--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/db/BrowserDatabaseHelper.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/db/BrowserDatabaseHelper.java
@@ -920,70 +920,58 @@ public final class BrowserDatabaseHelper
         final String[] selectionArgs = { String.valueOf(Bookmarks.FIXED_READING_LIST_ID), "0" };
         final String[] projection = {   Bookmarks._ID,
                                         Bookmarks.GUID,
                                         Bookmarks.URL,
                                         Bookmarks.DATE_MODIFIED,
                                         Bookmarks.DATE_CREATED,
                                         Bookmarks.TITLE };
 
-        try {
-            db.beginTransaction();
 
-            // Create 'reading_list' table.
-            createReadingListTable(db, TABLE_READING_LIST);
+        // Create 'reading_list' table.
+        createReadingListTable(db, TABLE_READING_LIST);
 
-            // Get all the reading list items from bookmarks table.
-            final Cursor cursor = db.query(TABLE_BOOKMARKS, projection, selection, selectionArgs, null, null, null);
+        // Get all the reading list items from bookmarks table.
+        final Cursor cursor = db.query(TABLE_BOOKMARKS, projection, selection, selectionArgs, null, null, null);
 
-            if (cursor == null) {
-                // This should never happen.
-                db.setTransactionSuccessful();
-                return;
-            }
+        if (cursor == null) {
+            // This should never happen.
+            return;
+        }
 
-            try {
-                // Insert reading list items into reading_list table.
-                while (cursor.moveToNext()) {
-                    debug(DatabaseUtils.dumpCurrentRowToString(cursor));
-                    final ContentValues values = new ContentValues();
-
-                    // We don't preserve bookmark GUIDs.
-                    DatabaseUtils.cursorStringToContentValues(cursor, Bookmarks.URL, values, ReadingListItems.URL);
-                    DatabaseUtils.cursorStringToContentValues(cursor, Bookmarks.TITLE, values, ReadingListItems.TITLE);
-                    DatabaseUtils.cursorLongToContentValues(cursor, Bookmarks.DATE_CREATED, values, ReadingListItems.ADDED_ON);
-                    DatabaseUtils.cursorLongToContentValues(cursor, Bookmarks.DATE_MODIFIED, values, ReadingListItems.CLIENT_LAST_MODIFIED);
+        try {
+            // Insert reading list items into reading_list table.
+            while (cursor.moveToNext()) {
+                debug(DatabaseUtils.dumpCurrentRowToString(cursor));
+                final ContentValues values = new ContentValues();
 
-                    db.insertOrThrow(TABLE_READING_LIST, null, values);
-                }
-            } finally {
-                cursor.close();
+                // We don't preserve bookmark GUIDs.
+                DatabaseUtils.cursorStringToContentValues(cursor, Bookmarks.URL, values, ReadingListItems.URL);
+                DatabaseUtils.cursorStringToContentValues(cursor, Bookmarks.TITLE, values, ReadingListItems.TITLE);
+                DatabaseUtils.cursorLongToContentValues(cursor, Bookmarks.DATE_CREATED, values, ReadingListItems.ADDED_ON);
+                DatabaseUtils.cursorLongToContentValues(cursor, Bookmarks.DATE_MODIFIED, values, ReadingListItems.CLIENT_LAST_MODIFIED);
+
+                db.insertOrThrow(TABLE_READING_LIST, null, values);
             }
-
-            // Delete reading list items from bookmarks table.
-            db.delete(TABLE_BOOKMARKS,
-                      Bookmarks.PARENT + " = ? ",
-                      new String[] { String.valueOf(Bookmarks.FIXED_READING_LIST_ID) });
+        } finally {
+            cursor.close();
+        }
 
-            // Delete reading list special folder.
-            db.delete(TABLE_BOOKMARKS,
-                      Bookmarks._ID + " = ? ",
-                      new String[] { String.valueOf(Bookmarks.FIXED_READING_LIST_ID) });
-
-            // Create indices.
-            createReadingListIndices(db, TABLE_READING_LIST);
+        // Delete reading list items from bookmarks table.
+        db.delete(TABLE_BOOKMARKS,
+                  Bookmarks.PARENT + " = ? ",
+                  new String[] { String.valueOf(Bookmarks.FIXED_READING_LIST_ID) });
 
-            // Done.
-            db.setTransactionSuccessful();
+        // Delete reading list special folder.
+        db.delete(TABLE_BOOKMARKS,
+                  Bookmarks._ID + " = ? ",
+                  new String[] { String.valueOf(Bookmarks.FIXED_READING_LIST_ID) });
 
-        } catch (SQLException e) {
-            Log.e(LOGTAG, "Error migrating reading list items", e);
-        } finally {
-            db.endTransaction();
-        }
+        // Create indices.
+        createReadingListIndices(db, TABLE_READING_LIST);
     }
 
     private void upgradeDatabaseFrom18to19(SQLiteDatabase db) {
         // Redefine the "combined" view...
         createV19CombinedView(db);
 
         // Kill any history entries with NULL URL. This ostensibly can't happen...
         db.execSQL("DELETE FROM " + TABLE_HISTORY + " WHERE " + History.URL + " IS NULL");