Minimizing transaction managers. A method that may be practiced in a commit tree topology including a plurality of transaction managers to manage transactions. The transactions include a set of operations that are all performed if a transaction is completed or all aborted if a transaction is not completed. The transaction managers store transaction result information to allow recovery of a transaction in case of system failure. The method includes acts for minimizing storage overhead by minimizing the number of transaction managers used to coordinate transactions. The method includes identifying a set of transaction managers. A first transaction manager is selected from among the set of transaction managers. A second transaction manager is identified from among the set of transaction managers that is always available when the first transaction manager is available. Messages are redirected from a subordinate associated with the first transaction manager to the second transaction manager.