diff -r 2ccdf2b3819d Lib/sqlite3/test/transactions.py
--- a/Lib/sqlite3/test/transactions.py	Mon Jan 16 17:18:53 2017 +0100
+++ b/Lib/sqlite3/test/transactions.py	Tue Jan 24 00:24:10 2017 +0200
@@ -179,6 +179,15 @@
         result = self.con.execute("select * from test").fetchall()
         self.assertEqual(result, [])
 
+    def CheckImmediateTransactionalDDL(self):
+        # You can achieve transactional DDL by issuing a BEGIN
+        # statement manually.
+        self.con.execute("begin immediate")
+        self.con.execute("create table test(i)")
+        self.con.rollback()
+        with self.assertRaises(sqlite.OperationalError):
+            self.con.execute("select * from test")
+
     def CheckTransactionalDDL(self):
         # You can achieve transactional DDL by issuing a BEGIN
         # statement manually.
diff -r 2ccdf2b3819d Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c
--- a/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c	Mon Jan 16 17:18:53 2017 +0100
+++ b/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c	Tue Jan 24 00:24:10 2017 +0200
@@ -511,10 +511,8 @@
     pysqlite_statement_reset(self->statement);
     pysqlite_statement_mark_dirty(self->statement);
 
-    /* For backwards compatibility reasons, do not start a transaction if a
-       DDL statement is encountered.  If anybody wants transactional DDL,
-       they can issue a BEGIN statement manually. */
-    if (self->connection->begin_statement && !sqlite3_stmt_readonly(self->statement->st) && !self->statement->is_ddl) {
+    /* We start a transaction implicitly before a DML statment (except SELECT) */
+    if (self->connection->begin_statement && self->statement->is_dml) {
         if (sqlite3_get_autocommit(self->connection->db)) {
             result = _pysqlite_connection_begin(self->connection);
             if (!result) {
diff -r 2ccdf2b3819d Modules/_sqlite/statement.c
--- a/Modules/_sqlite/statement.c	Mon Jan 16 17:18:53 2017 +0100
+++ b/Modules/_sqlite/statement.c	Tue Jan 24 00:24:10 2017 +0200
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@
     Py_INCREF(sql);
     self->sql = sql;
 
-    /* determine if the statement is a DDL statement */
-    self->is_ddl = 0;
+    /* determine if the statement is a DML statement (except SELECT) */
+    self->is_dml = 0;
     for (p = sql_cstr; *p != 0; p++) {
         switch (*p) {
             case ' ':
@@ -84,9 +84,10 @@
                 continue;
         }
 
-        self->is_ddl = (PyOS_strnicmp(p, "create ", 7) == 0)
-                    || (PyOS_strnicmp(p, "drop ", 5) == 0)
-                    || (PyOS_strnicmp(p, "reindex ", 8) == 0);
+        self->is_dml = (PyOS_strnicmp(p, "insert ", 7) == 0)
+                    || (PyOS_strnicmp(p, "update ", 7) == 0)
+                    || (PyOS_strnicmp(p, "delete ", 7) == 0)
+                    || (PyOS_strnicmp(p, "replace ", 8) == 0);
         break;
     }
 
diff -r 2ccdf2b3819d Modules/_sqlite/statement.h
--- a/Modules/_sqlite/statement.h	Mon Jan 16 17:18:53 2017 +0100
+++ b/Modules/_sqlite/statement.h	Tue Jan 24 00:24:10 2017 +0200
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
     sqlite3_stmt* st;
     PyObject* sql;
     int in_use;
-    int is_ddl;
+    int is_dml;
     PyObject* in_weakreflist; /* List of weak references */
 } pysqlite_Statement;