diff --git a/arangod/Replication/Syncer.cpp b/arangod/Replication/Syncer.cpp
index 0395ae1f29..12f2f2277f 100644
--- a/arangod/Replication/Syncer.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Replication/Syncer.cpp
@@ -406,13 +406,15 @@ int Syncer::applyCollectionDumpMarker(
       res = opRes.code;
     } catch (arangodb::basics::Exception const& ex) {
       res = ex.code();
-    } catch (...) {
-      res = TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL;
-    }
-
-    if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
       errorMsg = "document insert/replace operation failed: " +
                  std::string(TRI_errno_string(res));
+    } catch (std::exception const& ex) {
+      res = TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL;
+      errorMsg = "document insert/replace operation failed: " +
+                 std::string(ex.what());
+    } catch (...) {
+      res = TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL;
+      errorMsg = "document insert/replace operation failed: unknown exception";
     }
 
     return res;
@@ -436,15 +438,16 @@ int Syncer::applyCollectionDumpMarker(
       res = opRes.code;
     } catch (arangodb::basics::Exception const& ex) {
       res = ex.code();
-    } catch (...) {
-      res = TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL;
-    }
-    
-    if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
       errorMsg = "document remove operation failed: " +
                  std::string(TRI_errno_string(res));
+    } catch (std::exception const& ex) {
+      errorMsg = "document remove operation failed: " +
+                 std::string(ex.what());
+    } catch (...) {
+      res = TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL;
+      errorMsg = "document remove operation failed: unknown exception";
     }
-
+    
     return res;
   }
     
diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/transaction.cpp b/arangod/VocBase/transaction.cpp
index 2045083fa2..ea48271175 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/transaction.cpp
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/transaction.cpp
@@ -610,18 +610,25 @@ static int WriteBeginMarker(TRI_transaction_t* trx) {
   try {
     arangodb::wal::TransactionMarker marker(TRI_DF_MARKER_VPACK_BEGIN_TRANSACTION, trx->_vocbase->id(), trx->_id);
     res = GetLogfileManager()->allocateAndWrite(marker, false).errorCode;
+    
+    TRI_IF_FAILURE("TransactionWriteBeginMarkerThrow") { 
+      throw std::bad_alloc();
+    }
 
     if (res == TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
       trx->_beginWritten = true;
+    } else {
+      THROW_ARANGO_EXCEPTION(res);
     }
   } catch (arangodb::basics::Exception const& ex) {
     res = ex.code();
+    LOG(WARN) << "could not save transaction begin marker in log: " << ex.what();
+  } catch (std::exception const& ex) {
+    res = TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL;
+    LOG(WARN) << "could not save transaction begin marker in log: " << ex.what();
   } catch (...) {
     res = TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL;
-  }
-
-  if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
-    LOG(WARN) << "could not save transaction begin marker in log: " << TRI_errno_string(res);
+    LOG(WARN) << "could not save transaction begin marker in log: unknown exception";
   }
 
   return res;
@@ -649,14 +656,23 @@ static int WriteAbortMarker(TRI_transaction_t* trx) {
   try {
     arangodb::wal::TransactionMarker marker(TRI_DF_MARKER_VPACK_ABORT_TRANSACTION, trx->_vocbase->id(), trx->_id);
     res = GetLogfileManager()->allocateAndWrite(marker, false).errorCode;
+    
+    TRI_IF_FAILURE("TransactionWriteAbortMarkerThrow") { 
+      throw std::bad_alloc();
+    }
+  
+    if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
+      THROW_ARANGO_EXCEPTION(res);
+    }
   } catch (arangodb::basics::Exception const& ex) {
     res = ex.code();
+    LOG(WARN) << "could not save transaction abort marker in log: " << ex.what();
+  } catch (std::exception const& ex) {
+    res = TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL;
+    LOG(WARN) << "could not save transaction abort marker in log: " << ex.what();
   } catch (...) {
     res = TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL;
-  }
-
-  if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
-    LOG(WARN) << "could not save transaction abort marker in log: " << TRI_errno_string(res);
+    LOG(WARN) << "could not save transaction abort marker in log: unknown exception";
   }
 
