diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 97ebaa67..80fbf68f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -28,3 +28,4 @@ dist/
 
 # Ignore PyCharm / IntelliJ files
 .idea/
+*.iml
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/source/table_partitioning.rst b/docs/source/table_partitioning.rst
index 1bb5ba6f..eba33c10 100644
--- a/docs/source/table_partitioning.rst
+++ b/docs/source/table_partitioning.rst
@@ -177,6 +177,16 @@ Time-based partitioning
    ])
 
 
+Running management operations in a non atomic way
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+Partitions creation and deletion can be done in a non-atomic way.
+This can be useful to reduce lock contention when performing partition operations on a table while it is under heavy load.
+Note that obviously this can lead to partially created/deleted partitions if something goes wrong during the operations.
+By default all operations are done in an atomic way.
+
+You can disable atomic operations by setting the `atomic` parameter to `False` in the `PostgresPartitioningConfig` constructor.
+
 Changing a time partitioning strategy
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
diff --git a/psqlextra/backend/schema.py b/psqlextra/backend/schema.py
index 28e9211a..9c0a6ef6 100644
--- a/psqlextra/backend/schema.py
+++ b/psqlextra/backend/schema.py
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ class PostgresSchemaEditor(SchemaEditor):
     sql_add_range_partition = (
         "CREATE TABLE %s PARTITION OF %s FOR VALUES FROM (%s) TO (%s)"
     )
+    sql_detach_partition = "ALTER TABLE %s DETACH PARTITION %s"
     sql_add_list_partition = (
         "CREATE TABLE %s PARTITION OF %s FOR VALUES IN (%s)"
     )
@@ -807,11 +808,16 @@ def add_default_partition(
 
     def delete_partition(self, model: Type[Model], name: str) -> None:
         """Deletes the partition with the specified name."""
-
-        sql = self.sql_delete_partition % self.quote_name(
-            self.create_partition_table_name(model, name)
+        partition_table_name = self.create_partition_table_name(model, name)
+        detach_sql = self.sql_detach_partition % (
+            self.quote_name(model._meta.db_table),
+            self.quote_name(partition_table_name),
         )
-        self.execute(sql)
+        delete_sql = self.sql_delete_partition % self.quote_name(
+            partition_table_name
+        )
+        self.execute(detach_sql)
+        self.execute(delete_sql)
 
     def alter_db_table(
         self, model: Type[Model], old_db_table: str, new_db_table: str
diff --git a/psqlextra/partitioning/config.py b/psqlextra/partitioning/config.py
index 976bf1ae..07cc729b 100644
--- a/psqlextra/partitioning/config.py
+++ b/psqlextra/partitioning/config.py
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         model: Type[PostgresPartitionedModel],
         strategy: PostgresPartitioningStrategy,
+        atomic: bool = True,
     ) -> None:
         self.model = model
         self.strategy = strategy
+        self.atomic = atomic
 
 
 __all__ = ["PostgresPartitioningConfig"]
diff --git a/psqlextra/partitioning/plan.py b/psqlextra/partitioning/plan.py
index 3fcac44d..a5882d0a 100644
--- a/psqlextra/partitioning/plan.py
+++ b/psqlextra/partitioning/plan.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
+import contextlib
+import sys
+
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, List, Optional, cast
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, ContextManager, List, Optional, Union, cast
 
 from django.db import connections, transaction
 
@@ -36,8 +39,10 @@ def apply(self, using: Optional[str]) -> None:
 
         connection = connections[using or "default"]
 
-        with transaction.atomic():
-            with connection.schema_editor() as schema_editor:
+        with self._migration_context_manager():
+            with connection.schema_editor(
+                atomic=self.config.atomic
+            ) as schema_editor:
                 for partition in self.creations:
                     partition.create(
                         self.config.model,
@@ -51,6 +56,22 @@ def apply(self, using: Optional[str]) -> None:
                         cast("PostgresSchemaEditor", schema_editor),
                     )
 
+    def _migration_context_manager(
+        self,
+    ) -> Union[transaction.Atomic, ContextManager[None]]:
+        if sys.version_info >= (3, 7):
+            return (
+                transaction.atomic()
+                if self.config.atomic
+                else contextlib.nullcontext()
+            )
+        else:
+            return (
+                transaction.atomic()
+                if self.config.atomic
+                else contextlib.suppress()
+            )
+
     def print(self) -> None:
         """Prints this model plan to the terminal in a readable format."""
 
diff --git a/psqlextra/partitioning/shorthands.py b/psqlextra/partitioning/shorthands.py
index 30175273..e3f0dcdc 100644
--- a/psqlextra/partitioning/shorthands.py
+++ b/psqlextra/partitioning/shorthands.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ def partition_by_current_time(
     days: Optional[int] = None,
     max_age: Optional[relativedelta] = None,
     name_format: Optional[str] = None,
+    atomic: bool = True,
 ) -> PostgresPartitioningConfig:
     """Short-hand for generating a partitioning config that partitions the
     specified model by time.
@@ -53,6 +54,9 @@ def partition_by_current_time(
         name_format:
             The datetime format which is being passed to datetime.strftime
             to generate the partition name.
+
+        atomic:
+            If set to True, the partitioning operations will be run inside a transaction.
     """
 
     size = PostgresTimePartitionSize(
@@ -61,6 +65,7 @@ def partition_by_current_time(
 
     return PostgresPartitioningConfig(
         model=model,
+        atomic=atomic,
         strategy=PostgresCurrentTimePartitioningStrategy(
             size=size,
             count=count,
diff --git a/tests/test_partitioning_time.py b/tests/test_partitioning_time.py
index 9f6b5bf1..f1952f99 100644
--- a/tests/test_partitioning_time.py
+++ b/tests/test_partitioning_time.py
@@ -458,6 +458,37 @@ def test_partitioning_time_delete(kwargs, timepoints):
             assert len(table.partitions) == partition_count
 
 
+@pytest.mark.postgres_version(lt=110000)
+def test_partitioning_time_when_non_atomic():
+    model = define_fake_partitioned_model(
+        {"timestamp": models.DateTimeField()}, {"key": ["timestamp"]}
+    )
+
+    schema_editor = connection.schema_editor()
+    schema_editor.create_partitioned_model(model)
+
+    manager = PostgresPartitioningManager(
+        [
+            partition_by_current_time(
+                model=model,
+                count=6,
+                days=7,
+                max_age=relativedelta(weeks=1),
+                atomic=False,
+            )
+        ]
+    )
+
+    with freezegun.freeze_time("2019-1-1"):
+        manager.plan().apply()
+
+    with freezegun.freeze_time("2019-1-15"):
+        manager.plan(skip_create=True).apply()
+
+    table = _get_partitioned_table(model)
+    assert len(table.partitions) == 4
+
+
 @pytest.mark.postgres_version(lt=110000)
 def test_partitioning_time_delete_ignore_manual():
     """Tests whether partitions that were created manually are ignored.