diff --git a/wallet/db.c b/wallet/db.c
index 741747daf..49951effe 100644
--- a/wallet/db.c
+++ b/wallet/db.c
@@ -905,8 +905,6 @@ static void db_migrate(struct lightningd *ld, struct db *db)
 	int current, orig, available;
 	struct db_stmt *stmt;
 
-	db_begin_transaction(db);
-
 	orig = current = db_get_version(db);
 	available = ARRAY_SIZE(dbmigrations) - 1;
 
@@ -947,14 +945,18 @@ static void db_migrate(struct lightningd *ld, struct db *db)
 		tal_free(stmt);
 	}
 
-	db_commit_transaction(db);
 }
 
 struct db *db_setup(const tal_t *ctx, struct lightningd *ld)
 {
 	struct db *db = db_open(ctx, ld->wallet_dsn);
 	db->log = new_log(db, ld->log_book, NULL, "database");
+
+	db_begin_transaction(db);
+
 	db_migrate(ld, db);
+
+	db_commit_transaction(db);
 	return db;
 }
 
diff --git a/wallet/test/run-db.c b/wallet/test/run-db.c
index db9ddb953..bf326366c 100644
--- a/wallet/test/run-db.c
+++ b/wallet/test/run-db.c
@@ -73,8 +73,9 @@ static bool test_empty_db_migrate(struct lightningd *ld)
 	CHECK(db);
 	db_begin_transaction(db);
 	CHECK(db_get_version(db) == -1);
-	db_commit_transaction(db);
 	db_migrate(ld, db);
+	db_commit_transaction(db);
+
 	db_begin_transaction(db);
 	CHECK(db_get_version(db) == ARRAY_SIZE(dbmigrations) - 1);
 	db_commit_transaction(db);
@@ -118,9 +119,9 @@ static bool test_vars(struct lightningd *ld)
 	struct db *db = create_test_db();
 	char *varname = "testvar";
 	CHECK(db);
-	db_migrate(ld, db);
 
 	db_begin_transaction(db);
+	db_migrate(ld, db);
 	/* Check default behavior */
 	CHECK(db_get_intvar(db, varname, 42) == 42);
 
diff --git a/wallet/test/run-wallet.c b/wallet/test/run-wallet.c
index 7010abd7a..63db38de4 100644
--- a/wallet/test/run-wallet.c
+++ b/wallet/test/run-wallet.c
@@ -747,7 +747,9 @@ static struct wallet *create_test_wallet(struct lightningd *ld, const tal_t *ctx
 				  w->bip32_base) == WALLY_OK);
 
 	CHECK_MSG(w->db, "Failed opening the db");
+	db_begin_transaction(w->db);
 	db_migrate(ld, w->db);
+	db_commit_transaction(w->db);
 	CHECK_MSG(!wallet_err, "DB migration failed");
 	w->max_channel_dbid = 0;