diff --git a/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkIntegrationIT.java b/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkIntegrationIT.java
index 7da9d8613027f..088a3da08f051 100644
--- a/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkIntegrationIT.java
+++ b/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkIntegrationIT.java
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ public void testPrepareConflict() throws Exception {
         transportServiceIterable.forEach(ts -> ((MockTransportService) ts).addSendBehavior(new StubbableTransport.SendRequestBehavior() {
             @Override
             public void sendRequest(Transport.Connection connection, long requestId, String action, TransportRequest request, TransportRequestOptions options) throws IOException {
-                if (action.startsWith(ShardPrepareCommitAction.NAME)) {
+                if (action.equals(ShardPrepareCommitAction.NAME)) {
                     txes.add(((ShardPrepareCommitRequest) request).txid());
                     new Thread(() -> {
                         try {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java
index e5d12eecb0241..5a0907ef34d15 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.action.index.MappingUpdatedAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.action.shard.ShardStateAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.service.ClusterService;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.UUIDs;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesReference;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.compress.CompressedXContent;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
@@ -81,7 +80,6 @@ public class TransportShardBulkAction extends TransportWriteAction<BulkShardRequ
 
     private final UpdateHelper updateHelper;
     private final MappingUpdatedAction mappingUpdatedAction;
-    private static final ShardTransactionRegistry transactionRegistry = new ShardTransactionRegistry();
 
     @Inject
     public TransportShardBulkAction(
@@ -177,8 +175,14 @@ public static void performOnPrimary(
         ThreadPool threadPool,
         String executorName
     ) {
-        primary.registerTransaction(request.txID(),
-            Arrays.stream(request.items()).map(BulkItemRequest::request).map(DocWriteRequest::id).collect(Collectors.toSet()));
+        Translog.Location[] transactionId = new Translog.Location[1];
+        try {
+            transactionId[0] = primary.startTransaction(request.txID(),
+                Arrays.stream(request.items()).map(BulkItemRequest::request).map(DocWriteRequest::id).collect(Collectors.toSet()));
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            assert false;
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
+        }
         new ActionRunnable<>(listener) {
 
             private final Executor executor = threadPool.executor(executorName);
@@ -189,11 +193,7 @@ public static void performOnPrimary(
 
             @Override
             protected void doRun() throws Exception {
-                TxID txID1 = TxID.create();
-                Translog.Location[] transactionId = new Translog.Location[1];
                 try {
-                    transactionId[0] = primary.startTransaction(txID1.id());
-                    transactionRegistry.registerTransaction(txID1, Set.of(transactionId[0].id()));
 
                     while (context.hasMoreOperationsToExecute()) {
                         if (executeBulkItemRequest(
@@ -212,11 +212,12 @@ protected void doRun() throws Exception {
                         assert context.isInitial(); // either completed and moved to next or reset
                     }
 
-                    primary.commitTransaction(transactionId);
+                    primary.loggingComplete(request.txID(), transactionId[0]);
+                    transactionId[0] = primary.commitTransaction(request.txID());
+                    primary.closeTransaction(transactionId);
                 } catch (Exception x) {
                     logger.warn("Encountered an error while executing bulk transaction", x);
                     primary.rollbackTransaction(transactionId);
-                } finally {
                     primary.closeTransaction(transactionId);
                 }
                 primary.getBulkOperationListener().afterBulk(request.totalSizeInBytes(), System.nanoTime() - startBulkTime);
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java
index 902a09aa1d79a..12043ad805a5d 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.Lock;
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantLock;
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantReadWriteLock;
+import java.util.function.BiFunction;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
@@ -323,7 +324,8 @@ public Condition newCondition() {
 
     public abstract Translog.Location startTransaction(String id) throws IOException;
 
-    public abstract Translog.Location commitTransaction(Translog.Location prevId) throws IOException;
+    public abstract Translog.Location commitTransaction(Translog.Location prevId,
+                                                        Function<Translog.Operation, Engine.Result> applier) throws IOException;
 
     public abstract Translog.Location rollbackTransaction(Translog.Location prevId) throws IOException;
 
@@ -1312,6 +1314,7 @@ public Operation(Term uid, long seqNo, long primaryTerm, long version, VersionTy
         }
 
         public enum Origin {
+            TRANSACTION,
             PRIMARY,
             REPLICA,
             PEER_RECOVERY,
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/InternalEngine.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/InternalEngine.java
index cf2d01f6f0141..4dc28bbcd3264 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/InternalEngine.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/InternalEngine.java
@@ -2074,7 +2074,10 @@ public Translog.Location startTransaction(String id) throws IOException {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public Translog.Location commitTransaction(Translog.Location prevId) throws IOException {
+    public Translog.Location commitTransaction(Translog.Location prevId, Function<Translog.Operation, Engine.Result> applier) throws IOException {
+        Translog.Location commitLocation = translog.add(
+            new Translog.TxCommit(doGenerateSeqNoForOperation(new TxOp(System.nanoTime())), prevId));
+
         Translog.Location loc = prevId;
 
         while (loc != null) {
@@ -2087,6 +2090,8 @@ public Translog.Location commitTransaction(Translog.Location prevId) throws IOEx
             logger.info("Committing op " + op);
 
             if (op instanceof Translog.TransactionMember) {
+                // todo: lots of things here, but maybe this works for now...
+                applier.apply(op);
                 loc = ((Translog.TransactionMember)op).getTransactionId();
             } else if (op instanceof Translog.TxStart) {
                 break;
@@ -2096,8 +2101,7 @@ public Translog.Location commitTransaction(Translog.Location prevId) throws IOEx
             }
         }
 
