A method and apparatus for managing database transactions in a web service messaging environment. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a web service call indicating a beginning of a database transaction from a client, and creating a database transaction in response to this web service call. The method further includes receiving subsequent web service calls from the client, and for each subsequent web service call, associating a corresponding web service call with the database transaction, and performing the corresponding web service call. Afterwards, the database transaction is terminated upon committing or rolling back data resulting from the subsequent web service calls.