diff --git a/models/activities/notification.go b/models/activities/notification.go
index d20a53a41d860..321d543c736ae 100644
--- a/models/activities/notification.go
+++ b/models/activities/notification.go
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func CountNotifications(ctx context.Context, opts *FindNotificationOptions) (int
 
 // CreateRepoTransferNotification creates  notification for the user a repository was transferred to
 func CreateRepoTransferNotification(ctx context.Context, doer, newOwner *user_model.User, repo *repo_model.Repository) error {
-	return db.AutoTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
+	return db.WithTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		var notify []*Notification
 
 		if newOwner.IsOrganization() {
diff --git a/models/db/context.go b/models/db/context.go
index 3db8b16528da4..455f3d1c5de74 100644
--- a/models/db/context.go
+++ b/models/db/context.go
@@ -71,6 +71,14 @@ type Engined interface {
 
 // GetEngine will get a db Engine from this context or return an Engine restricted to this context
 func GetEngine(ctx context.Context) Engine {
+	if e := getEngine(ctx); e != nil {
+		return e
+	}
+	return x.Context(ctx)
+}
+
+// getEngine will get a db Engine from this context or return nil
+func getEngine(ctx context.Context) Engine {
 	if engined, ok := ctx.(Engined); ok {
 		return engined.Engine()
 	}
@@ -78,7 +86,7 @@ func GetEngine(ctx context.Context) Engine {
 	if enginedInterface != nil {
 		return enginedInterface.(Engined).Engine()
 	}
-	return x.Context(ctx)
+	return nil
 }
 
 // Committer represents an interface to Commit or Close the Context
@@ -87,10 +95,22 @@ type Committer interface {
 	Close() error
 }
 
-// TxContext represents a transaction Context
+// halfCommitter is a wrapper of Committer.
+// It can be closed early, but can't be committed early, it is useful for reusing a transaction.
+type halfCommitter struct {
+	Committer
+}
+
+func (*halfCommitter) Commit() error {
+	// do nothing
+	return nil
+}
+
+// TxContext represents a transaction Context,
+// it will reuse the existing transaction in the parent context or create a new one.
 func TxContext(parentCtx context.Context) (*Context, Committer, error) {
-	if InTransaction(parentCtx) {
-		return nil, nil, ErrAlreadyInTransaction
+	if sess, ok := inTransaction(parentCtx); ok {
+		return newContext(parentCtx, sess, true), &halfCommitter{Committer: sess}, nil
 	}
 
 	sess := x.NewSession()
@@ -102,20 +122,11 @@ func TxContext(parentCtx context.Context) (*Context, Committer, error) {
 	return newContext(DefaultContext, sess, true), sess, nil
 }
 
-// WithTx represents executing database operations on a transaction
-// This function will always open a new transaction, if a transaction exist in parentCtx return an error.
-func WithTx(parentCtx context.Context, f func(ctx context.Context) error) error {
-	if InTransaction(parentCtx) {
-		return ErrAlreadyInTransaction
-	}
-	return txWithNoCheck(parentCtx, f)
-}
-
-// AutoTx represents executing database operations on a transaction, if the transaction exist,
+// WithTx represents executing database operations on a transaction, if the transaction exist,
 // this function will reuse it otherwise will create a new one and close it when finished.
-func AutoTx(parentCtx context.Context, f func(ctx context.Context) error) error {
-	if InTransaction(parentCtx) {
-		return f(newContext(parentCtx, GetEngine(parentCtx), true))
+func WithTx(parentCtx context.Context, f func(ctx context.Context) error) error {
+	if sess, ok := inTransaction(parentCtx); ok {
+		return f(newContext(parentCtx, sess, true))
 	}
 	return txWithNoCheck(parentCtx, f)
 }
@@ -202,25 +213,25 @@ func EstimateCount(ctx context.Context, bean interface{}) (int64, error) {
 
