diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/DeleteAction.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/DeleteAction.java
index b0c37efc..195200e7 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/DeleteAction.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/DeleteAction.java
@@ -151,12 +151,14 @@ public class DeleteAction
          QTableMetaData associatedTable = QContext.getQInstance().getTable(association.getAssociatedTableName());
 
          QueryInput queryInput = new QueryInput();
+         queryInput.setTransaction(deleteInput.getTransaction());
          queryInput.setTableName(association.getAssociatedTableName());
          queryInput.setFilter(filter);
          QueryOutput        queryOutput    = new QueryAction().execute(queryInput);
          List<Serializable> associatedKeys = queryOutput.getRecords().stream().map(r -> r.getValue(associatedTable.getPrimaryKeyField())).toList();
 
          DeleteInput nextLevelDeleteInput = new DeleteInput();
+         nextLevelDeleteInput.setTransaction(deleteInput.getTransaction());
          nextLevelDeleteInput.setTableName(association.getAssociatedTableName());
          nextLevelDeleteInput.setPrimaryKeys(associatedKeys);
          DeleteOutput nextLevelDeleteOutput = new DeleteAction().execute(nextLevelDeleteInput);
@@ -187,6 +189,7 @@ public class DeleteAction
             // always fetch the records - we'll use them anyway for checking not-exist  below //
             ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
             QueryInput queryInput = new QueryInput();
+            queryInput.setTransaction(deleteInput.getTransaction());
             queryInput.setTableName(deleteInput.getTableName());
             queryInput.setFilter(new QQueryFilter(new QFilterCriteria(deleteInput.getTable().getPrimaryKeyField(), QCriteriaOperator.IN, primaryKeyList)));
             QueryOutput queryOutput = new QueryAction().execute(queryInput);
@@ -242,6 +245,7 @@ public class DeleteAction
          else if(!primaryKeysToLookup.isEmpty())
          {
             QueryInput queryInput = new QueryInput();
+            queryInput.setTransaction(deleteInput.getTransaction());
             queryInput.setTableName(table.getName());
             queryInput.setFilter(new QQueryFilter(new QFilterCriteria(table.getPrimaryKeyField(), QCriteriaOperator.IN, primaryKeysToLookup)));
             QueryOutput queryOutput = new QueryAction().execute(queryInput);
@@ -292,6 +296,7 @@ public class DeleteAction
          QBackendModuleInterface  qModule                  = qBackendModuleDispatcher.getQBackendModule(deleteInput.getBackend());
 
          QueryInput queryInput = new QueryInput();
+         queryInput.setTransaction(deleteInput.getTransaction());
          queryInput.setTableName(deleteInput.getTableName());
          queryInput.setFilter(deleteInput.getQueryFilter());
          QueryOutput queryOutput = qModule.getQueryInterface().execute(queryInput);
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/InsertAction.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/InsertAction.java
index 8b1bcb91..5aa38bdd 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/InsertAction.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/InsertAction.java
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public class InsertAction extends AbstractQActionFunction<InsertInput, InsertOut
          LOG.warn("Errors in insertAction", logPair("tableName", table.getName()), logPair("errorCount", errors.size()), errors.size() < 10 ? logPair("errors", errors) : logPair("first10Errors", errors.subList(0, 10)));
       }
 
-      manageAssociations(table, insertOutput.getRecords());
+      manageAssociations(table, insertOutput.getRecords(), insertInput.getTransaction());
 
       // todo post-customization - can do whatever w/ the result if you want
 
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ public class InsertAction extends AbstractQActionFunction<InsertInput, InsertOut
    /*******************************************************************************
     **
     *******************************************************************************/
-   private void manageAssociations(QTableMetaData table, List<QRecord> insertedRecords) throws QException
+   private void manageAssociations(QTableMetaData table, List<QRecord> insertedRecords, QBackendTransaction transaction) throws QException
    {
       for(Association association : CollectionUtils.nonNullList(table.getAssociations()))
       {
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ public class InsertAction extends AbstractQActionFunction<InsertInput, InsertOut
          }
 
