diff --git a/selda-sqlite/src/Database/Selda/SQLite.hs b/selda-sqlite/src/Database/Selda/SQLite.hs
index 352ff34..ad5bb4d 100644
--- a/selda-sqlite/src/Database/Selda/SQLite.hs
+++ b/selda-sqlite/src/Database/Selda/SQLite.hs
@@ -32,17 +32,18 @@ sqliteOpen :: (MonadIO m, MonadMask m) => FilePath -> m (SeldaConnection SQLite)
 #ifdef __HASTE__
 sqliteOpen _ = error "sqliteOpen called in JS context"
 #else
-sqliteOpen file = do
-  mask $ \restore -> do
-    edb <- try $ liftIO $ open (pack file)
-    case edb of
-      Left e@(SQLError{}) -> do
-        throwM (DbError (show e))
-      Right db -> flip onException (liftIO (close db)) . restore $ do
-        absFile <- liftIO $ pack <$> makeAbsolute file
-        let backend = sqliteBackend db
-        void . liftIO $ runStmt backend "PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON;" []
-        newConnection backend absFile
+sqliteOpen file =
+    bracketOnError acquire (liftIO . close) $ \db -> do
+      absFile <- liftIO $ pack <$> makeAbsolute file
+      let backend = sqliteBackend db
+      void . liftIO $ runStmt backend "PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON;" []
+      newConnection backend absFile
+  where
+    acquire = do
+      edb <- try $ liftIO $ open (pack file)
+      case edb of
+        Left e@(SQLError{}) -> throwM (DbError (show e))
+        Right db -> pure db
 #endif
 
 -- | Perform the given computation over an SQLite database.
diff --git a/selda-tests/selda-tests.cabal b/selda-tests/selda-tests.cabal
index 40ed106..953fefd 100644
--- a/selda-tests/selda-tests.cabal
+++ b/selda-tests/selda-tests.cabal
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ test-suite selda-testsuite
     , directory  >=1.2  && <1.4
     , exceptions >=0.8  && <0.11
     , HUnit      >=1.4  && <1.7
+    , mtl        >=2.0  && <2.4
     , selda
     , selda-json
     , text       >=1.1  && <2.1
diff --git a/selda-tests/test/Tests/Mutable.hs b/selda-tests/test/Tests/Mutable.hs
index dfec5be..8793153 100644
--- a/selda-tests/test/Tests/Mutable.hs
+++ b/selda-tests/test/Tests/Mutable.hs
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 module Tests.Mutable (mutableTests) where
 import Control.Concurrent
 import Control.Monad.Catch
+#if MIN_VERSION_mtl(2, 1, 1)
+import Control.Monad.Except (runExceptT, throwError)
+#endif
 import Data.ByteString (ByteString)
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as Lazy (ByteString)
 import Data.List hiding (groupBy, insert)
@@ -36,6 +39,9 @@ mutableTests freshEnv = test
   , "insert time values"             ~: freshEnv insertTime
   , "transaction completes"          ~: freshEnv transactionCompletes
   , "transaction rolls back"         ~: freshEnv transactionRollsBack
+#if MIN_VERSION_mtl(2, 1, 1)
+  , "transaction rolls back (ExceptT)"~: freshEnv transactionRollsBackExceptT
+#endif
   , "queries are consistent"         ~: freshEnv consistentQueries
   , "delete deletes"                 ~: freshEnv deleteDeletes
   , "delete everything"              ~: freshEnv deleteEverything
@@ -192,6 +198,31 @@ transactionRollsBack = do
     c1 = "チョロゴン"
     c2 = "メイド最高！"
 
