Index: src/dispatch.c
==================================================================
--- src/dispatch.c
+++ src/dispatch.c
@@ -48,10 +48,11 @@
 #define CMDFLAG_SETTING     0x0020      /* A setting */
 #define CMDFLAG_VERSIONABLE 0x0040      /* A versionable setting */
 #define CMDFLAG_BLOCKTEXT   0x0080      /* Multi-line text setting */
 #define CMDFLAG_BOOLEAN     0x0100      /* A boolean setting */
 #define CMDFLAG_RAWCONTENT  0x0200      /* Do not interpret POST content */
+#define CMDFLAG_RDTRANS     0x0400      /* Run inside a read transaction */
 /**************************************************************************/
 
 /* Values for the 2nd parameter to dispatch_name_search() */
 #define CMDFLAG_ANY         0x0038      /* Match anything */
 #define CMDFLAG_PREFIX      0x0200      /* Prefix match is ok */

Index: src/main.c
==================================================================
--- src/main.c
+++ src/main.c
@@ -1920,11 +1920,13 @@
         rc = TH_OK;
       }
       if( rc==TH_OK || rc==TH_RETURN || rc==TH_CONTINUE ){
         if( rc==TH_OK || rc==TH_RETURN ){
 #endif
+          if( pCmd->eCmdFlags & CMDFLAG_RDTRANS ) db_begin_transaction();
           pCmd->xFunc();
+          if( pCmd->eCmdFlags & CMDFLAG_RDTRANS ) db_commit_transaction();
 #ifdef FOSSIL_ENABLE_TH1_HOOKS
         }
         if( !g.fNoThHook && (rc==TH_OK || rc==TH_CONTINUE) ){
           Th_WebpageNotify(pCmd->zName+1, pCmd->eCmdFlags);
         }

Index: src/mkindex.c
==================================================================
--- src/mkindex.c
+++ src/mkindex.c
@@ -90,10 +90,11 @@
 #define CMDFLAG_SETTING     0x0020      /* A setting */
 #define CMDFLAG_VERSIONABLE 0x0040      /* A versionable setting */
 #define CMDFLAG_BLOCKTEXT   0x0080      /* Multi-line text setting */
 #define CMDFLAG_BOOLEAN     0x0100      /* A boolean setting */
 #define CMDFLAG_RAWCONTENT  0x0200      /* Do not interpret webpage content */
+#define CMDFLAG_RDTRANS     0x0400      /* Run inside a read transaction */
 /**************************************************************************/
 
 /*
 ** Each entry looks like this:
 */
@@ -239,10 +240,12 @@
     }else if( j==4 && strncmp(&zLine[i], "test", j)==0 ){
       aEntry[nUsed].eType &= ~(CMDFLAG_1ST_TIER|CMDFLAG_2ND_TIER);
       aEntry[nUsed].eType |= CMDFLAG_TEST;
     }else if( j==11 && strncmp(&zLine[i], "raw-content", j)==0 ){
       aEntry[nUsed].eType |= CMDFLAG_RAWCONTENT;
+    }else if( j==16 && strncmp(&zLine[i], "read-transaction", j)==0 ){
+      aEntry[nUsed].eType |= CMDFLAG_RDTRANS;
     }else if( j==7 && strncmp(&zLine[i], "boolean", j)==0 ){
       aEntry[nUsed].eType &= ~(CMDFLAG_BLOCKTEXT);
       aEntry[nUsed].iWidth = 0;
       aEntry[nUsed].eType |= CMDFLAG_BOOLEAN;
     }else if( j==10 && strncmp(&zLine[i], "block-text", j)==0 ){

Index: src/timeline.c
==================================================================
--- src/timeline.c
+++ src/timeline.c
@@ -1579,11 +1579,11 @@
   return zEDate;
 }
 
 
 /*
-** WEBPAGE: timeline
+** WEBPAGE: timeline               read-transaction
 **
 ** Query parameters:
 **
 **    a=TIMEORTAG     After this event
 **    b=TIMEORTAG     Before this event