diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/UpdateAutoTimestamp.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/UpdateAutoTimestamp.java
index 6e3114ba9..fcd254d7e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/UpdateAutoTimestamp.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/UpdateAutoTimestamp.java
@@ -15,8 +15,12 @@
 package google.registry.model;
 
 import static google.registry.persistence.transaction.TransactionManagerFactory.jpaTm;
+import static google.registry.persistence.transaction.TransactionManagerFactory.ofyTm;
 import static google.registry.util.DateTimeUtils.START_OF_TIME;
+import static org.joda.time.DateTimeZone.UTC;
 
+import com.google.common.flogger.FluentLogger;
+import com.google.common.flogger.StackSize;
 import com.googlecode.objectify.annotation.Ignore;
 import com.googlecode.objectify.annotation.OnLoad;
 import google.registry.model.translators.UpdateAutoTimestampTranslatorFactory;
@@ -40,6 +44,8 @@ import org.joda.time.DateTime;
 @Embeddable
 public class UpdateAutoTimestamp extends ImmutableObject {
 
+  private static final FluentLogger logger = FluentLogger.forEnclosingClass();
+
   // When set to true, database converters/translators should do the auto update.  When set to
   // false, auto update should be suspended (this exists to allow us to preserve the original value
   // during a replay).
@@ -57,7 +63,16 @@ public class UpdateAutoTimestamp extends ImmutableObject {
   @PrePersist
   @PreUpdate
   void setTimestamp() {
-    if (autoUpdateEnabled() || lastUpdateTime == null) {
+    // On the off chance that this is called outside of a transaction, log it instead of failing
+    // with an exception from attempting to call jpaTm().getTransactionTime(), and then fall back
+    // to DateTime.now(UTC).
+    if (!jpaTm().inTransaction()) {
+      logger.atSevere().withStackTrace(StackSize.MEDIUM).log(
+          "Failed to update automatic timestamp because this wasn't called in a JPA transaction%s.",
+          ofyTm().inTransaction() ? " (but there is an open Ofy transaction)" : "");
+      timestamp = DateTime.now(UTC);
+      lastUpdateTime = DateTimeUtils.toZonedDateTime(timestamp);
+    } else if (autoUpdateEnabled() || lastUpdateTime == null) {
       timestamp = jpaTm().getTransactionTime();
       lastUpdateTime = DateTimeUtils.toZonedDateTime(timestamp);
     }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/registrar/RegistrarTest.java b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/registrar/RegistrarTest.java
index 94ad9b3de..0fb78f682 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/registrar/RegistrarTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/registrar/RegistrarTest.java
@@ -270,8 +270,8 @@ class RegistrarTest extends EntityTestCase {
     persistSimpleResource(
         new RegistrarContact.Builder()
             .setParent(registrar)
-            .setName("John Abused")
-            .setEmailAddress("johnabuse@example.com")
+            .setName("John Abussy")
+            .setEmailAddress("johnabussy@example.com")
             .setPhoneNumber("+1.2125551213")
             .setFaxNumber("+1.2125551213")
             // No setTypes(...)
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/schema/replay/SqlEntityTest.java b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/schema/replay/SqlEntityTest.java
index 03e155055..0bc61bb05 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/schema/replay/SqlEntityTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/schema/replay/SqlEntityTest.java
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ public class SqlEntityTest {
   final DatastoreEntityExtension datastoreEntityExtension = new DatastoreEntityExtension();
 
   @RegisterExtension
-  final AppEngineExtension database = new AppEngineExtension.Builder().withCloudSql().build();
+  final AppEngineExtension database =
+      new AppEngineExtension.Builder().withCloudSql().withoutCannedData().build();
 
   @BeforeEach
   void setup() throws Exception {
@@ -54,9 +55,10 @@ public class SqlEntityTest {
   @Test
   void getPrimaryKeyString_oneIdColumn() {
     // AppEngineExtension canned data: Registrar1
-    VKey<Registrar> key = Registrar.createVKey("NewRegistrar");
-    String expected = "NewRegistrar";
-    assertThat(tm().transact(() -> tm().loadByKey(key)).getPrimaryKeyString()).contains(expected);
+    assertThat(
+            tm().transact(() -> tm().loadByKey(Registrar.createVKey("NewRegistrar")))
+                .getPrimaryKeyString())
+        .contains("NewRegistrar");
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/testing/AppEngineExtension.java b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/testing/AppEngineExtension.java
index ea71c2c63..ce5954702 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/testing/AppEngineExtension.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/testing/AppEngineExtension.java
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkState;
 import static com.google.common.io.Files.asCharSink;
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertWithMessage;
 import static google.registry.persistence.transaction.TransactionManagerFactory.tm;
-import static google.registry.testing.DatabaseHelper.persistSimpleResources;
+import static google.registry.testing.DatabaseHelper.insertSimpleResources;
 import static google.registry.testing.DualDatabaseTestInvocationContextProvider.injectTmForDualDatabaseTest;
 import static google.registry.testing.DualDatabaseTestInvocationContextProvider.restoreTmAfterDualDatabaseTest;
 import static google.registry.util.PreconditionsUtils.checkArgumentNotNull;
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ public final class AppEngineExtension implements BeforeEachCallback, AfterEachCa
 
   /** Create some fake registrars. */
   public static void loadInitialData() {
-    persistSimpleResources(
+    insertSimpleResources(
         ImmutableList.of(
             makeRegistrar1(),
             makeRegistrarContact1(),
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/testing/DatabaseHelper.java b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/testing/DatabaseHelper.java
index 75272ff86..3b613a1cb 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/testing/DatabaseHelper.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/testing/DatabaseHelper.java
@@ -1205,19 +1205,27 @@ public class DatabaseHelper {
    * ForeignKeyedEppResources.
    */
   public static <R> ImmutableList<R> persistSimpleResources(final Iterable<R> resources) {
+    insertSimpleResources(resources);
+    return transactIfJpaTm(() -> tm().loadByEntities(resources));
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Like {@link #persistSimpleResources(Iterable)} but without reloading/returning the saved
+   * entities.
+   */
+  public static <R> void insertSimpleResources(final Iterable<R> resources) {
     tm().transact(
             () -> {
               if (alwaysSaveWithBackup) {
-                tm().putAll(ImmutableList.copyOf(resources));
+                tm().insertAll(ImmutableList.copyOf(resources));
               } else {
-                tm().putAllWithoutBackup(ImmutableList.copyOf(resources));
+                tm().insertAllWithoutBackup(ImmutableList.copyOf(resources));
               }
             });
     maybeAdvanceClock();
     // Force the session to be cleared so that when we read it back, we read from Datastore
     // and not from the transaction's session cache.
     tm().clearSessionCache();
-    return transactIfJpaTm(() -> tm().loadByEntities(resources));
   }
 
   public static void deleteResource(final Object resource) {