 // InTransaction returns true if the engine is in a transaction otherwise return false
 func InTransaction(ctx context.Context) bool {
-	var e Engine
-	if engined, ok := ctx.(Engined); ok {
-		e = engined.Engine()
-	} else {
-		enginedInterface := ctx.Value(enginedContextKey)
-		if enginedInterface != nil {
-			e = enginedInterface.(Engined).Engine()
-		}
-	}
+	_, ok := inTransaction(ctx)
+	return ok
+}
+
+func inTransaction(ctx context.Context) (*xorm.Session, bool) {
+	e := getEngine(ctx)
 	if e == nil {
-		return false
+		return nil, false
 	}
 
 	switch t := e.(type) {
 	case *xorm.Engine:
-		return false
+		return nil, false
 	case *xorm.Session:
-		return t.IsInTx()
+		if t.IsInTx() {
+			return t, true
+		}
+		return nil, false
 	default:
-		return false
+		return nil, false
 	}
 }
diff --git a/models/db/context_test.go b/models/db/context_test.go
index e7518a50d8d29..95a01d4a26eb2 100644
--- a/models/db/context_test.go
+++ b/models/db/context_test.go
@@ -25,8 +25,62 @@ func TestInTransaction(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	defer committer.Close()
 	assert.True(t, db.InTransaction(ctx))
-	assert.Error(t, db.WithTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
+	assert.NoError(t, db.WithTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		assert.True(t, db.InTransaction(ctx))
 		return nil
 	}))
 }
+
+func TestTxContext(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.NoError(t, unittest.PrepareTestDatabase())
+
+	{ // create new transaction
+		ctx, committer, err := db.TxContext(db.DefaultContext)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.True(t, db.InTransaction(ctx))
+		assert.NoError(t, committer.Commit())
+	}
+
+	{ // reuse the transaction created by TxContext and commit it
+		ctx, committer, err := db.TxContext(db.DefaultContext)
+		engine := db.GetEngine(ctx)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.True(t, db.InTransaction(ctx))
+		{
+			ctx, committer, err := db.TxContext(ctx)
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.True(t, db.InTransaction(ctx))
+			assert.Equal(t, engine, db.GetEngine(ctx))
+			assert.NoError(t, committer.Commit())
+		}
+		assert.NoError(t, committer.Commit())
+	}
+
+	{ // reuse the transaction created by TxContext and close it
+		ctx, committer, err := db.TxContext(db.DefaultContext)
+		engine := db.GetEngine(ctx)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.True(t, db.InTransaction(ctx))
+		{
+			ctx, committer, err := db.TxContext(ctx)
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.True(t, db.InTransaction(ctx))
+			assert.Equal(t, engine, db.GetEngine(ctx))
+			assert.NoError(t, committer.Close())
+		}
+		assert.NoError(t, committer.Close())
+	}
+
+	{ // reuse the transaction created by WithTx
+		assert.NoError(t, db.WithTx(db.DefaultContext, func(ctx context.Context) error {
+			assert.True(t, db.InTransaction(ctx))
+			{
+				ctx, committer, err := db.TxContext(ctx)
+				assert.NoError(t, err)
+				assert.True(t, db.InTransaction(ctx))
+				assert.NoError(t, committer.Commit())
+			}
+			return nil
+		}))
+	}
+}
diff --git a/models/db/error.go b/models/db/error.go
index 5860cb4a071d1..edc8e80a9c605 100644
--- a/models/db/error.go
+++ b/models/db/error.go
@@ -4,14 +4,11 @@
 package db
 
 import (
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/util"
 )
 
