diff --git a/src/jax_loop_utils/metric_writers/mlflow/metric_writer.py b/src/jax_loop_utils/metric_writers/mlflow/metric_writer.py
index af639a0..809eb53 100644
--- a/src/jax_loop_utils/metric_writers/mlflow/metric_writer.py
+++ b/src/jax_loop_utils/metric_writers/mlflow/metric_writer.py
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 import mlflow
 import mlflow.config
 import mlflow.entities
+import mlflow.exceptions
+import mlflow.protos.databricks_pb2
 import mlflow.tracking.fluent
 import numpy as np
 from absl import logging
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@ def __init__(
         experiment_name: str,
         run_name: str | None = None,
         tracking_uri: str | None = None,
+        _client_class: type[mlflow.MlflowClient] = mlflow.MlflowClient,
     ):
         """Initialize MLflow writer.
 
@@ -37,17 +40,32 @@ def __init__(
             tracking_uri: Address of local or remote tracking server.
               Treated the same as arguments to mlflow.set_tracking_uri.
               See https://www.mlflow.org/docs/latest/python_api/mlflow.html#mlflow.set_tracking_uri
+            _client_class: MLflow client class (for testing only).
         """
-        self._client = mlflow.MlflowClient(tracking_uri=tracking_uri)
+        self._client = _client_class(tracking_uri=tracking_uri)
         experiment = self._client.get_experiment_by_name(experiment_name)
         if experiment:
             experiment_id = experiment.experiment_id
         else:
             logging.info(
-                "Experiment with name '%s' does not exist. Creating a new experiment.",
+                "Experiment '%s' does not exist. Creating a new experiment.",
                 experiment_name,
             )
-            experiment_id = self._client.create_experiment(experiment_name)
+            try:
+                experiment_id = self._client.create_experiment(experiment_name)
+            except mlflow.exceptions.MlflowException as e:
+                # Handle race in creating experiment.
+                if e.error_code != mlflow.protos.databricks_pb2.ErrorCode.Name(
+                    mlflow.protos.databricks_pb2.RESOURCE_ALREADY_EXISTS
+                ):
+                    raise
+                experiment = self._client.get_experiment_by_name(experiment_name)
+                if not experiment:
+                    raise RuntimeError(
+                        "Failed to get, then failed to create, then failed to get "
+                        f"again experiment '{experiment_name}'"
+                    )
+                experiment_id = experiment.experiment_id
         self._run_id = self._client.create_run(
             experiment_id=experiment_id, run_name=run_name
         ).info.run_id
diff --git a/src/jax_loop_utils/metric_writers/mlflow/metric_writer_test.py b/src/jax_loop_utils/metric_writers/mlflow/metric_writer_test.py
index 920902e..109e806 100644
--- a/src/jax_loop_utils/metric_writers/mlflow/metric_writer_test.py
+++ b/src/jax_loop_utils/metric_writers/mlflow/metric_writer_test.py
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import tempfile
 import time
 
+import jax.numpy as jnp
 import mlflow
 import mlflow.entities
+import mlflow.exceptions
+import mlflow.protos.databricks_pb2
 import numpy as np
-import jax.numpy as jnp
 from absl.testing import absltest
 
 from jax_loop_utils.metric_writers.mlflow import MlflowMetricWriter
@@ -17,6 +19,21 @@ def _get_runs(tracking_uri: str, experiment_name: str) -> list[mlflow.entities.R
     return client.search_runs([experiment.experiment_id])
 
 
+def _exceptional_mlflow_client_class(
+    actually_create: bool,
+) -> type[mlflow.MlflowClient]:
+    class ExceptionalMlflowClient(mlflow.MlflowClient):
+        def create_experiment(self, *args, **kwargs):
+            if actually_create:
+                return super().create_experiment(*args, **kwargs)
+            raise mlflow.exceptions.MlflowException(
+                "Experiment already exists",
+                error_code=mlflow.protos.databricks_pb2.RESOURCE_ALREADY_EXISTS,
+            )
+
+    return ExceptionalMlflowClient
+
+
 class MlflowMetricWriterTest(absltest.TestCase):
     def test_write_scalars(self):
         with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
@@ -135,6 +152,34 @@ def test_no_ops(self):
             self.assertEqual(run.data.metrics, {})
             self.assertEqual(run.data.params, {})
 
+    def test_experiment_creation_race_condition(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
+            tracking_uri = f"file://{temp_dir}"
+            experiment_name = "race_condition_experiment"
+
+            writer = MlflowMetricWriter(
+                experiment_name,
+                tracking_uri=tracking_uri,
+                _client_class=_exceptional_mlflow_client_class(True),
+            )
+
+            runs = _get_runs(tracking_uri, experiment_name)
+            self.assertEqual(len(runs), 1)
+            writer.close()
+
+    def test_experiment_creation_race_condition_and_then_fail(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
+            tracking_uri = f"file://{temp_dir}"
+            experiment_name = "race_condition_experiment"
+
+            self.assertRaises(
+                RuntimeError,
+                MlflowMetricWriter,
+                experiment_name,
+                tracking_uri=tracking_uri,
+                _client_class=_exceptional_mlflow_client_class(False),
+            )
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     absltest.main()