diff --git a/api/src/org/labkey/api/data/DbScope.java b/api/src/org/labkey/api/data/DbScope.java
index 2166b10ab93..f285639b652 100644
--- a/api/src/org/labkey/api/data/DbScope.java
+++ b/api/src/org/labkey/api/data/DbScope.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 import org.labkey.api.util.GUID;
 import org.labkey.api.util.MemTracker;
 import org.labkey.api.util.TestContext;
+import org.labkey.api.util.UnexpectedException;
 import org.labkey.data.xml.TablesDocument;
 import org.springframework.dao.DeadlockLoserDataAccessException;
 
@@ -636,6 +637,11 @@ public <T extends Throwable> void rethrow(Class<T> clazz) throws T
             if (clazz.isAssignableFrom(getCause().getClass()))
                 throw (T)getCause();
         }
+
+        public <T extends Throwable> void throwRuntimeException() throws RuntimeException
+        {
+            throw UnexpectedException.wrap(getCause());
+        }
     }
 
     /** Won't retry if we're already in a transaction
diff --git a/query/src/org/labkey/query/controllers/QueryController.java b/query/src/org/labkey/query/controllers/QueryController.java
index c1edbe070ce..0c752768459 100644
--- a/query/src/org/labkey/query/controllers/QueryController.java
+++ b/query/src/org/labkey/query/controllers/QueryController.java
@@ -2375,33 +2375,44 @@ public boolean handlePost(QueryForm form, BindException errors) throws Exception
             }
 
             DbSchema dbSchema = table.getSchema();
-            dbSchema.getScope().executeWithRetry(tx ->
+            try
             {
-                try
-                {
-                    updateService.deleteRows(getUser(), getContainer(), keyValues, null, null);
-                }
-                catch (SQLException x)
-                {
-                    if (!RuntimeSQLException.isConstraintException(x))
-                        throw new RuntimeSQLException(x);
-                    errors.reject(ERROR_MSG, getMessage(table.getSchema().getSqlDialect(), x));
-                }
-                catch (DataIntegrityViolationException | OptimisticConflictException e)
+                dbSchema.getScope().executeWithRetry(tx ->
                 {
-                    errors.reject(ERROR_MSG, e.getMessage());
-                }
-                catch (BatchValidationException x)
-                {
-                    x.addToErrors(errors);
-                }
-                catch (Exception x)
-                {
-                    errors.reject(ERROR_MSG, null == x.getMessage() ? x.toString() : x.getMessage());
-                    ExceptionUtil.logExceptionToMothership(getViewContext().getRequest(), x);
-                }
-                return !errors.hasErrors();
-            });
+                    try
+                    {
+                        updateService.deleteRows(getUser(), getContainer(), keyValues, null, null);
+                    }
+                    catch (SQLException x)
+                    {
+                        if (!RuntimeSQLException.isConstraintException(x))
+                            throw new RuntimeSQLException(x);
+                        errors.reject(ERROR_MSG, getMessage(table.getSchema().getSqlDialect(), x));
+                    }
+                    catch (DataIntegrityViolationException | OptimisticConflictException e)
+                    {
+                        errors.reject(ERROR_MSG, e.getMessage());
+                    }
+                    catch (BatchValidationException x)
+                    {
+                        x.addToErrors(errors);
+                    }
+                    catch (Exception x)
+                    {
+                        errors.reject(ERROR_MSG, null == x.getMessage() ? x.toString() : x.getMessage());
+                        ExceptionUtil.logExceptionToMothership(getViewContext().getRequest(), x);
+                    }
+                    // need to throw here to avoid committing tx
+                    if (errors.hasErrors())
+                        throw new DbScope.RetryException(errors);
+                    return true;
+                });
+            }
+            catch (DbScope.RetryException x)
+            {
+                if (x.getCause() != errors)
+                    x.throwRuntimeException();
+            }
             return !errors.hasErrors();
         }