diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/registry/RegistryLockDao.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/registry/RegistryLockDao.java
index 88e434587..1b88fff59 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/registry/RegistryLockDao.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/registry/RegistryLockDao.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ public final class RegistryLockDao {
                           Long.class)
                       .setParameter("verificationCode", verificationCode)
                       .getSingleResult();
+              // TODO(gbrodman): Don't throw NPE here. Maybe NoResultException fits better?
               checkNotNull(revisionId, "No registry lock with this code");
               return em.find(RegistryLock.class, revisionId);
             });
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/transaction/JpaTransactionManagerImpl.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/transaction/JpaTransactionManagerImpl.java
index faab1e9e9..9d5e18042 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/transaction/JpaTransactionManagerImpl.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/model/transaction/JpaTransactionManagerImpl.java
@@ -79,17 +79,14 @@ public class JpaTransactionManagerImpl implements JpaTransactionManager {
       T result = work.run();
       txn.commit();
       return result;
-    } catch (Throwable transactionException) {
-      String rollbackMessage;
+    } catch (RuntimeException e) {
       try {
         txn.rollback();
-        rollbackMessage = "transaction rolled back";
+        logger.atWarning().log("Error during transaction; transaction rolled back");
       } catch (Throwable rollbackException) {
-        logger.atSevere().withCause(rollbackException).log("Rollback failed, suppressing error");
-        rollbackMessage = "transaction rollback failed";
+        logger.atSevere().withCause(rollbackException).log("Rollback failed; suppressing error");
       }
-      throw new PersistenceException(
-          "Error during transaction, " + rollbackMessage, transactionException);
+      throw e;
     } finally {
       txnInfo.clear();
     }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/registry/RegistryLockDaoTest.java b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/registry/RegistryLockDaoTest.java
index c69203404..06d63fe90 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/registry/RegistryLockDaoTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/registry/RegistryLockDaoTest.java
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import google.registry.schema.domain.RegistryLock.Action;
 import google.registry.testing.AppEngineRule;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.UUID;
-import javax.persistence.PersistenceException;
 import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
@@ -54,15 +53,11 @@ public final class RegistryLockDaoTest {
   public void testSaveAndLoad_failure_differentCode() {
     RegistryLock lock = createLock();
     RegistryLockDao.save(lock);
-    PersistenceException exception =
+    NullPointerException thrown =
         assertThrows(
-            PersistenceException.class,
+            NullPointerException.class,
             () -> RegistryLockDao.getByVerificationCode(UUID.randomUUID().toString()));
-    assertThat(exception)
-        .hasCauseThat()
-        .hasMessageThat()
-        .isEqualTo("No registry lock with this code");
-    assertThat(exception).hasCauseThat().isInstanceOf(NullPointerException.class);
+    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().isEqualTo("No registry lock with this code");
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/tmch/ClaimsListDaoTest.java b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/tmch/ClaimsListDaoTest.java
index c238f8efe..17beda3df 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/tmch/ClaimsListDaoTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/model/tmch/ClaimsListDaoTest.java
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import google.registry.model.transaction.JpaTransactionManagerRule;
 import google.registry.schema.tmch.ClaimsList;
 import google.registry.testing.FakeClock;
 import javax.persistence.NoResultException;
-import javax.persistence.PersistenceException;
 import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
@@ -71,9 +70,7 @@ public class ClaimsListDaoTest {
 
   @Test
   public void getCurrent_throwsNoResultExceptionIfTableIsEmpty() {
-    PersistenceException thrown =
-        assertThrows(PersistenceException.class, () -> ClaimsListDao.getCurrent());
-    assertThat(thrown).hasCauseThat().isInstanceOf(NoResultException.class);
+    assertThrows(NoResultException.class, ClaimsListDao::getCurrent);
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/persistence/CurrencyUnitConverterTest.java b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/persistence/CurrencyUnitConverterTest.java
index 6f1b5b97c..cca8315ed 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/persistence/CurrencyUnitConverterTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/persistence/CurrencyUnitConverterTest.java
@@ -75,11 +75,7 @@ public class CurrencyUnitConverterTest {
                 jpaTm()
                     .transact(
                         () -> jpaTm().getEntityManager().find(TestEntity.class, "id").currency));
-    assertThat(thrown)
-        .hasCauseThat()
-        .hasCauseThat()
-        .hasMessageThat()
-        .isEqualTo("Unknown currency 'XXXX'");
+    assertThat(thrown).hasCauseThat().hasMessageThat().isEqualTo("Unknown currency 'XXXX'");
   }
 
   @Entity(name = "TestEntity") // Override entity name to avoid the nested class reference.
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/schema/tld/PremiumListDaoTest.java b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/schema/tld/PremiumListDaoTest.java
index 21e3d366e..1b37ad68e 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/schema/tld/PremiumListDaoTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/schema/tld/PremiumListDaoTest.java
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import static google.registry.testing.JUnitBackports.assertThrows;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
 import google.registry.model.transaction.JpaTransactionManagerRule;
 import java.math.BigDecimal;
-import javax.persistence.PersistenceException;
 import org.joda.money.CurrencyUnit;
 import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -68,16 +67,13 @@ public class PremiumListDaoTest {
   @Test
   public void saveNew_throwsWhenPremiumListAlreadyExists() {
     PremiumListDao.saveNew(PremiumList.create("testlist", CurrencyUnit.USD, TEST_PRICES));
-    PersistenceException thrown =
+    IllegalArgumentException thrown =
         assertThrows(
-            PersistenceException.class,
+            IllegalArgumentException.class,
             () ->
                 PremiumListDao.saveNew(
                     PremiumList.create("testlist", CurrencyUnit.USD, TEST_PRICES)));
-    assertThat(thrown)
-        .hasCauseThat()
-        .hasMessageThat()
-        .contains("A premium list of this name already exists");
+    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().contains("A premium list of this name already exists");
   }
 
   @Test