diff --git a/streaming/base/dataset.py b/streaming/base/dataset.py
index d463d6f0e..914f0215e 100644
--- a/streaming/base/dataset.py
+++ b/streaming/base/dataset.py
@@ -1120,7 +1120,7 @@ def evict_shard(self, shard_id: int) -> None:
         """
         # Lock the cache. FileLocks contain threading Locks, which are not pickleable, which is
         # incompatible with spawn, so must be created lazily.
-        if not hasattr(self, CACHE_FILELOCK):
+        if not hasattr(self, '_cache_filelock'):
             self._cache_filelock = FileLock(self._cache_filelock_path)
 
         with self._cache_filelock:
@@ -1133,7 +1133,7 @@ def evict_coldest_shard(self) -> None:
         """
         # Lock the cache. FileLocks contain threading Locks, which are not pickleable, which is
         # incompatible with spawn, so must be created lazily.
-        if not hasattr(self, CACHE_FILELOCK):
+        if not hasattr(self, '_cache_filelock'):
             self._cache_filelock = FileLock(self._cache_filelock_path)
 
         with self._cache_filelock:
@@ -1154,7 +1154,7 @@ def prepare_shard(self, shard_id: int, blocking: bool = True) -> None:
         """
         # Lock the cache. FileLocks contain threading Locks, which are not pickleable, which is
         # incompatible with spawn, so must be created lazily.
-        if not hasattr(self, CACHE_FILELOCK):
+        if not hasattr(self, '_cache_filelock'):
             self._cache_filelock = FileLock(self._cache_filelock_path)
         lock = self._cache_filelock
         lock.acquire()
diff --git a/tests/test_eviction.py b/tests/test_eviction.py
index e30e84583..229b36b69 100644
--- a/tests/test_eviction.py
+++ b/tests/test_eviction.py
@@ -231,3 +231,61 @@ def test_cache_limit_lower_than_few_shards(local_remote_dir: Any, cache_limit: s
                              shuffle=False,
                              batch_size=4,
                              cache_limit=cache_limit)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures('local_remote_dir')
+def test_cache_filelock_reuse(local_remote_dir: tuple[str, str]):
+    """Test that _cache_filelock is reused across multiple calls instead of being recreated.
+
+    This test verifies the fix for issue #963 where CACHE_FILELOCK constant had a mismatch
+    with the actual attribute name, causing a new FileLock to be created on every call.
+    """
+    num_samples = 1000
+    local, remote = local_remote_dir
+    columns = {'data': 'bytes'}
+    compression = None
+    hashes = None
+    size_limit = 500
+
+    # Create a small dataset
+    with MDSWriter(out=remote,
+                   columns=columns,
+                   compression=compression,
+                   hashes=hashes,
+                   size_limit=size_limit) as out:
+        for _ in range(num_samples):
+            sample = {'data': b'\0'}
+            out.write(sample)
+
+    dataset = StreamingDataset(remote=remote, local=local, batch_size=1)
+
+    # First call to prepare_shard should create the filelock
+    dataset.prepare_shard(0)
+    assert hasattr(dataset, '_cache_filelock'), 'Expected _cache_filelock to be created'
+
+    # Store reference to the filelock object
+    first_filelock = dataset._cache_filelock
+
+    # Second call to prepare_shard should reuse the same filelock
+    if dataset.num_shards > 1:
+        dataset.prepare_shard(1)
+        second_filelock = dataset._cache_filelock
+        assert first_filelock is second_filelock, \
+            'Expected _cache_filelock to be reused, not recreated'
+
+    # Call evict_coldest_shard and verify filelock is still the same
+    if dataset.num_shards > 0:
+        dataset.evict_coldest_shard()
+        third_filelock = dataset._cache_filelock
+        assert first_filelock is third_filelock, \
+            'Expected _cache_filelock to be reused in evict_coldest_shard'
+
+    # Call evict_shard and verify filelock is still the same
+    if dataset.num_shards > 1:
+        dataset.prepare_shard(1)  # Prepare shard 1 again
+        dataset.evict_shard(1)
+        fourth_filelock = dataset._cache_filelock
+        assert first_filelock is fourth_filelock, \
+            'Expected _cache_filelock to be reused in evict_shard'
+
+    rmtree(local, ignore_errors=False)