Index: src/backup.c
==================================================================
--- src/backup.c
+++ src/backup.c
@@ -380,11 +380,11 @@
     /* If there is no open read-transaction on the source database, open
     ** one now. If a transaction is opened here, then it will be closed
     ** before this function exits.
     */
     if( rc==SQLITE_OK && 0==sqlite3BtreeIsInReadTrans(p->pSrc) ){
-      rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(p->pSrc, 0);
+      rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(p->pSrc, 0, 0);
       bCloseTrans = 1;
     }
 
     /* If the destination database has not yet been locked (i.e. if this
     ** is the first call to backup_step() for the current backup operation),
@@ -396,14 +396,14 @@
       rc = SQLITE_NOMEM;
     }
 
     /* Lock the destination database, if it is not locked already. */
     if( SQLITE_OK==rc && p->bDestLocked==0
-     && SQLITE_OK==(rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(p->pDest, 2)) 
+     && SQLITE_OK==(rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(p->pDest, 2,
+                                                (int*)&p->iDestSchema)) 
     ){
       p->bDestLocked = 1;
-      sqlite3BtreeGetMeta(p->pDest, BTREE_SCHEMA_VERSION, &p->iDestSchema);
     }
 
     /* Do not allow backup if the destination database is in WAL mode
     ** and the page sizes are different between source and destination */
     pgszSrc = sqlite3BtreeGetPageSize(p->pSrc);

Index: src/btree.c
==================================================================
--- src/btree.c
+++ src/btree.c
@@ -3298,11 +3298,11 @@
 ** One or the other of the two processes must give way or there can be
 ** no progress.  By returning SQLITE_BUSY and not invoking the busy callback
 ** when A already has a read lock, we encourage A to give up and let B
 ** proceed.
 */
-int sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(Btree *p, int wrflag){
+int sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(Btree *p, int wrflag, int *pSchemaVersion){
   BtShared *pBt = p->pBt;
   int rc = SQLITE_OK;
 
   sqlite3BtreeEnter(p);
   btreeIntegrity(p);
@@ -3426,16 +3426,21 @@
     }
   }
 
 
 trans_begun:
-  if( rc==SQLITE_OK && wrflag ){
-    /* This call makes sure that the pager has the correct number of
-    ** open savepoints. If the second parameter is greater than 0 and
-    ** the sub-journal is not already open, then it will be opened here.
-    */
-    rc = sqlite3PagerOpenSavepoint(pBt->pPager, p->db->nSavepoint);
+  if( rc==SQLITE_OK ){
+    if( pSchemaVersion ){
+      *pSchemaVersion = get4byte(&pBt->pPage1->aData[40]);
+    }
+    if( wrflag ){
+      /* This call makes sure that the pager has the correct number of
+      ** open savepoints. If the second parameter is greater than 0 and
+      ** the sub-journal is not already open, then it will be opened here.
+      */
+      rc = sqlite3PagerOpenSavepoint(pBt->pPager, p->db->nSavepoint);
+    }
   }
 
   btreeIntegrity(p);
   sqlite3BtreeLeave(p);
   return rc;
@@ -10082,15 +10087,15 @@
   ** WAL connection, even if the version fields are currently set to 2.
   */
   pBt->btsFlags &= ~BTS_NO_WAL;
   if( iVersion==1 ) pBt->btsFlags |= BTS_NO_WAL;
 
-  rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pBtree, 0);
+  rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pBtree, 0, 0);
   if( rc==SQLITE_OK ){
     u8 *aData = pBt->pPage1->aData;
     if( aData[18]!=(u8)iVersion || aData[19]!=(u8)iVersion ){
-      rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pBtree, 2);
+      rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pBtree, 2, 0);
       if( rc==SQLITE_OK ){
         rc = sqlite3PagerWrite(pBt->pPage1->pDbPage);
         if( rc==SQLITE_OK ){
           aData[18] = (u8)iVersion;
           aData[19] = (u8)iVersion;

Index: src/btree.h
==================================================================
--- src/btree.h
+++ src/btree.h
@@ -76,11 +76,11 @@
 int sqlite3BtreeSecureDelete(Btree*,int);
 int sqlite3BtreeGetOptimalReserve(Btree*);
 int sqlite3BtreeGetReserveNoMutex(Btree *p);
 int sqlite3BtreeSetAutoVacuum(Btree *, int);
 int sqlite3BtreeGetAutoVacuum(Btree *);
-int sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(Btree*,int);
+int sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(Btree*,int,int*);
 int sqlite3BtreeCommitPhaseOne(Btree*, const char *zMaster);
 int sqlite3BtreeCommitPhaseTwo(Btree*, int);
 int sqlite3BtreeCommit(Btree*);
 int sqlite3BtreeRollback(Btree*,int,int);
 int sqlite3BtreeBeginStmt(Btree*,int);

