diff --git a/osu.Game/Database/DatabaseContextFactory.cs b/osu.Game/Database/DatabaseContextFactory.cs
index 65a19e23c0..ec408456e3 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Database/DatabaseContextFactory.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Database/DatabaseContextFactory.cs
@@ -41,17 +41,18 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
         /// Request a context for write usage. Can be consumed in a nested fashion (and will return the same underlying context).
         /// This method may block if a write is already active on a different thread.
         /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="withTransaction">Whether to start a transaction for this write.</param>
         /// <returns>A usage containing a usable context.</returns>
-        public DatabaseWriteUsage GetForWrite()
+        public DatabaseWriteUsage GetForWrite(bool withTransaction = true)
         {
             Monitor.Enter(writeLock);
 
-            if (currentWriteTransaction == null)
+            if (currentWriteTransaction == null && withTransaction)
                 currentWriteTransaction = threadContexts.Value.Database.BeginTransaction();
 
             Interlocked.Increment(ref currentWriteUsages);
 
-            return new DatabaseWriteUsage(threadContexts.Value, usageCompleted) { IsTransactionLeader = currentWriteUsages == 1 };
+            return new DatabaseWriteUsage(threadContexts.Value, usageCompleted) { IsTransactionLeader = currentWriteTransaction != null && currentWriteUsages == 1 };
         }
 
         private void usageCompleted(DatabaseWriteUsage usage)
@@ -66,9 +67,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
                 if (usages > 0) return;
 
                 if (currentWriteDidError)
-                    currentWriteTransaction.Rollback();
+                    currentWriteTransaction?.Rollback();
                 else
-                    currentWriteTransaction.Commit();
+                    currentWriteTransaction?.Commit();
 
                 currentWriteTransaction = null;
                 currentWriteDidWrite = false;
diff --git a/osu.Game/Database/IDatabaseContextFactory.cs b/osu.Game/Database/IDatabaseContextFactory.cs
index 372e1770e4..d38d15b252 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Database/IDatabaseContextFactory.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Database/IDatabaseContextFactory.cs
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
         /// Request a context for write usage. Can be consumed in a nested fashion (and will return the same underlying context).
         /// This method may block if a write is already active on a different thread.
         /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="withTransaction">Whether to start a transaction for this write.</param>
         /// <returns>A usage containing a usable context.</returns>
-        DatabaseWriteUsage GetForWrite();
+        DatabaseWriteUsage GetForWrite(bool withTransaction = true);
     }
 }
diff --git a/osu.Game/Database/SingletonContextFactory.cs b/osu.Game/Database/SingletonContextFactory.cs
index 74951e8433..ce3fbf6881 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Database/SingletonContextFactory.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Database/SingletonContextFactory.cs
@@ -14,6 +14,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
 
         public OsuDbContext Get() => context;
 
-        public DatabaseWriteUsage GetForWrite() => new DatabaseWriteUsage(context, null);
+        public DatabaseWriteUsage GetForWrite(bool withTransaction = true) => new DatabaseWriteUsage(context, null);
     }
 }
diff --git a/osu.Game/OsuGameBase.cs b/osu.Game/OsuGameBase.cs
index a3a081d6d1..b9d32a6322 100644
--- a/osu.Game/OsuGameBase.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/OsuGameBase.cs
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ namespace osu.Game
         {
             try
             {
-                using (var db = contextFactory.GetForWrite())
+                using (var db = contextFactory.GetForWrite(false))
                     db.Context.Migrate();
             }
             catch (MigrationFailedException e)
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ namespace osu.Game
                 contextFactory.ResetDatabase();
                 Logger.Log("Database purged successfully.", LoggingTarget.Database, LogLevel.Important);
 
-                using (var db = contextFactory.GetForWrite())
+                using (var db = contextFactory.GetForWrite(false))
                     db.Context.Migrate();
             }
         }