diff --git a/lib/filestorage/file_storage.php b/lib/filestorage/file_storage.php
index edac5a52517..08013e03aec 100644
--- a/lib/filestorage/file_storage.php
+++ b/lib/filestorage/file_storage.php
@@ -1260,6 +1260,8 @@ class file_storage {
             $filerecord->timemodified = $now;
         }
 
+        $transaction = $DB->start_delegated_transaction();
+
         // Insert file reference record.
         try {
             $referencerecord = new stdClass;
@@ -1292,6 +1294,8 @@ class file_storage {
 
         $this->create_directory($filerecord->contextid, $filerecord->component, $filerecord->filearea, $filerecord->itemid, $filerecord->filepath, $filerecord->userid);
 
+        $transaction->allow_commit();
+
         // Adding repositoryid and reference to file record to create stored_file instance
         $filerecord->repositoryid = $repositoryid;
         $filerecord->reference = $reference;
diff --git a/lib/filestorage/stored_file.php b/lib/filestorage/stored_file.php
index a17d45fef5a..c9367160fe6 100644
--- a/lib/filestorage/stored_file.php
+++ b/lib/filestorage/stored_file.php
@@ -205,6 +205,8 @@ class stored_file {
         // Remove repository info.
         $this->repository = null;
 
+        $transaction = $DB->start_delegated_transaction();
+
         // Remove reference info from DB.
         $DB->delete_records('files_reference', array('id'=>$this->file_record->referencefileid));
 
@@ -216,6 +218,8 @@ class stored_file {
         $filerecord->referencefileid = null;
         $this->update($filerecord);
 
+        $transaction->allow_commit();
+
         // unset object variable
         unset($this->file_record->repositoryid);
         unset($this->file_record->reference);
@@ -247,6 +251,9 @@ class stored_file {
      */
     public function delete() {
         global $DB;
+
+        $transaction = $DB->start_delegated_transaction();
+
         // If other files referring to this file, we need convert them
         if ($files = $this->fs->get_references_by_storedfile($this)) {
             foreach ($files as $file) {
@@ -256,6 +263,9 @@ class stored_file {
         // Now delete file records in DB
         $DB->delete_records('files', array('id'=>$this->file_record->id));
         $DB->delete_records('files_reference', array('id'=>$this->file_record->referencefileid));
+
+        $transaction->allow_commit();
+
         // moves pool file to trash if content not needed any more
         $this->fs->deleted_file_cleanup($this->file_record->contenthash);
         return true; // BC only