diff --git a/kernel/kernel-impl/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/db/impl/BasicSqlService.java b/kernel/kernel-impl/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/db/impl/BasicSqlService.java
index b1f5cc61dc95..90ee8a3528f9 100644
--- a/kernel/kernel-impl/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/db/impl/BasicSqlService.java
+++ b/kernel/kernel-impl/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/db/impl/BasicSqlService.java
@@ -538,6 +538,7 @@ public List dbRead(Connection callerConn, String sql, Object[] fields, SqlReader
                 conn = callerConn;
             } else {
                 conn = borrowConnection();
+                threadLocalManager().set(TRANSACTION_CONNECTION, conn);
             }
             if (m_showSql) {
                 connectionTime = System.currentTimeMillis() - start;
@@ -616,6 +617,7 @@ public List dbRead(Connection callerConn, String sql, Object[] fields, SqlReader
                             LOG.warn("Sql.dbRead: sql: " + sql + debugFields(fields), e);
                         }
                     }
+                    threadLocalManager().set(TRANSACTION_CONNECTION, null);
                     returnConnection(conn);
                 }
             }