+#if MIN_VERSION_mtl(2, 1, 1)
+transactionRollsBackExceptT :: SeldaM b ()
+transactionRollsBackExceptT = do
+  setup
+  res <- runExceptT $ transaction $ do
+    insert_ comments [(def, Just "Kobayashi", c1)]
+    insert_ comments
+      [ (def, Nothing, "more anonymous spam")
+      , (def, Just "Kobayashi", c2)
+      ]
+    throwError "nope"
+  case res of
+    Right _ ->
+      liftIO $ assertFailure "error didn't propagate"
+    Left (_ :: String) -> do
+      cs <- query $ do
+        t <- select comments
+        restrict (t!cName .== just "Kobayashi")
+        return (t!cComment)
+      assEq "commit was not rolled back" [] cs
+  where
+    c1 = "チョロゴン"
+    c2 = "メイド最高！"
+#endif
+
 consistentQueries = do
   setup
   a <- query q
diff --git a/selda/selda.cabal b/selda/selda.cabal
index 83a6fbf..9c1e44d 100644
--- a/selda/selda.cabal
+++ b/selda/selda.cabal
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ library
   build-depends:
       base       >=4.10 && <5
     , bytestring >=0.10 && <0.12
-    , exceptions >=0.8  && <0.11
+    , exceptions >=0.9  && <0.11
     , mtl        >=2.0  && <2.4
     , text       >=1.0  && <2.1
     , time       >=1.5  && <1.13
diff --git a/selda/src/Database/Selda/Backend/Internal.hs b/selda/src/Database/Selda/Backend/Internal.hs
index b52fafa..6eeb664 100644
--- a/selda/src/Database/Selda/Backend/Internal.hs
+++ b/selda/src/Database/Selda/Backend/Internal.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE GeneralizedNewtypeDeriving, CPP, TypeFamilies #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE FlexibleInstances, MultiParamTypeClasses, UndecidableInstances #-}
 -- | Internal backend API.
 --   Using anything exported from this module may or may not invalidate any
 --   safety guarantees made by Selda; use at your own peril.
@@ -42,9 +43,22 @@ import Data.Int (Int64)
 import Control.Concurrent ( newMVar, putMVar, takeMVar, MVar )
 import Control.Monad.Catch
     ( Exception, bracket, MonadCatch, MonadMask, MonadThrow(..) )
+import Control.Monad.Error.Class ( MonadError )
+#if MIN_VERSION_mtl(2, 1, 1)
+import Control.Monad.Except ( ExceptT(..), mapExceptT, runExceptT )
+#endif
 import Control.Monad.IO.Class ( MonadIO(..) )
 import Control.Monad.Reader
-    ( MonadTrans(..), when, ReaderT(..), MonadReader(ask) )
+    ( MonadTrans(..), when, ReaderT(..), MonadReader(ask, local, reader), mapReaderT )
+import Control.Monad.RWS.Class ( MonadRWS )
+import qualified Control.Monad.RWS.Lazy as Lazy ( RWST(..), mapRWST )
+import qualified Control.Monad.RWS.Strict as Strict ( RWST(..), mapRWST )
+import Control.Monad.State.Class ( MonadState )
+import qualified Control.Monad.State.Lazy as Lazy ( StateT(..), mapStateT )
+import qualified Control.Monad.State.Strict as Strict ( StateT(..), mapStateT )
+import Control.Monad.Writer.Class ( MonadWriter )
+import qualified Control.Monad.Writer.Lazy as Lazy ( WriterT(..), mapWriterT )
+import qualified Control.Monad.Writer.Strict as Strict ( WriterT(..), mapWriterT )
 import Data.Dynamic ( Typeable, Dynamic )
 import qualified Data.IntMap as M
 import Data.IORef
@@ -279,9 +293,18 @@ withBackend m = withConnection (m . connBackend)
 -- | Monad transformer adding Selda SQL capabilities.
 newtype SeldaT b m a = S {unS :: ReaderT (SeldaConnection b) m a}
   deriving ( Functor, Applicative, Monad, MonadIO
-           , MonadThrow, MonadCatch, MonadMask , MonadFail
+           , MonadThrow, MonadCatch, MonadMask, MonadFail
+           , MonadError e, MonadWriter w, MonadState s
+           , MonadRWS r w s
            )
 
+-- This instance has to be defined manually since we want to pass through
+-- SeldaT's ReaderT.
+instance MonadReader r m => MonadReader r (SeldaT b m) where
+  ask = lift ask
+  local = mapSeldaT . local
+  reader = lift . reader
+
 instance (MonadIO m, MonadMask m) => MonadSelda (SeldaT b m) where
   type Backend (SeldaT b m) = b
   withConnection m = S ask >>= m
@@ -289,6 +312,53 @@ instance (MonadIO m, MonadMask m) => MonadSelda (SeldaT b m) where
 instance MonadTrans (SeldaT b) where
   lift = S . lift
 
