diff --git a/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesTransactionCollection.cpp b/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesTransactionCollection.cpp
index 78d60494d1..0d184fd21f 100644
--- a/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesTransactionCollection.cpp
+++ b/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesTransactionCollection.cpp
@@ -205,10 +205,10 @@ int MMFilesTransactionCollection::use(int nestingLevel) {
       // use and usage-lock
       TRI_vocbase_col_status_e status;
       LOG_TRX(_transaction, nestingLevel) << "using collection " << _cid;
-      _collection = _transaction->_vocbase->useCollection(_cid, status);
+      _collection = _transaction->vocbase()->useCollection(_cid, status);
     } else {
       // use without usage-lock (lock already set externally)
-      _collection = _transaction->_vocbase->lookupCollection(_cid);
+      _collection = _transaction->vocbase()->lookupCollection(_cid);
 
       if (_collection == nullptr) {
         return TRI_ERROR_ARANGO_COLLECTION_NOT_FOUND;
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ void MMFilesTransactionCollection::release() {
     // unuse collection, remove usage-lock
     LOG_TRX(_transaction, 0) << "unusing collection " << _cid;
 
-    _transaction->_vocbase->releaseCollection(_collection);
+    _transaction->vocbase()->releaseCollection(_collection);
     _collection = nullptr;
   }
 }
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ int MMFilesTransactionCollection::doLock(AccessMode::Type type, int nestingLevel
   auto physical = static_cast<MMFilesCollection*>(collection->getPhysical());
   TRI_ASSERT(physical != nullptr);
 
-  double timeout = _transaction->_timeout;
+  double timeout = _transaction->timeout();
   if (_transaction->_hints.has(transaction::Hints::Hint::TRY_LOCK)) {
     // give up early if we cannot acquire the lock instantly
     timeout = 0.00000001;
diff --git a/arangod/StorageEngine/TransactionState.h b/arangod/StorageEngine/TransactionState.h
index 4ad99520df..1e52e507ea 100644
--- a/arangod/StorageEngine/TransactionState.h
+++ b/arangod/StorageEngine/TransactionState.h
@@ -36,11 +36,11 @@
 #ifdef ARANGODB_ENABLE_MAINTAINER_MODE
 
 #define LOG_TRX(trx, level)  \
-  LOG_TOPIC(TRACE, arangodb::Logger::FIXME) << "trx #" << trx->id() << "." << level << " (" << transaction::statusString(trx->_status) << "): " 
+  LOG_TOPIC(TRACE, arangodb::Logger::TRANSACTIONS) << "#" << trx->id() << "." << level << " (" << transaction::statusString(trx->status()) << "): " 
 
 #else
 
-#define LOG_TRX(...) while (0) LOG_TOPIC(TRACE, arangodb::Logger::FIXME)
+#define LOG_TRX(...) while (0) LOG_TOPIC(TRACE, arangodb::Logger::TRANSACTIONS)
 
 #endif
 
@@ -69,14 +69,15 @@ class TransactionState {
 
   TRI_vocbase_t* vocbase() const { return _vocbase; }
   TRI_voc_tid_t id() const { return _id; }
+  transaction::Status status() const { return _status; }
 
   double timeout() const { return _timeout; }
   void timeout(double value) { 
     if (value > 0.0) {
       _timeout = value;
     } 
-  
   }
+
   bool waitForSync() const { return _waitForSync; }
   void waitForSync(bool value) { _waitForSync = value; }
 
@@ -146,17 +147,12 @@ class TransactionState {
   /// the transaction
   void clearQueryCache();
 
- public:
-  TRI_vocbase_t* _vocbase;            // vocbase
-
  protected:
+  TRI_vocbase_t* _vocbase;            // vocbase
   TRI_voc_tid_t _id;                  // local trx id
- 
- public:
   AccessMode::Type _type;             // access type (read|write)
   transaction::Status _status;        // current status
  
- protected:
   SmallVector<TransactionCollection*>::allocator_type::arena_type _arena; // memory for collections
   SmallVector<TransactionCollection*> _collections; // list of participating collections
   
@@ -164,7 +160,10 @@ class TransactionState {
 
  public:
   transaction::Hints _hints;          // hints;
+ public:
   int _nestingLevel;
+
+ protected:
   bool _allowImplicitCollections;
   bool _waitForSync;   // whether or not the transaction had a synchronous op
   bool _beginWritten;  // whether or not the begin marker was already written
diff --git a/arangod/Transaction/Methods.cpp b/arangod/Transaction/Methods.cpp
index b6afa44e87..f53d0313c5 100644
--- a/arangod/Transaction/Methods.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Transaction/Methods.cpp
@@ -187,10 +187,7 @@ bool transaction::Methods::isSingleOperationTransaction() const {
   
 /// @brief get the status of the transaction
 transaction::Status transaction::Methods::getStatus() const {
-  if (_state != nullptr) {
-    return _state->_status;
-  }
-  return transaction::Status::UNDEFINED;
+  return _state->status();
 }
   
 /// @brief sort ORs for the same attribute so they are in ascending value
@@ -766,7 +763,7 @@ int transaction::Methods::begin() {
 
   if (_state->isCoordinator()) {
     if (_nestingLevel == 0) {
-      _state->_status = transaction::Status::RUNNING;
+      _state->updateStatus(transaction::Status::RUNNING);
     }
     return TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR;
   }
@@ -783,7 +780,7 @@ int transaction::Methods::commit() {
 
   if (_state->isCoordinator()) {
     if (_nestingLevel == 0) {
-      _state->_status = transaction::Status::COMMITTED;
+      _state->updateStatus(transaction::Status::COMMITTED);
     }
     return TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR;
   }
@@ -800,7 +797,7 @@ int transaction::Methods::abort() {
 
   if (_state->isCoordinator()) {
     if (_nestingLevel == 0) {
-      _state->_status = transaction::Status::ABORTED;
+      _state->updateStatus(transaction::Status::ABORTED);
     }
 
     return TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR;
diff --git a/lib/Logger/LogTopic.cpp b/lib/Logger/LogTopic.cpp
index 2a7ab6f925..1daee19ff7 100644
--- a/lib/Logger/LogTopic.cpp
+++ b/lib/Logger/LogTopic.cpp
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ LogTopic Logger::STARTUP("startup", LogLevel::INFO);
 LogTopic Logger::SUPERVISION("supervision", LogLevel::INFO);
 LogTopic Logger::SYSCALL("syscall", LogLevel::WARN);
 LogTopic Logger::THREADS("threads", LogLevel::WARN);
+LogTopic Logger::TRANSACTIONS("trx", LogLevel::WARN);
 LogTopic Logger::V8("v8", LogLevel::WARN);
 
 #ifdef USE_ENTERPRISE
@@ -121,6 +122,10 @@ LogTopic::LogTopic(std::string const& name, LogLevel level)
       _name(name),
       _level(level) {
   if (name != "fixme") {
+    // "fixme" is a remainder from ArangoDB < 3.2, when it was
+    // allowed to log messages without a topic. From 3.2 onwards,
+    // logging is always topic-based, and all previously topicless
+    // log invocations now use the log topic "fixme".
     _displayName = std::string("{") + name + "} ";
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/Logger/Logger.h b/lib/Logger/Logger.h
index d7f5a3c46c..0480be31a1 100644
--- a/lib/Logger/Logger.h
+++ b/lib/Logger/Logger.h
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ class Logger {
   static LogTopic SUPERVISION;
   static LogTopic SYSCALL;
   static LogTopic THREADS;
+  static LogTopic TRANSACTIONS;
   static LogTopic V8;
 
  public: