diff --git a/src/engine/Group.c b/src/engine/Group.c
index 08c777217a..64fb0477fa 100644
--- a/src/engine/Group.c
+++ b/src/engine/Group.c
@@ -893,6 +893,8 @@ xaccGroupCopyGroup (AccountGroup *to, AccountGroup *from)
    if (!from->accounts || !to->book) return;
 
    ENTER (" ");
+   xaccAccountGroupBeginEdit(to);
+   xaccAccountGroupBeginEdit(from);
    for (node = from->accounts; node; node=node->next)
    {
       Account *to_acc, *from_acc = node->data;
@@ -926,6 +928,8 @@ xaccGroupCopyGroup (AccountGroup *to, AccountGroup *from)
          xaccAccountGroupBeginEdit (to_acc->children);
       }
    }
+   xaccAccountGroupCommitEdit(from);
+   xaccAccountGroupCommitEdit(to);
    LEAVE (" ");
 }
 
diff --git a/src/engine/Period.c b/src/engine/Period.c
index 0a8c0b5213..67d9bdd048 100644
--- a/src/engine/Period.c
+++ b/src/engine/Period.c
@@ -559,11 +559,7 @@ gnc_book_partition_txn (QofBook *dest_book, QofBook *src_book, QofQuery *query)
     * routine, and it is not needed for the current usage. */
    src_grp = xaccGetAccountGroup (src_book);
    dst_grp = xaccGetAccountGroup (dest_book);
-   xaccAccountGroupBeginEdit (dst_grp);
-   xaccAccountGroupBeginEdit (src_grp);
    xaccGroupCopyGroup (dst_grp, src_grp);
-   xaccAccountGroupCommitEdit (src_grp);
-   xaccAccountGroupCommitEdit (dst_grp);
 
    /* Next, run the query */
    xaccAccountGroupBeginEdit (dst_grp);