diff --git a/src/blockchain_db/berkeleydb/db_bdb.cpp b/src/blockchain_db/berkeleydb/db_bdb.cpp
index 137ed9dc6..57d8371bd 100644
--- a/src/blockchain_db/berkeleydb/db_bdb.cpp
+++ b/src/blockchain_db/berkeleydb/db_bdb.cpp
@@ -1813,9 +1813,10 @@ bool BlockchainBDB::has_key_image(const crypto::key_image& img) const
 // Ostensibly BerkeleyDB has batch transaction support built-in,
 // so the following few functions will be NOP.
 
-void BlockchainBDB::batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks)
+bool BlockchainBDB::batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks)
 {
     LOG_PRINT_L3("BlockchainBDB::" << __func__);
+    return false;
 }
 
 void BlockchainBDB::batch_commit()
diff --git a/src/blockchain_db/berkeleydb/db_bdb.h b/src/blockchain_db/berkeleydb/db_bdb.h
index f320ab0e3..266e780c6 100644
--- a/src/blockchain_db/berkeleydb/db_bdb.h
+++ b/src/blockchain_db/berkeleydb/db_bdb.h
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ public:
                             );
 
   virtual void set_batch_transactions(bool batch_transactions);
-  virtual void batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks=0);
+  virtual bool batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks=0);
   virtual void batch_commit();
   virtual void batch_stop();
   virtual void batch_abort();
diff --git a/src/blockchain_db/blockchain_db.h b/src/blockchain_db/blockchain_db.h
index 91c388de6..81380b56d 100644
--- a/src/blockchain_db/blockchain_db.h
+++ b/src/blockchain_db/blockchain_db.h
@@ -655,16 +655,17 @@ public:
    * been called.  In either case, it should end the batch and write to its
    * backing store.
    *
-   * If a batch is already in-progress, this function should throw a DB_ERROR.
-   * This exception may change in the future if it is deemed necessary to
-   * have a more granular exception type for this scenario.
+   * If a batch is already in-progress, this function must return false.
+   * If a batch was started by this call, it must return true.
    *
    * If any of this cannot be done, the subclass should throw the corresponding
    * subclass of DB_EXCEPTION
    *
    * @param batch_num_blocks number of blocks to batch together
+   *
+   * @return true if we started the batch, false if already started
    */
-  virtual void batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks=0) = 0;
+  virtual bool batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks=0) = 0;
 
   /**
    * @brief ends a batch transaction
diff --git a/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.cpp b/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.cpp
index 1ad9876ac..7a6fbf1df 100644
--- a/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.cpp
+++ b/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.cpp
@@ -2234,15 +2234,15 @@ bool BlockchainLMDB::for_all_outputs(std::function<bool(uint64_t amount, const c
 }
 
 // batch_num_blocks: (optional) Used to check if resize needed before batch transaction starts.
-void BlockchainLMDB::batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks)
+bool BlockchainLMDB::batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks)
 {
   LOG_PRINT_L3("BlockchainLMDB::" << __func__);
   if (! m_batch_transactions)
     throw0(DB_ERROR("batch transactions not enabled"));
   if (m_batch_active)
-    throw0(DB_ERROR("batch transaction already in progress"));
+    return false;
   if (m_write_batch_txn != nullptr)
-    throw0(DB_ERROR("batch transaction already in progress"));
+    return false;
   if (m_write_txn)
     throw0(DB_ERROR("batch transaction attempted, but m_write_txn already in use"));
   check_open();
@@ -2268,6 +2268,7 @@ void BlockchainLMDB::batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks)
   memset(&m_wcursors, 0, sizeof(m_wcursors));
 
   LOG_PRINT_L3("batch transaction: begin");
+  return true;
 }
 
 void BlockchainLMDB::batch_commit()
diff --git a/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.h b/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.h
index 6db5abca1..bb4a52885 100644
--- a/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.h
+++ b/src/blockchain_db/lmdb/db_lmdb.h
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ public:
                             );
 
   virtual void set_batch_transactions(bool batch_transactions);
-  virtual void batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks=0);
+  virtual bool batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks=0);
   virtual void batch_commit();
   virtual void batch_stop();
   virtual void batch_abort();
diff --git a/src/blockchain_utilities/fake_core.h b/src/blockchain_utilities/fake_core.h
index ba1c2ed72..814139602 100644
--- a/src/blockchain_utilities/fake_core.h
+++ b/src/blockchain_utilities/fake_core.h
@@ -119,9 +119,9 @@ struct fake_core_db
     return m_storage.get_db().add_block(blk, block_size, cumulative_difficulty, coins_generated, txs);
   }
 
-  void batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks = 0)
+  bool batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks = 0)
   {
-    m_storage.get_db().batch_start(batch_num_blocks);
+    return m_storage.get_db().batch_start(batch_num_blocks);
   }
 
   void batch_stop()
diff --git a/src/cryptonote_core/blockchain.cpp b/src/cryptonote_core/blockchain.cpp
index 42279184a..b4ed06bc0 100644
--- a/src/cryptonote_core/blockchain.cpp
+++ b/src/cryptonote_core/blockchain.cpp
@@ -3377,9 +3377,10 @@ bool Blockchain::add_new_block(const block& bl_, block_verification_context& bvc
 void Blockchain::check_against_checkpoints(const checkpoints& points, bool enforce)
 {
   const auto& pts = points.get_points();
+  bool stop_batch;
 
   CRITICAL_REGION_LOCAL(m_blockchain_lock);
-  m_db->batch_start();
+  stop_batch = m_db->batch_start();
   for (const auto& pt : pts)
   {
     // if the checkpoint is for a block we don't have yet, move on
@@ -3403,7 +3404,8 @@ void Blockchain::check_against_checkpoints(const checkpoints& points, bool enfor
       }
     }
   }
-  m_db->batch_stop();
+  if (stop_batch)
+    m_db->batch_stop();
 }
 //------------------------------------------------------------------
 // returns false if any of the checkpoints loading returns false.
@@ -3477,6 +3479,7 @@ bool Blockchain::cleanup_handle_incoming_blocks(bool force_sync)
   CRITICAL_REGION_LOCAL(m_blockchain_lock);
   TIME_MEASURE_START(t1);
 
+  m_db->batch_stop();
   if (m_sync_counter > 0)
   {
     if (force_sync)
@@ -3546,6 +3549,8 @@ bool Blockchain::prepare_handle_incoming_blocks(const std::list<block_complete_e
   if(blocks_entry.size() == 0)
     return false;
 
+  m_db->batch_start(blocks_entry.size());
+
   if ((m_db->height() + blocks_entry.size()) < m_blocks_hash_check.size())
     return true;
 
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/hardfork.cpp b/tests/unit_tests/hardfork.cpp
index be2885f45..a854b7b52 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/hardfork.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/hardfork.cpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public:
   virtual std::string get_db_name() const { return std::string(); }
   virtual bool lock() { return true; }
   virtual void unlock() { }
-  virtual void batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks=0) {}
+  virtual bool batch_start(uint64_t batch_num_blocks=0) {}
   virtual void batch_stop() {}
   virtual void set_batch_transactions(bool) {}
   virtual void block_txn_start(bool readonly=false) {}