diff --git a/lightningd/jsonrpc.c b/lightningd/jsonrpc.c
index d86e3bb05..4961b2dc4 100644
--- a/lightningd/jsonrpc.c
+++ b/lightningd/jsonrpc.c
@@ -774,11 +774,6 @@ REGISTER_SINGLE_PLUGIN_HOOK(rpc_command,
 			    rpc_command_hook_serialize,
 			    struct rpc_command_hook_payload *);
 
-static void call_rpc_command_hook(struct rpc_command_hook_payload *p)
-{
-	plugin_hook_call_rpc_command(p->cmd->ld, p);
-}
-
 /* We return struct command_result so command_fail return value has a natural
  * sink; we don't actually use the result. */
 static struct command_result *
@@ -787,6 +782,7 @@ parse_request(struct json_connection *jcon, const jsmntok_t tok[])
 	const jsmntok_t *method, *id, *params;
 	struct command *c;
 	struct rpc_command_hook_payload *rpc_hook;
+	bool completed;
 
 	if (tok[0].type != JSMN_OBJECT) {
 		json_command_malformed(jcon, "null",
@@ -850,11 +846,15 @@ parse_request(struct json_connection *jcon, const jsmntok_t tok[])
 	/* Duplicate since we might outlive the connection */
 	rpc_hook->buffer = tal_dup_talarr(rpc_hook, char, jcon->buffer);
 	rpc_hook->request = tal_dup_talarr(rpc_hook, jsmntok_t, tok);
-	/* Prevent a race between was_pending and still_pending */
-	new_reltimer(c->ld->timers, rpc_hook, time_from_msec(1),
-	             call_rpc_command_hook, rpc_hook);
 
-	return command_still_pending(c);
+	db_begin_transaction(jcon->ld->wallet->db);
+	completed = plugin_hook_call_rpc_command(jcon->ld, rpc_hook);
+	db_commit_transaction(jcon->ld->wallet->db);
+
+	/* If it's deferred, mark it (otherwise, it's completed) */
+	if (!completed)
+		return command_still_pending(c);
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 /* Mutual recursion */
diff --git a/lightningd/test/run-jsonrpc.c b/lightningd/test/run-jsonrpc.c
index 111c2f7bf..8f296aeb8 100644
--- a/lightningd/test/run-jsonrpc.c
+++ b/lightningd/test/run-jsonrpc.c
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ size_t bigsize_get(const u8 *p UNNEEDED, size_t max UNNEEDED, bigsize_t *val UNN
 /* Generated stub for bigsize_put */
 size_t bigsize_put(u8 buf[BIGSIZE_MAX_LEN] UNNEEDED, bigsize_t v UNNEEDED)
 { fprintf(stderr, "bigsize_put called!\n"); abort(); }
+/* Generated stub for db_begin_transaction_ */
+void db_begin_transaction_(struct db *db UNNEEDED, const char *location UNNEEDED)
+{ fprintf(stderr, "db_begin_transaction_ called!\n"); abort(); }
+/* Generated stub for db_commit_transaction */
+void db_commit_transaction(struct db *db UNNEEDED)
+{ fprintf(stderr, "db_commit_transaction called!\n"); abort(); }
 /* Generated stub for fatal */
 void   fatal(const char *fmt UNNEEDED, ...)
 { fprintf(stderr, "fatal called!\n"); abort(); }