diff --git a/Gems/GradientSignal/Code/Include/GradientSignal/GradientSampler.h b/Gems/GradientSignal/Code/Include/GradientSignal/GradientSampler.h
index c06265fb24..1dd7d44376 100644
--- a/Gems/GradientSignal/Code/Include/GradientSignal/GradientSampler.h
+++ b/Gems/GradientSignal/Code/Include/GradientSignal/GradientSampler.h
@@ -88,8 +88,6 @@ namespace GradientSignal
 
     inline float GradientSampler::GetValue(const GradientSampleParams& sampleParams) const
     {
-        AZ_PROFILE_FUNCTION(Entity);
-
         if (m_opacity <= 0.0f || !m_gradientId.IsValid())
         {
             return 0.0f;
diff --git a/Gems/GradientSignal/Code/Source/Components/ImageGradientComponent.cpp b/Gems/GradientSignal/Code/Source/Components/ImageGradientComponent.cpp
index 021e083ea6..065f0ace0f 100644
--- a/Gems/GradientSignal/Code/Source/Components/ImageGradientComponent.cpp
+++ b/Gems/GradientSignal/Code/Source/Components/ImageGradientComponent.cpp
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ namespace GradientSignal
         GradientRequestBus::Handler::BusConnect(GetEntityId());
         AZ::Data::AssetBus::Handler::BusConnect(m_configuration.m_imageAsset.GetId());
 
-        AZStd::lock_guard<decltype(m_imageMutex)> imageLock(m_imageMutex);
+        AZStd::unique_lock<decltype(m_imageMutex)> imageLock(m_imageMutex);
         m_configuration.m_imageAsset.QueueLoad();
     }
 
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ namespace GradientSignal
 
         m_dependencyMonitor.Reset();
 
-        AZStd::lock_guard<decltype(m_imageMutex)> imageLock(m_imageMutex);
+        AZStd::unique_lock<decltype(m_imageMutex)> imageLock(m_imageMutex);
         m_configuration.m_imageAsset.Release();
     }
 
@@ -173,19 +173,19 @@ namespace GradientSignal
 
     void ImageGradientComponent::OnAssetReady(AZ::Data::Asset<AZ::Data::AssetData> asset)
     {
-        AZStd::lock_guard<decltype(m_imageMutex)> imageLock(m_imageMutex);
+        AZStd::unique_lock<decltype(m_imageMutex)> imageLock(m_imageMutex);
         m_configuration.m_imageAsset = asset;
     }
 
     void ImageGradientComponent::OnAssetMoved(AZ::Data::Asset<AZ::Data::AssetData> asset, [[maybe_unused]] void* oldDataPointer)
     {
-        AZStd::lock_guard<decltype(m_imageMutex)> imageLock(m_imageMutex);
+        AZStd::unique_lock<decltype(m_imageMutex)> imageLock(m_imageMutex);
         m_configuration.m_imageAsset = asset;
     }
 
     void ImageGradientComponent::OnAssetReloaded(AZ::Data::Asset<AZ::Data::AssetData> asset)
     {
-        AZStd::lock_guard<decltype(m_imageMutex)> imageLock(m_imageMutex);
+        AZStd::unique_lock<decltype(m_imageMutex)> imageLock(m_imageMutex);
         m_configuration.m_imageAsset = asset;
     }
 
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ namespace GradientSignal
 
         if (!wasPointRejected)
         {
-            AZStd::lock_guard<decltype(m_imageMutex)> imageLock(m_imageMutex);
+            AZStd::shared_lock<decltype(m_imageMutex)> imageLock(m_imageMutex);
             return GetValueFromImageAsset(m_configuration.m_imageAsset, uvw, m_configuration.m_tilingX, m_configuration.m_tilingY, 0.0f);
         }
 
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ namespace GradientSignal
             AZ::Data::AssetBus::Handler::BusDisconnect(m_configuration.m_imageAsset.GetId());
 
             {
-                AZStd::lock_guard<decltype(m_imageMutex)> imageLock(m_imageMutex);
+                AZStd::unique_lock<decltype(m_imageMutex)> imageLock(m_imageMutex);
                 m_configuration.m_imageAsset = AZ::Data::AssetManager::Instance().FindOrCreateAsset(assetId, azrtti_typeid<ImageAsset>(), m_configuration.m_imageAsset.GetAutoLoadBehavior());
             }
 
diff --git a/Gems/GradientSignal/Code/Source/Components/ImageGradientComponent.h b/Gems/GradientSignal/Code/Source/Components/ImageGradientComponent.h
index 5033c44735..e73c8d0c4a 100644
--- a/Gems/GradientSignal/Code/Source/Components/ImageGradientComponent.h
+++ b/Gems/GradientSignal/Code/Source/Components/ImageGradientComponent.h
@@ -94,6 +94,6 @@ namespace GradientSignal
     private:
         ImageGradientConfig m_configuration;
         LmbrCentral::DependencyMonitor m_dependencyMonitor;
-        mutable AZStd::recursive_mutex m_imageMutex;
+        mutable AZStd::shared_mutex m_imageMutex;
     };
 }