diff --git a/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c b/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c
index ba6e52db56..9e91a58520 100644
--- a/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c
+++ b/Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c
@@ -706,6 +706,17 @@ PyObject* pysqlite_cursor_executescript(pysqlite_Cursor* self, PyObject* args)
     }
     Py_DECREF(result);
 
+    /* We start a transaction implicitly. */
+    if (self->connection->begin_statement) {
+        if (sqlite3_get_autocommit(self->connection->db)) {
+            result = _pysqlite_connection_begin(self->connection);
+            if (!result) {
+                goto error;
+            }
+            Py_DECREF(result);
+        }
+    }
+
     while (1) {
         Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
         rc = SQLITE3_PREPARE(self->connection->db,