diff --git a/servers/slapd/add.c b/servers/slapd/add.c
index 5b99570a6b..8e5008f2d6 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/add.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/add.c
@@ -302,8 +302,6 @@ fe_op_add( Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 		if ( !SLAP_SINGLE_SHADOW(op->o_bd) || repl_user ) {
 			int		update = !BER_BVISEMPTY( &op->o_bd->be_update_ndn );
 
-			op->o_bd = op_be;
-
 			if ( !update ) {
 				rs->sr_err = slap_mods_no_user_mod_check( op, op->ora_modlist,
 					&rs->sr_text, textbuf, textlen );
@@ -334,6 +332,12 @@ fe_op_add( Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 				}
 			}
 
+			if ( op->o_txnSpec ) {
+				rc = txn_preop( op, rs );
+				goto done;
+			}
+
+			op->o_bd = op_be;
 			rc = op->o_bd->be_add( op, rs );
 			if ( rc == LDAP_SUCCESS ) {
 				OpExtra *oex;
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-mdb/add.c b/servers/slapd/back-mdb/add.c
index 148d2d68b7..b223375600 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-mdb/add.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-mdb/add.c
@@ -48,9 +48,6 @@ mdb_add(Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 	Debug(LDAP_DEBUG_ARGS, "==> " LDAP_XSTRING(mdb_add) ": %s\n",
 		op->ora_e->e_name.bv_val );
 
-	if( op->o_txnSpec && txn_preop( op, rs ))
-		return rs->sr_err;
-
 	ctrls[num_ctrls] = 0;
 
 	/* check entry's schema */
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-mdb/delete.c b/servers/slapd/back-mdb/delete.c
index 9ca35011e7..7dab5ee8f1 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-mdb/delete.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-mdb/delete.c
@@ -46,9 +46,6 @@ mdb_delete( Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 	Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ARGS, "==> " LDAP_XSTRING(mdb_delete) ": %s\n",
 		op->o_req_dn.bv_val );
 
-	if( op->o_txnSpec && txn_preop( op, rs ))
-		return rs->sr_err;
-
 	ctrls[num_ctrls] = 0;
 
 	/* begin transaction */
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-mdb/init.c b/servers/slapd/back-mdb/init.c
index 867559a9db..9d9e7ae775 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-mdb/init.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-mdb/init.c
@@ -408,7 +408,8 @@ mdb_back_initialize(
 		SLAP_BFLAG_INCREMENT |
 		SLAP_BFLAG_SUBENTRIES |
 		SLAP_BFLAG_ALIASES |
-		SLAP_BFLAG_REFERRALS;
+		SLAP_BFLAG_REFERRALS |
+		SLAP_BFLAG_TXNS;
 
 	bi->bi_controls = controls;
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-mdb/modify.c b/servers/slapd/back-mdb/modify.c
index 84e4585e3b..d1a2a7324f 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-mdb/modify.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-mdb/modify.c
@@ -589,9 +589,6 @@ mdb_modify( Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 	Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_ARGS, LDAP_XSTRING(mdb_modify) ": %s\n",
 		op->o_req_dn.bv_val );
 
-	if( op->o_txnSpec && txn_preop( op, rs ))
-		return rs->sr_err;
-
 	ctrls[num_ctrls] = NULL;
 
 	/* begin transaction */
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-mdb/modrdn.c b/servers/slapd/back-mdb/modrdn.c
index f51631773c..c3b0a6cd3c 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-mdb/modrdn.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-mdb/modrdn.c
@@ -59,9 +59,6 @@ mdb_modrdn( Operation	*op, SlapReply *rs )
 		op->o_req_dn.bv_val,op->oq_modrdn.rs_newrdn.bv_val,
 		op->oq_modrdn.rs_newSup ? op->oq_modrdn.rs_newSup->bv_val : "NULL" );
 
-	if( op->o_txnSpec && txn_preop( op, rs ))
-		return rs->sr_err;
-
 	ctrls[num_ctrls] = NULL;
 
 	/* begin transaction */
diff --git a/servers/slapd/delete.c b/servers/slapd/delete.c
index 7759c60793..b6fd093d8e 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/delete.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/delete.c
@@ -172,6 +172,11 @@ fe_op_delete( Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 			struct berval	org_ndn = BER_BVNULL;
 			int		org_managedsait;
 
+			if ( op->o_txnSpec ) {
+				txn_preop( op, rs );
+				goto cleanup;
+			}
+
 			op->o_bd = op_be;
 			op->o_bd->be_delete( op, rs );
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/extended.c b/servers/slapd/extended.c
index 509ce5cfbe..6b47d3a355 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/extended.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/extended.c
@@ -174,7 +174,8 @@ do_extended(
 	op->o_bd = frontendDB;
 	rs->sr_err = frontendDB->be_extended( op, rs );
 
-	if ( rs->sr_err == SLAPD_ASYNCOP ){
+	if ( rs->sr_err == SLAPD_ASYNCOP ||
+		rs->sr_err == LDAP_TXN_SPECIFY_OKAY ) {
 		/* skip cleanup */
 		return rs->sr_err;
 	}
diff --git a/servers/slapd/modify.c b/servers/slapd/modify.c
index b00090328e..faa10bac6d 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/modify.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/modify.c
@@ -289,8 +289,6 @@ fe_op_modify( Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 		if ( !SLAP_SINGLE_SHADOW(op->o_bd) || repl_user ) {
 			int update = !BER_BVISEMPTY( &op->o_bd->be_update_ndn );
 
