diff --git a/lib/database_cleaner/active_record/transaction.rb b/lib/database_cleaner/active_record/transaction.rb
index e7b4990..ee96ffb 100644
--- a/lib/database_cleaner/active_record/transaction.rb
+++ b/lib/database_cleaner/active_record/transaction.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ module DatabaseCleaner::ActiveRecord
     include ::DatabaseCleaner::Generic::Transaction
 
     def start
+      # Hack to make sure that the connection is properly setup for
+      # the clean code.
+      connection_class.connection.transaction
+
       if connection_maintains_transaction_count?
         if connection_class.connection.respond_to?(:increment_open_transactions)
           connection_class.connection.increment_open_transactions
diff --git a/spec/database_cleaner/active_record/transaction_spec.rb b/spec/database_cleaner/active_record/transaction_spec.rb
index 25aff0d..de70d7d 100644
--- a/spec/database_cleaner/active_record/transaction_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/database_cleaner/active_record/transaction_spec.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ module DatabaseCleaner
         [:begin_transaction, :begin_db_transaction].each do |begin_transaction_method|
           context "using #{begin_transaction_method}" do
             before do
+              connection.stub(:transaction)
               connection.stub(begin_transaction_method)
               connection.stub(:respond_to?).with(:begin_transaction).and_return(:begin_transaction == begin_transaction_method)
             end
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ module DatabaseCleaner
               connection.stub(:respond_to?).with(:increment_open_transactions).and_return(true)
               connection.stub(:increment_open_transactions)
               connection.should_receive(begin_transaction_method)
+              connection.should_receive(:transaction)
               Transaction.new.start
             end
           end