diff --git a/datasette/database.py b/datasette/database.py
index 707d8f85..d34aac73 100644
--- a/datasette/database.py
+++ b/datasette/database.py
@@ -179,17 +179,25 @@ class Database:
             # Threaded mode - send to write thread
             return await self._send_to_write_thread(fn, isolated_connection=True)
 
-    async def execute_write_fn(self, fn, block=True):
+    async def execute_write_fn(self, fn, block=True, transaction=True):
         if self.ds.executor is None:
             # non-threaded mode
             if self._write_connection is None:
                 self._write_connection = self.connect(write=True)
                 self.ds._prepare_connection(self._write_connection, self.name)
-            return fn(self._write_connection)
+            if transaction:
+                with self._write_connection:
+                    return fn(self._write_connection)
+            else:
+                return fn(self._write_connection)
         else:
-            return await self._send_to_write_thread(fn, block)
+            return await self._send_to_write_thread(
+                fn, block=block, transaction=transaction
+            )
 
-    async def _send_to_write_thread(self, fn, block=True, isolated_connection=False):
+    async def _send_to_write_thread(
+        self, fn, block=True, isolated_connection=False, transaction=True
+    ):
         if self._write_queue is None:
             self._write_queue = queue.Queue()
         if self._write_thread is None:
@@ -202,7 +210,9 @@ class Database:
             self._write_thread.start()
         task_id = uuid.uuid5(uuid.NAMESPACE_DNS, "datasette.io")
         reply_queue = janus.Queue()
-        self._write_queue.put(WriteTask(fn, task_id, reply_queue, isolated_connection))
+        self._write_queue.put(
+            WriteTask(fn, task_id, reply_queue, isolated_connection, transaction)
+        )
         if block:
             result = await reply_queue.async_q.get()
             if isinstance(result, Exception):
@@ -244,7 +254,11 @@ class Database:
                             pass
                 else:
                     try:
-                        result = task.fn(conn)
+                        if task.transaction:
+                            with conn:
+                                result = task.fn(conn)
+                        else:
+                            result = task.fn(conn)
                     except Exception as e:
                         sys.stderr.write("{}\n".format(e))
                         sys.stderr.flush()
@@ -554,13 +568,14 @@ class Database:
 
 
 class WriteTask:
-    __slots__ = ("fn", "task_id", "reply_queue", "isolated_connection")
+    __slots__ = ("fn", "task_id", "reply_queue", "isolated_connection", "transaction")
 
-    def __init__(self, fn, task_id, reply_queue, isolated_connection):
+    def __init__(self, fn, task_id, reply_queue, isolated_connection, transaction):
         self.fn = fn
         self.task_id = task_id
         self.reply_queue = reply_queue
         self.isolated_connection = isolated_connection
+        self.transaction = transaction
 
 
 class QueryInterrupted(Exception):
diff --git a/docs/internals.rst b/docs/internals.rst
index bd7a70b5..6ca62423 100644
--- a/docs/internals.rst
+++ b/docs/internals.rst
@@ -1010,7 +1010,9 @@ You can pass additional SQL parameters as a tuple or dictionary.
 
 The method will block until the operation is completed, and the return value will be the return from calling ``conn.execute(...)`` using the underlying ``sqlite3`` Python library.
 
-If you pass ``block=False`` this behaviour changes to "fire and forget" - queries will be added to the write queue and executed in a separate thread while your code can continue to do other things. The method will return a UUID representing the queued task.
+If you pass ``block=False`` this behavior changes to "fire and forget" - queries will be added to the write queue and executed in a separate thread while your code can continue to do other things. The method will return a UUID representing the queued task.
+
+Each call to ``execute_write()`` will be executed inside a transaction.
 
 .. _database_execute_write_script:
 
@@ -1019,6 +1021,8 @@ await db.execute_write_script(sql, block=True)
 
 Like ``execute_write()`` but can be used to send multiple SQL statements in a single string separated by semicolons, using the ``sqlite3`` `conn.executescript() <https://docs.python.org/3/library/sqlite3.html#sqlite3.Cursor.executescript>`__ method.
 
+Each call to ``execute_write_script()`` will be executed inside a transaction.
+
 .. _database_execute_write_many:
 
 await db.execute_write_many(sql, params_seq, block=True)
@@ -1033,10 +1037,12 @@ Like ``execute_write()`` but uses the ``sqlite3`` `conn.executemany() <https://d
         [(1, "Melanie"), (2, "Selma"), (2, "Viktor")],
     )
 
+Each call to ``execute_write_many()`` will be executed inside a transaction.
+
 .. _database_execute_write_fn:
 
-await db.execute_write_fn(fn, block=True)
------------------------------------------
+await db.execute_write_fn(fn, block=True, transaction=True)
+-----------------------------------------------------------
 
 This method works like ``.execute_write()``, but instead of a SQL statement you give it a callable Python function. Your function will be queued up and then called when the write connection is available, passing that connection as the argument to the function.
 
@@ -1052,7 +1058,6 @@ For example:
 
     def delete_and_return_count(conn):
         conn.execute("delete from some_table where id > 5")
-        conn.commit()
         return conn.execute(
             "select count(*) from some_table"
         ).fetchone()[0]
@@ -1069,7 +1074,7 @@ The value returned from ``await database.execute_write_fn(...)`` will be the ret
 
 If your function raises an exception that exception will be propagated up to the ``await`` line.
 
-If you see ``OperationalError: database table is locked`` errors you should check that you remembered to explicitly call ``conn.commit()`` in your write function.
+By default your function will be executed inside a transaction. You can pass ``transaction=False`` to disable this behavior, though if you do that you should be careful to manually apply transactions - ideally using the ``with conn:`` pattern, or you may see ``OperationalError: database table is locked`` errors.
 
 If you specify ``block=False`` the method becomes fire-and-forget, queueing your function to be executed and then allowing your code after the call to ``.execute_write_fn()`` to continue running while the underlying thread waits for an opportunity to run your function. A UUID representing the queued task will be returned. Any exceptions in your code will be silently swallowed.
 
diff --git a/tests/test_internals_database.py b/tests/test_internals_database.py
index dd68a6cb..57e75046 100644
--- a/tests/test_internals_database.py
+++ b/tests/test_internals_database.py
@@ -66,6 +66,33 @@ async def test_execute_fn(db):
     assert 2 == await db.execute_fn(get_1_plus_1)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_execute_fn_transaction_false():
+    datasette = Datasette(memory=True)
+    db = datasette.add_memory_database("test_execute_fn_transaction_false")
+
+    def run(conn):
+        try:
+            with conn:
+                conn.execute("create table foo (id integer primary key)")
+                conn.execute("insert into foo (id) values (44)")
+                # Table should exist
+                assert (
+                    conn.execute(
+                        'select count(*) from sqlite_master where name = "foo"'
+                    ).fetchone()[0]
+                    == 1
+                )
+                assert conn.execute("select id from foo").fetchall()[0][0] == 44
+                raise ValueError("Cancel commit")
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+        # Row should NOT exist
+        assert conn.execute("select count(*) from foo").fetchone()[0] == 0
+
+    await db.execute_write_fn(run, transaction=False)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "tables,exists",
     (