-var ErrAlreadyInTransaction = errors.New("database connection has already been in a transaction")
-
 // ErrCancelled represents an error due to context cancellation
 type ErrCancelled struct {
 	Message string
diff --git a/models/issues/issue.go b/models/issues/issue.go
index f45e635c0ecea..417d6a1557892 100644
--- a/models/issues/issue.go
+++ b/models/issues/issue.go
@@ -2365,7 +2365,7 @@ func CountOrphanedIssues(ctx context.Context) (int64, error) {
 // DeleteOrphanedIssues delete issues without a repo
 func DeleteOrphanedIssues(ctx context.Context) error {
 	var attachmentPaths []string
-	err := db.AutoTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
+	err := db.WithTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		var ids []int64
 
 		if err := db.GetEngine(ctx).Table("issue").Distinct("issue.repo_id").
diff --git a/models/project/project.go b/models/project/project.go
index 0a07cfe22ad1b..f432d0bc4c5bd 100644
--- a/models/project/project.go
+++ b/models/project/project.go
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ func changeProjectStatus(ctx context.Context, p *Project, isClosed bool) error {
 // DeleteProjectByID deletes a project from a repository. if it's not in a database
 // transaction, it will start a new database transaction
 func DeleteProjectByID(ctx context.Context, id int64) error {
-	return db.AutoTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
+	return db.WithTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		p, err := GetProjectByID(ctx, id)
 		if err != nil {
 			if IsErrProjectNotExist(err) {
diff --git a/models/repo/collaboration.go b/models/repo/collaboration.go
index 29bcab70f36a3..7989e5bdf9c5d 100644
--- a/models/repo/collaboration.go
+++ b/models/repo/collaboration.go
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func ChangeCollaborationAccessMode(ctx context.Context, repo *Repository, uid in
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	return db.AutoTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
+	return db.WithTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		e := db.GetEngine(ctx)
 
 		collaboration := &Collaboration{
diff --git a/models/repo_transfer.go b/models/repo_transfer.go
index 19e6c0662727f..27a77f9b8cc9f 100644
--- a/models/repo_transfer.go
+++ b/models/repo_transfer.go
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func TestRepositoryReadyForTransfer(status repo_model.RepositoryStatus) error {
 // CreatePendingRepositoryTransfer transfer a repo from one owner to a new one.
 // it marks the repository transfer as "pending"
 func CreatePendingRepositoryTransfer(ctx context.Context, doer, newOwner *user_model.User, repoID int64, teams []*organization.Team) error {
-	return db.AutoTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
+	return db.WithTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		repo, err := repo_model.GetRepositoryByID(ctx, repoID)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/modules/notification/ui/ui.go b/modules/notification/ui/ui.go
index 63a3ffd199989..bc66c3d5a3db4 100644
--- a/modules/notification/ui/ui.go
+++ b/modules/notification/ui/ui.go
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ func (ns *notificationService) NotifyPullReviewRequest(ctx context.Context, doer
 }
 
 func (ns *notificationService) NotifyRepoPendingTransfer(ctx context.Context, doer, newOwner *user_model.User, repo *repo_model.Repository) {
-	err := db.AutoTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
+	err := db.WithTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return activities_model.CreateRepoTransferNotification(ctx, doer, newOwner, repo)
 	})
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/modules/repository/collaborator.go b/modules/repository/collaborator.go
index f2b95151879ff..f5cdc35045353 100644
--- a/modules/repository/collaborator.go
+++ b/modules/repository/collaborator.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func AddCollaborator(ctx context.Context, repo *repo_model.Repository, u *user_model.User) error {
-	return db.AutoTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
+	return db.WithTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		collaboration := &repo_model.Collaboration{
 			RepoID: repo.ID,
 			UserID: u.ID,
diff --git a/services/issue/comments.go b/services/issue/comments.go
index 46c0daf70a336..1323fb47aa440 100644
--- a/services/issue/comments.go
+++ b/services/issue/comments.go
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ func UpdateComment(ctx context.Context, c *issues_model.Comment, doer *user_mode
 
 // DeleteComment deletes the comment
 func DeleteComment(ctx context.Context, doer *user_model.User, comment *issues_model.Comment) error {
-	err := db.AutoTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
+	err := db.WithTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return issues_model.DeleteComment(ctx, comment)
 	})
 	if err != nil {