+instance MonadSelda m => MonadSelda (ReaderT r m) where
+  type Backend (ReaderT r m) = Backend m
+  withConnection f = ReaderT $ \r ->
+    withConnection (\conn -> runReaderT (f conn) r)
+  transact = mapReaderT transact
+
+instance (Monoid w, MonadSelda m) => MonadSelda (Lazy.WriterT w m) where
+  type Backend (Lazy.WriterT w m) = Backend m
+  withConnection f = Lazy.WriterT $ withConnection (Lazy.runWriterT . f)
+  transact = Lazy.mapWriterT transact
+
+instance (Monoid w, MonadSelda m) => MonadSelda (Strict.WriterT w m) where
+  type Backend (Strict.WriterT w m) = Backend m
+  withConnection f = Strict.WriterT $ withConnection (Strict.runWriterT . f)
+  transact = Strict.mapWriterT transact
+
+instance MonadSelda m => MonadSelda (Lazy.StateT s m) where
+  type Backend (Lazy.StateT s m) = Backend m
+  withConnection f = Lazy.StateT $ \s ->
+    withConnection (\conn -> Lazy.runStateT (f conn) s)
+  transact = Lazy.mapStateT transact
+
+instance MonadSelda m => MonadSelda (Strict.StateT s m) where
+  type Backend (Strict.StateT s m) = Backend m
+  withConnection f = Strict.StateT $ \s ->
+    withConnection (\conn -> Strict.runStateT (f conn) s)
+  transact = Strict.mapStateT transact
+
+instance (Monoid w, MonadSelda m) => MonadSelda (Lazy.RWST r w s m) where
+  type Backend (Lazy.RWST r w s m) = Backend m
+  withConnection f = Lazy.RWST $ \r s ->
+    withConnection (\conn -> Lazy.runRWST (f conn) r s)
+  transact = Lazy.mapRWST transact
+
+instance (Monoid w, MonadSelda m) => MonadSelda (Strict.RWST r w s m) where
+  type Backend (Strict.RWST r w s m) = Backend m
+  withConnection f = Strict.RWST $ \r s ->
+    withConnection (\conn -> Strict.runRWST (f conn) r s)
+  transact = Strict.mapRWST transact
+
+#if MIN_VERSION_mtl(2, 1, 1)
+instance MonadSelda m => MonadSelda (ExceptT e m) where
+  type Backend (ExceptT e m) = Backend m
+  withConnection f = ExceptT $ withConnection (runExceptT . f)
+  transact = mapExceptT transact
+#endif
+
 -- | The simplest form of Selda computation; 'SeldaT' specialized to 'IO'.
 type SeldaM b = SeldaT b IO
 
@@ -308,3 +378,7 @@ runSeldaT m c =
       when closed $ do
         liftIO $ throwM $ DbError "runSeldaT called with a closed connection"
       runReaderT (unS m) c
+
+-- | Transform the computation inside a 'SeldaT'.
+mapSeldaT :: (m a -> n b) -> SeldaT b' m a -> SeldaT b' n b
+mapSeldaT f m = S $ mapReaderT f (unS m)
diff --git a/selda/src/Database/Selda/Frontend.hs b/selda/src/Database/Selda/Frontend.hs
index 247ae6d..4c8779c 100644
--- a/selda/src/Database/Selda/Frontend.hs
+++ b/selda/src/Database/Selda/Frontend.hs
@@ -44,11 +44,10 @@ import Data.Text (Text)
 import Control.Monad ( void )
 import Control.Monad.Catch
     ( bracket_,
-      onException,
       try,
       MonadCatch,
-      MonadMask(mask),
-      MonadThrow(throwM) )
+      MonadMask(generalBracket),
+      MonadThrow(throwM), ExitCase (..) )
 import Control.Monad.IO.Class ( MonadIO(..) )
 
 -- | Run a query within a Selda monad. In practice, this is often a 'SeldaT'
@@ -259,11 +258,11 @@ tryDropTable = void . flip exec [] . compileDropTable Ignore
 --   will be rolled back and the exception re-thrown, even if the exception
 --   is caught and handled within the transaction.
 transaction :: (MonadSelda m, MonadMask m) => m a -> m a
-transaction m = mask $ \restore -> transact $ do
-  void $ exec "BEGIN TRANSACTION" []
-  x <- restore m `onException` void (exec "ROLLBACK" [])
-  void $ exec "COMMIT" []
-  return x
+transaction m =
+    fst <$> generalBracket (exec "BEGIN TRANSACTION" []) (const finish) (const m)
+  where
+    finish (ExitCaseSuccess _) = exec "COMMIT" []
+    finish _ = exec "ROLLBACK" []
 
 -- | Run the given computation as a transaction without enforcing foreign key
 --   constraints.