          InsertInput nextLevelInsertInput = new InsertInput();
+         nextLevelInsertInput.setTransaction(transaction);
          nextLevelInsertInput.setTableName(association.getAssociatedTableName());
          nextLevelInsertInput.setRecords(nextLevelInserts);
          InsertOutput nextLevelInsertOutput = new InsertAction().execute(nextLevelInsertInput);
diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/UpdateAction.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/UpdateAction.java
index 06d63b06..0ada6d9e 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/UpdateAction.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/actions/tables/UpdateAction.java
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ public class UpdateAction
          else if(!primaryKeysToLookup.isEmpty())
          {
             QueryInput queryInput = new QueryInput();
+            queryInput.setTransaction(updateInput.getTransaction());
             queryInput.setTableName(table.getName());
             queryInput.setFilter(new QQueryFilter(new QFilterCriteria(table.getPrimaryKeyField(), QCriteriaOperator.IN, primaryKeysToLookup)));
             QueryOutput queryOutput = new QueryAction().execute(queryInput);
@@ -315,6 +316,7 @@ public class UpdateAction
             if(lookForDeletes)
             {
                QueryInput queryInput = new QueryInput();
+               queryInput.setTransaction(updateInput.getTransaction());
                queryInput.setTableName(associatedTable.getName());
                queryInput.setFilter(findDeletesFilter);
                QueryOutput queryOutput = new QueryAction().execute(queryInput);
@@ -322,6 +324,7 @@ public class UpdateAction
                {
                   LOG.debug("Deleting associatedRecords", logPair("associatedTable", associatedTable.getName()), logPair("noOfRecords", queryOutput.getRecords().size()));
                   DeleteInput deleteInput = new DeleteInput();
+                  deleteInput.setTransaction(updateInput.getTransaction());
                   deleteInput.setTableName(association.getAssociatedTableName());
                   deleteInput.setPrimaryKeys(queryOutput.getRecords().stream().map(r -> r.getValue(associatedTable.getPrimaryKeyField())).collect(Collectors.toList()));
                   DeleteOutput deleteOutput = new DeleteAction().execute(deleteInput);
@@ -332,6 +335,7 @@ public class UpdateAction
             {
                LOG.debug("Updating associatedRecords", logPair("associatedTable", associatedTable.getName()), logPair("noOfRecords", nextLevelUpdates.size()));
                UpdateInput nextLevelUpdateInput = new UpdateInput();
+               nextLevelUpdateInput.setTransaction(updateInput.getTransaction());
                nextLevelUpdateInput.setTableName(association.getAssociatedTableName());
                nextLevelUpdateInput.setRecords(nextLevelUpdates);
                UpdateOutput nextLevelUpdateOutput = new UpdateAction().execute(nextLevelUpdateInput);
@@ -341,6 +345,7 @@ public class UpdateAction
             {
                LOG.debug("Inserting associatedRecords", logPair("associatedTable", associatedTable.getName()), logPair("noOfRecords", nextLevelUpdates.size()));
                InsertInput nextLevelInsertInput = new InsertInput();
+               nextLevelInsertInput.setTransaction(updateInput.getTransaction());
                nextLevelInsertInput.setTableName(association.getAssociatedTableName());
                nextLevelInsertInput.setRecords(nextLevelInserts);
                InsertOutput nextLevelInsertOutput = new InsertAction().execute(nextLevelInsertInput);
@@ -371,6 +376,7 @@ public class UpdateAction
             List<Serializable> pkeysBeingUpdated = CollectionUtils.nonNullList(updateInput.getRecords()).stream().map(r -> r.getValue(primaryKeyField)).toList();
 
             QueryInput queryInput = new QueryInput();
+            queryInput.setTransaction(updateInput.getTransaction());
             queryInput.setTableName(updateInput.getTableName());
             queryInput.setFilter(new QQueryFilter(new QFilterCriteria(primaryKeyField, QCriteriaOperator.IN, pkeysBeingUpdated)));
             // todo - need a limit?  what if too many??