diff --git a/includes/filerepo/file/LocalFile.php b/includes/filerepo/file/LocalFile.php
index 2630193e66d..695c4e9eab4 100644
--- a/includes/filerepo/file/LocalFile.php
+++ b/includes/filerepo/file/LocalFile.php
@@ -1154,7 +1154,9 @@ class LocalFile extends File {
 		$logId = $log->addEntry( $action, $descTitle, $comment, array(), $user );
 
 		wfProfileIn( __METHOD__ . '-edit' );
-		if ( $descTitle->exists() ) {
+		$exists = $descTitle->exists();
+
+		if ( $exists ) {
 			# Create a null revision
 			$latest = $descTitle->getLatestRevID();
 			$nullRevision = Revision::newNullRevision(
@@ -1169,6 +1171,15 @@ class LocalFile extends File {
 				wfRunHooks( 'NewRevisionFromEditComplete', array( $wikiPage, $nullRevision, $latest, $user ) );
 				$wikiPage->updateRevisionOn( $dbw, $nullRevision );
 			}
+		}
+
+		# Commit the transaction now, in case something goes wrong later
+		# The most important thing is that files don't get lost, especially archives
+		# NOTE: once we have support for nested transactions, the commit may be moved
+		#       to after $wikiPage->doEdit has been called.
+		$dbw->commit( __METHOD__ );
+
+		if ( $exists ) {
 			# Invalidate the cache for the description page
 			$descTitle->invalidateCache();
 			$descTitle->purgeSquid();
@@ -1178,16 +1189,18 @@ class LocalFile extends File {
 			# Squid and file cache for the description page are purged by doEdit.
 			$status = $wikiPage->doEdit( $pageText, $comment, EDIT_NEW | EDIT_SUPPRESS_RC, false, $user );
 
-			if ( isset( $status->value['revision'] ) ) {
-				$dbw->update( 'logging', array( 'log_page' => $status->value['revision']->getPage() ), array( 'log_id' => $logId ), __METHOD__ );
+			if ( isset( $status->value['revision'] ) ) { // XXX; doEdit() uses a transaction
+				$dbw->begin();
+				$dbw->update( 'logging',
+					array( 'log_page' => $status->value['revision']->getPage() ),
+					array( 'log_id' => $logId ),
+					__METHOD__
+				);
+				$dbw->commit(); // commit before anything bad can happen
 			}
 		}
 		wfProfileOut( __METHOD__ . '-edit' );
 
-		# Commit the transaction now, in case something goes wrong later
-		# The most important thing is that files don't get lost, especially archives
-		$dbw->commit( __METHOD__ );
-
 		# Save to cache and purge the squid
 		# We shall not saveToCache before the commit since otherwise
 		# in case of a rollback there is an usable file from memcached