-        return translog.add(
-            new Translog.TxCommit(doGenerateSeqNoForOperation(new TxOp(System.nanoTime())), prevId));
+        return commitLocation;
 
     }
 
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ReadOnlyEngine.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ReadOnlyEngine.java
index 55179a4575917..cde1d03566aac 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ReadOnlyEngine.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ReadOnlyEngine.java
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
+import java.util.function.BiFunction;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
@@ -533,7 +534,8 @@ public Translog.Location startTransaction(String id) throws IOException {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public Translog.Location commitTransaction(Translog.Location transactionId) throws IOException {
+    public Translog.Location commitTransaction(Translog.Location transactionId,
+                                               Function<Translog.Operation, Result> applier) throws IOException {
         return null;
     }
 
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/IndexShard.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/IndexShard.java
index 3660793ce3573..07d18ad40b63b 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/IndexShard.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/IndexShard.java
@@ -162,7 +162,6 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Deque;
 import java.util.EnumSet;
-import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -887,9 +886,15 @@ public Translog.Location startTransaction(String id) throws IOException {
         return getEngine().startTransaction(id);
     }
 
-    public boolean commitTransaction(Translog.Location[] transactionId) throws IOException {
-        transactionId[0] = getEngine().commitTransaction(transactionId[0]);
-        return true;
+    public Translog.Location commitTransaction(TxID txID) throws IOException {
+        return getEngine().commitTransaction(transactionRegistry.translogHead(txID), operation -> {
+            try {
+                return applyTranslogOperation(operation, Engine.Operation.Origin.TRANSACTION);
+            } catch (IOException e) {
+                assert false;
+                throw new RuntimeException(e);
+            }
+        });
     }
 
     public boolean rollbackTransaction(Translog.Location[] transactionId) throws IOException {
@@ -1613,6 +1618,10 @@ static Engine.Searcher wrapSearcher(
         ); // completes stats recording
     }
 
+    public void loggingComplete(TxID txID, Translog.Location headOfTranslogList) {
+        transactionRegistry.loggingComplete(txID, headOfTranslogList);
+    }
+
     private static final class NonClosingReaderWrapper extends FilterDirectoryReader {
 
         private NonClosingReaderWrapper(DirectoryReader in) throws IOException {
@@ -2150,6 +2159,8 @@ private void ensureWriteAllowed(Engine.Operation.Origin origin) throws IllegalIn
                 assert assertPrimaryMode();
             } else if (origin == Engine.Operation.Origin.REPLICA) {
                 assert assertReplicationTarget();
+            } else if (origin == Engine.Operation.Origin.TRANSACTION) {
+                // empty
             } else {
                 assert origin == Engine.Operation.Origin.LOCAL_RESET;
                 assert getActiveOperationsCount() == OPERATIONS_BLOCKED
@@ -4134,8 +4145,9 @@ RetentionLeaseSyncer getRetentionLeaseSyncer() {
         return retentionLeaseSyncer;
     }
 
-    public void registerTransaction(TxID id, Set<String> keys) {
+    public Translog.Location startTransaction(TxID id, Set<String> keys) throws IOException {
         transactionRegistry.registerTransaction(id, keys);
+        return getEngine().startTransaction(id.id());
     }
 
     public Map<TxID, Boolean> prepareCommit(TxID txID) {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/ShardTransactionRegistry.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/ShardTransactionRegistry.java
index aa08ab6f09981..f4a742783a1d9 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/ShardTransactionRegistry.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/ShardTransactionRegistry.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.index.shard;
 
 import org.elasticsearch.action.bulk.TxID;
+import org.elasticsearch.index.translog.Translog;
 
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@ public class ShardTransactionRegistry {
     private final Map<String, Set<TxID>> byKey = new HashMap<>();
     private final Map<TxID, Set<String>> byTxID = new HashMap<>();
     private final Map<TxID, Set<String>> conflictingKeysByTxID = new HashMap<>();
+    private final Map<TxID, Translog.Location> translogHeads = new HashMap<>();
+
     private final Set<TxID> prepared = new HashSet<>();
     // todo: less locking and perhaps totally different content...
     public synchronized void registerTransaction(TxID txID, Set<String> ids) {
@@ -37,6 +40,7 @@ public synchronized void registerTransaction(TxID txID, Set<String> ids) {
         assert invariant();
     }
 
+
     public synchronized void releaseTransaction(TxID txID) {
         byTxID.remove(txID).forEach(id -> cleanByKey(id, txID));
         prepared.remove(txID);
@@ -44,6 +48,12 @@ public synchronized void releaseTransaction(TxID txID) {
         assert invariant();
     }
 
+    public synchronized void loggingComplete(TxID txID, Translog.Location headOfTranslogList) {
+        assert translogHeads.containsKey(txID) == false;
+
+        translogHeads.put(txID, headOfTranslogList);
+    }
+
     public synchronized Map<TxID, Boolean> prepare(TxID txID) {
         assert byTxID.containsKey(txID);
         assert prepared.contains(txID) == false;
@@ -99,4 +109,8 @@ Set<String> keys(TxID txID) {
     public int size() {
         return byTxID.size();
     }
+
+    public Translog.Location translogHead(TxID txID) {
+        return translogHeads.get(txID);
+    }
 }