diff --git a/keyserver/src/database/migrations.js b/keyserver/src/database/migrations.js
index dba7e1500..b24c31131 100644
--- a/keyserver/src/database/migrations.js
+++ b/keyserver/src/database/migrations.js
@@ -1,94 +1,111 @@
 // @flow
 
 import type { QueryResults } from 'mysql';
 
 import { isDev } from 'lib/utils/dev-utils.js';
 import { getMessageForException } from 'lib/utils/errors.js';
 import sleep from 'lib/utils/sleep.js';
 
 import {
   dbQuery,
   SQL,
   setConnectionContext,
   MYSQL_TABLE_DOESNT_EXIST_ERROR_CODE,
 } from './database.js';
 import { fetchDBVersion, updateDBVersion } from './db-version.js';
 import { migrations } from './migration-config.js';
 import { setupDB } from './setup-db.js';
 
 async function migrate(): Promise<boolean> {
   if (isDev) {
     await sleep(5000);
   }
 
   let dbVersion = null;
   try {
     dbVersion = await setUpDBAndReturnVersion();
     console.log(`(node:${process.pid}) DB version: ${dbVersion}`);
   } catch (e) {
     const dbVersionExceptionMessage = String(getMessageForException(e));
     console.error(`(node:${process.pid}) ${dbVersionExceptionMessage}`);
     return false;
   }
 
   setConnectionContext({ migrationsActive: true });
   for (const {
     version: idx,
     migrationPromise: migration,
+    migrationType,
   } of migrations.values()) {
     if (idx <= dbVersion) {
       continue;
     }
 
     try {
-      await startTransaction();
+      if (
+        !migrationType ||
+        migrationType === 'wrap_in_transaction_and_block_requests'
+      ) {
+        await startTransaction();
+      }
       await migration();
       await updateDBVersion(idx);
-      await commitTransaction();
+      if (
+        !migrationType ||
+        migrationType === 'wrap_in_transaction_and_block_requests'
+      ) {
+        await commitTransaction();
+      }
       console.log(`(node:${process.pid}) migration ${idx} succeeded.`);
     } catch (e) {
       const transactionExceptionMessage = String(getMessageForException(e));
       console.error(`(node:${process.pid}) migration ${idx} failed.`);
       console.error(transactionExceptionMessage);
-      await rollbackTransaction();
+
+      if (
+        !migrationType ||
+        migrationType === 'wrap_in_transaction_and_block_requests'
+      ) {
+        await rollbackTransaction();
+      }
       return false;
     }
   }
   setConnectionContext({ migrationsActive: false });
   return true;
 }
 
 async function setUpDBAndReturnVersion(): Promise<number> {
   try {
     return await fetchDBVersion();
   } catch (e) {
     if (e.errno !== MYSQL_TABLE_DOESNT_EXIST_ERROR_CODE) {
       throw e;
     }
     await setupDB();
     return await fetchDBVersion();
   }
 }
 
 async function startTransaction(): Promise<QueryResults> {
   const beginTxnQuery = SQL`
         START TRANSACTION;
       `;
   return dbQuery(beginTxnQuery);
 }
 
 async function commitTransaction(): Promise<QueryResults> {
   const endTxnQuery = SQL`
         COMMIT;
       `;
   return dbQuery(endTxnQuery);
 }
 
 async function rollbackTransaction(): Promise<QueryResults> {
   const rollbackTxnQuery = SQL`
         ROLLBACK;
       `;
   return dbQuery(rollbackTxnQuery);
 }
 
 export { migrate };