-			op->o_bd = op_be;
-
 			if ( !update ) {
 				rs->sr_err = slap_mods_no_user_mod_check( op, op->orm_modlist,
 					&rs->sr_text, textbuf, textlen );
@@ -299,6 +297,11 @@ fe_op_modify( Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 					goto cleanup;
 				}
 			}
+			if ( op->o_txnSpec ) {
+				txn_preop( op, rs );
+				goto cleanup;
+			}
+			op->o_bd = op_be;
 			op->o_bd->be_modify( op, rs );
 
 		} else { /* send a referral */
diff --git a/servers/slapd/modrdn.c b/servers/slapd/modrdn.c
index a48cc4add7..260eafcd99 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/modrdn.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/modrdn.c
@@ -313,6 +313,11 @@ fe_op_modrdn( Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 		int repl_user = be_isupdate( op );
 		if ( !SLAP_SINGLE_SHADOW(op->o_bd) || repl_user )
 		{
+			if ( op->o_txnSpec ) {
+				txn_preop( op, rs );
+				goto cleanup;
+			}
+
 			op->o_bd = op_be;
 			op->o_bd->be_modrdn( op, rs );
 
diff --git a/servers/slapd/passwd.c b/servers/slapd/passwd.c
index 9de1bc0c41..9a450fa0bd 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/passwd.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/passwd.c
@@ -203,6 +203,11 @@ int passwd_extop(
 		goto error_return;
 	}
 
+	if ( op->o_txnSpec ) {
+		rc = txn_preop( op, rs );
+		goto error_return;
+	}
+
 	op->o_bd = op_be;
 
 	/* Give the backend a chance to handle this itself */
diff --git a/servers/slapd/slap.h b/servers/slapd/slap.h
index a5fe408dc6..0f14cdc265 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/slap.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/slap.h
@@ -2338,6 +2338,7 @@ struct BackendInfo {
 #define SLAP_BFLAG_SUBENTRIES		0x4000U
 #define SLAP_BFLAG_DYNAMIC			0x8000U
 #define SLAP_BFLAG_STANDALONE		0x10000U /* started up regardless of whether any databases use it */
+#define SLAP_BFLAG_TXNS				0x20000U /* supports LDAP transactions */
 
 /* overlay specific */
 #define	SLAPO_BFLAG_SINGLE		0x01000000U
@@ -2357,6 +2358,7 @@ struct BackendInfo {
 #define SLAP_DYNAMIC(be)	((SLAP_BFLAGS(be) & SLAP_BFLAG_DYNAMIC) || (SLAP_DBFLAGS(be) & SLAP_DBFLAG_DYNAMIC))
 #define SLAP_NOLASTMODCMD(be)	(SLAP_BFLAGS(be) & SLAP_BFLAG_NOLASTMODCMD)
 #define SLAP_LASTMODCMD(be)	(!SLAP_NOLASTMODCMD(be))
+#define SLAP_TXNS(be)		(SLAP_BFLAGS(be) & SLAP_BFLAG_TXNS)
 
 /* overlay specific */
 #define SLAPO_SINGLE(be)	(SLAP_BFLAGS(be) & SLAPO_BFLAG_SINGLE)
diff --git a/servers/slapd/txn.c b/servers/slapd/txn.c
index 7e56144335..b2e8d15321 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/txn.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/txn.c
@@ -324,17 +324,12 @@ done:
 
 int txn_preop( Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 {
-	int settle = 0;
-
 	/* acquire connection lock */
 	ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_lock( &op->o_conn->c_mutex );
 	if( op->o_conn->c_txn == CONN_TXN_INACTIVE ) {
 		rs->sr_text = "invalid transaction identifier";
 		rs->sr_err = LDAP_TXN_ID_INVALID;
 		goto txnReturn;
-	} else if( op->o_conn->c_txn == CONN_TXN_SETTLE ) {
-		settle=1;
-		goto txnReturn;
 	}
 
 	if( op->o_conn->c_txn_backend == NULL ) {
@@ -346,6 +341,12 @@ int txn_preop( Operation *op, SlapReply *rs )
 		goto txnReturn;
 	}
 
+	if ( !SLAP_TXNS( op->o_bd )) {
+		rs->sr_text = "backend doesn't support transactions";
+		rs->sr_err = LDAP_UNWILLING_TO_PERFORM;
+		goto txnReturn;
+	}
+
 	/* insert operation into transaction */
 	LDAP_STAILQ_REMOVE( &op->o_conn->c_ops, op, Operation, o_next );
 	LDAP_STAILQ_INSERT_TAIL( &op->o_conn->c_txn_ops, op, o_next );
@@ -354,11 +355,9 @@ txnReturn:
 	/* release connection lock */
 	ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_unlock( &op->o_conn->c_mutex );
 
-	if( !settle ) {
+	if ( op->o_tag != LDAP_REQ_EXTENDED )
 		send_ldap_result( op, rs );
-		if ( !rs->sr_err )
-			rs->sr_err = LDAP_TXN_SPECIFY_OKAY;
-		return rs->sr_err;
-	}
-	return LDAP_SUCCESS;	/* proceed with operation */
+	if ( !rs->sr_err )
+		rs->sr_err = LDAP_TXN_SPECIFY_OKAY;
+	return rs->sr_err;
 }