diff --git a/c_src/bdberl_drv.c b/c_src/bdberl_drv.c
index 82ef185..d9e4acb 100644
--- a/c_src/bdberl_drv.c
+++ b/c_src/bdberl_drv.c
@@ -528,12 +528,14 @@ static int bdberl_drv_control(ErlDrvData handle, unsigned int cmd,
             RETURN_INT(ERROR_TXN_OPEN, outbuf);
         }
 
-        // Inbuf is <<Flags:32/unsigned>>
-        unsigned flags = UNPACK_INT(inbuf, 0);
+        // Setup async command and schedule it on the txns threadpool
+        d->async_op = cmd;
+        d->async_flags = UNPACK_INT(inbuf, 0);
+        d->async_pool = G_TPOOL_TXNS;
+        bdberl_tpool_run(d->async_pool, &do_async_txnop, d, 0, &d->async_job);
 
         // Outbuf is <<Rc:32>>
-        int rc = G_DB_ENV->txn_begin(G_DB_ENV, 0, &(d->txn), flags);
-        RETURN_INT(rc, outbuf);
+        RETURN_INT(0, outbuf);
     }
     case CMD_TXN_COMMIT:
     case CMD_TXN_ABORT:
@@ -1172,20 +1174,23 @@ static void do_async_txnop(void* arg)
 {
     PortData* d = (PortData*)arg;
 
-    // Execute the actual commit/abort
+    // Execute the actual begin/commit/abort
     int rc = 0;
-    if (d->async_op == CMD_TXN_COMMIT)
+    if (d->async_op == CMD_TXN_BEGIN)
+    {
+        rc = G_DB_ENV->txn_begin(G_DB_ENV, 0, &(d->txn), d->async_flags);
+    }
+    else if (d->async_op == CMD_TXN_COMMIT)
     {
         rc = d->txn->commit(d->txn, d->async_flags);
+        d->txn = 0;
     }
     else 
     {
         rc = d->txn->abort(d->txn);
+        d->txn = 0;
     }
 
-    // The transaction is now invalid, regardless of the outcome. 
-    d->txn = 0;
-
     async_cleanup_and_send_rc(d, rc);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/bdberl.erl b/src/bdberl.erl
index 1323032..2a73fe5 100644
--- a/src/bdberl.erl
+++ b/src/bdberl.erl
@@ -326,11 +326,17 @@ txn_begin(Opts) ->
     Cmd = <<Flags:32/native>>,
     <<Result:32/signed-native>> = erlang:port_control(get_port(), ?CMD_TXN_BEGIN, Cmd),
     case decode_rc(Result) of
-        ok -> ok;
-        Error -> {error, Error}
+        ok ->
+            receive
+                ok -> ok;
+                {error, Reason} -> {error, decode_rc(Reason)}
+            end;
+        Error ->
+            {error, Error}
     end.
 
 
+
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
 %% @doc
 %% Commit a transaction with default options.