upon successfully completing the transaction, committing execution of the transaction to the memory to which the code section relates.