diff --git a/src/app-utils/gnc-ui-util.c b/src/app-utils/gnc-ui-util.c
index 008a13b661..b2a2297781 100644
--- a/src/app-utils/gnc-ui-util.c
+++ b/src/app-utils/gnc-ui-util.c
@@ -203,8 +203,12 @@ gnc_get_current_book (void)
 void
 gnc_set_current_book_tax_name (const gchar *tax_name)
 {
-    kvp_frame_set_string (qof_book_get_slots (gnc_get_current_book()),
+	QofBook* current_book = gnc_get_current_book();
+
+    qof_book_begin_edit(current_book);
+    kvp_frame_set_string (qof_book_get_slots (current_book),
                           "book/tax_US/name", tax_name);
+    qof_book_commit_edit(current_book);
 }
 
 const gchar *
diff --git a/src/backend/sql/gnc-book-sql.c b/src/backend/sql/gnc-book-sql.c
index 3c159413d6..7de5f4ecd0 100644
--- a/src/backend/sql/gnc-book-sql.c
+++ b/src/backend/sql/gnc-book-sql.c
@@ -149,8 +149,10 @@ load_single_book( GncSqlBackend* be, GncSqlRow* row )
 	    pBook = gnc_book_new();
 	}
 
+	qof_book_begin_edit( pBook );
     gnc_sql_load_object( be, row, GNC_ID_BOOK, pBook, col_table );
     gnc_sql_slots_load( be, QOF_INSTANCE(pBook) );
+	qof_book_commit_edit( pBook );
 
     qof_instance_mark_clean( QOF_INSTANCE(pBook) );
 }
diff --git a/src/libqof/qof/qofbook.c b/src/libqof/qof/qofbook.c
index 6ed3caadfc..3009a04838 100644
--- a/src/libqof/qof/qofbook.c
+++ b/src/libqof/qof/qofbook.c
@@ -461,6 +461,36 @@ gboolean qof_book_use_trading_accounts (const QofBook *book)
     return FALSE;
 }
 
+void
+qof_book_begin_edit (QofBook *book)
+{
+  qof_begin_edit(&book->inst);
+}
+
+static void commit_err (QofInstance *inst, QofBackendError errcode)
+{
+  PERR ("Failed to commit: %d", errcode);
+//  gnc_engine_signal_commit_error( errcode );
+}
+
+#if 0
+static void lot_free(QofInstance* inst)
+{
+	GNCLot* lot = GNC_LOT(inst);
+
+	gnc_lot_free(lot);
+}
+#endif
+
+static void noop (QofInstance *inst) {}
+
+void
+qof_book_commit_edit(QofBook *book)
+{
+  if (!qof_commit_edit (QOF_INSTANCE(book))) return;
+  qof_commit_edit_part2 (&book->inst, commit_err, noop, noop/*lot_free*/);
+}
+
 /* QofObject function implementation and registration */
 gboolean qof_book_register (void)
 {
diff --git a/src/libqof/qof/qofbook.h b/src/libqof/qof/qofbook.h
index c7e1656b67..cf399e68c8 100644
--- a/src/libqof/qof/qofbook.h
+++ b/src/libqof/qof/qofbook.h
@@ -278,6 +278,9 @@ gboolean qof_book_equal (const QofBook *book_1, const QofBook *book_2);
  */
 gint64 qof_book_get_counter (const QofBook *book, const char *counter_name);
 
+void qof_book_begin_edit(QofBook *book);
+void qof_book_commit_edit(QofBook *book);
+
 /** deprecated */
 #define qof_book_get_guid(X) qof_entity_get_guid (QOF_INSTANCE(X))