   return res;
@@ -692,15 +708,24 @@ static int WriteCommitMarker(TRI_transaction_t* trx) {
       // also sync RocksDB WAL
       RocksDBFeature::syncWal();
     }
+    
+    TRI_IF_FAILURE("TransactionWriteCommitMarkerThrow") { 
+      throw std::bad_alloc();
+    }
+    
+    if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
+      THROW_ARANGO_EXCEPTION(res);
+    }
 #endif
   } catch (arangodb::basics::Exception const& ex) {
     res = ex.code();
+    LOG(WARN) << "could not save transaction commit marker in log: " << ex.what();
+  } catch (std::exception const& ex) {
+    res = TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL;
+    LOG(WARN) << "could not save transaction commit marker in log: " << ex.what();
   } catch (...) {
     res = TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL;
-  }
-
-  if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
-    LOG(WARN) << "could not save transaction commit marker in log: " << TRI_errno_string(res);
+    LOG(WARN) << "could not save transaction commit marker in log: unknown exception";
   }
 
   return res;
diff --git a/js/server/tests/shell/shell-transactions-noncluster.js b/js/server/tests/shell/shell-transactions-noncluster.js
index e36a97f2e7..edfb37e140 100644
--- a/js/server/tests/shell/shell-transactions-noncluster.js
+++ b/js/server/tests/shell/shell-transactions-noncluster.js
@@ -5017,6 +5017,135 @@ function transactionServerFailuresSuite () {
 
       testHelper.waitUnload(c);
 
+      assertEqual(100, c.count());
+    },
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief test: cannot write begin marker for trx
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+    testNoBeginMarkerThrow : function () {
+      internal.debugClearFailAt();
+
+      db._drop(cn);
+      c = db._create(cn);
+      
+      var i;
+      for (i = 0; i < 100; ++i) {
+        c.save({ _key: "test" + i, a: i });
+      } 
+      assertEqual(100, c.count());
+
+      internal.wal.flush(true, true);
+      internal.debugSetFailAt("TransactionWriteBeginMarkerThrow");
+        
+      try {
+        TRANSACTION({ 
+          collections: {
+            write: [ cn ],
+          },
+          action: function () {
+            c.save({ _key: "test100" });
+            fail();
+          }
+        });
+        fail();
+      }
+      catch (err) {
+        assertEqual(internal.errors.ERROR_INTERNAL.code, err.errorNum);
+      }
+
+      assertEqual(100, c.count());
+      internal.debugClearFailAt();
+    },
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief test: cannot write commit marker for trx
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+    testNoCommitMarkerThrow : function () {
+      internal.debugClearFailAt();
+
+      db._drop(cn);
+      c = db._create(cn);
+      
+      var i;
+      for (i = 0; i < 100; ++i) {
+        c.save({ _key: "test" + i, a: i });
+      } 
+      assertEqual(100, c.count());
+
+      internal.wal.flush(true, true);
+      internal.debugSetFailAt("TransactionWriteCommitMarkerThrow");
+        
+      try {
+        TRANSACTION({ 
+          collections: {
+            write: [ cn ],
+          },
+          action: function () {
+            var i;
+            for (i = 100; i < 1000; ++i) {
+              c.save({ _key: "test" + i, a: i });
+            }
+
+            assertEqual(1000, c.count());
+          }
+        });
+        fail();
+      }
+      catch (err) {
+        assertEqual(internal.errors.ERROR_INTERNAL.code, err.errorNum);
+      }
+
+      assertEqual(100, c.count());
+      internal.debugClearFailAt();
+    },
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief test: cannot write abort marker for trx
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+    testNoAbortMarkerThrow : function () {
+      internal.debugClearFailAt();
+
+      db._drop(cn);
+      c = db._create(cn);
+      
+      var i;
+      for (i = 0; i < 100; ++i) {
+        c.save({ _key: "test" + i, a: i });
+      } 
+      assertEqual(100, c.count());
+
+      internal.wal.flush(true, true);
+      internal.debugSetFailAt("TransactionWriteAbortMarkerThrow");
+        
+      try {
+        TRANSACTION({ 
+          collections: {
+            write: [ cn ],
+          },
+          action: function () {
+            var i;
+            for (i = 100; i < 1000; ++i) {
+              c.save({ _key: "test" + i, a: i });
+            }
+
+            assertEqual(1000, c.count());
+
+            throw "rollback!";
+          }
+        });
+      }
+      catch (err) {
+        // ignore the intentional error
+      }
+      
+      internal.debugClearFailAt();
+
+      testHelper.waitUnload(c);
+
       assertEqual(100, c.count());
     }