The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for synchronizing ambient state among multiple transaction managers. A coordinating transaction manager establishes transaction ambient state for an application initiated transaction. The coordinating transaction manager sends and a subordinate transaction manager receives a pointer to an ambient state delegate. The subordinate transaction manager sends a request to invoke the ambient state delegate to the coordinating transaction manager in response to receiving an operation. The coordinating transaction manager invokes the ambient state delegate to format the transaction ambient state for the subordinate transaction manager. The coordinating transaction manager sends and the subordinate transaction manager receives the formatted transaction ambient state such that the subordinate transaction manager can appropriately process the operation within the scope of the transaction. The subordinate transaction manager utilizes the formatted transaction ambient state to appropriately process the operation within the scope of the transaction.