Index: src/dbpage.c
==================================================================
--- src/dbpage.c
+++ src/dbpage.c
@@ -367,11 +367,11 @@
   DbpageTable *pTab = (DbpageTable *)pVtab;
   sqlite3 *db = pTab->db;
   int i;
   for(i=0; i<db->nDb; i++){
     Btree *pBt = db->aDb[i].pBt;
-    if( pBt ) sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pBt, 1);
+    if( pBt ) sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pBt, 1, 0);
   }
   return SQLITE_OK;
 }
 
 

Index: src/prepare.c
==================================================================
--- src/prepare.c
+++ src/prepare.c
@@ -186,11 +186,11 @@
   /* If there is not already a read-only (or read-write) transaction opened
   ** on the b-tree database, open one now. If a transaction is opened, it 
   ** will be closed before this function returns.  */
   sqlite3BtreeEnter(pDb->pBt);
   if( !sqlite3BtreeIsInReadTrans(pDb->pBt) ){
-    rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pDb->pBt, 0);
+    rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pDb->pBt, 0, 0);
     if( rc!=SQLITE_OK ){
       sqlite3SetString(pzErrMsg, db, sqlite3ErrStr(rc));
       goto initone_error_out;
     }
     openedTransaction = 1;
@@ -431,11 +431,11 @@
 
     /* If there is not already a read-only (or read-write) transaction opened
     ** on the b-tree database, open one now. If a transaction is opened, it 
     ** will be closed immediately after reading the meta-value. */
     if( !sqlite3BtreeIsInReadTrans(pBt) ){
-      rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pBt, 0);
+      rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pBt, 0, 0);
       if( rc==SQLITE_NOMEM || rc==SQLITE_IOERR_NOMEM ){
         sqlite3OomFault(db);
       }
       if( rc!=SQLITE_OK ) return;
       openedTransaction = 1;

Index: src/test3.c
==================================================================
--- src/test3.c
+++ src/test3.c
@@ -131,11 +131,11 @@
        " ID\"", 0);
     return TCL_ERROR;
   }
   pBt = sqlite3TestTextToPtr(argv[1]);
   sqlite3BtreeEnter(pBt);
-  rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pBt, 1);
+  rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pBt, 1, 0);
   sqlite3BtreeLeave(pBt);
   if( rc!=SQLITE_OK ){
     Tcl_AppendResult(interp, sqlite3ErrName(rc), 0);
     return TCL_ERROR;
   }

Index: src/vacuum.c
==================================================================
--- src/vacuum.c
+++ src/vacuum.c
@@ -222,11 +222,11 @@
   ** file. This is done before the sqlite3BtreeGetPageSize(pMain) call below,
   ** to ensure that we do not try to change the page-size on a WAL database.
   */
   rc = execSql(db, pzErrMsg, "BEGIN");
   if( rc!=SQLITE_OK ) goto end_of_vacuum;
-  rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pMain, 2);
+  rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pMain, 2, 0);
   if( rc!=SQLITE_OK ) goto end_of_vacuum;
 
   /* Do not attempt to change the page size for a WAL database */
   if( sqlite3PagerGetJournalMode(sqlite3BtreePager(pMain))
                                                ==PAGER_JOURNALMODE_WAL ){

Index: src/vdbe.c
==================================================================
--- src/vdbe.c
+++ src/vdbe.c
@@ -3200,12 +3200,12 @@
 ** halts.  The sqlite3_step() wrapper function might then reprepare the
 ** statement and rerun it from the beginning.
 */
 case OP_Transaction: {
   Btree *pBt;
-  int iMeta;
-  int iGen;
+  int iMeta = 0;
+  int iGen = 0;
 
   assert( p->bIsReader );
   assert( p->readOnly==0 || pOp->p2==0 );
   assert( pOp->p1>=0 && pOp->p1<db->nDb );
   assert( DbMaskTest(p->btreeMask, pOp->p1) );
@@ -3214,11 +3214,11 @@
     goto abort_due_to_error;
   }
   pBt = db->aDb[pOp->p1].pBt;
 
   if( pBt ){
-    rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pBt, pOp->p2);
+    rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pBt, pOp->p2, &iMeta);
     testcase( rc==SQLITE_BUSY_SNAPSHOT );
     testcase( rc==SQLITE_BUSY_RECOVERY );
     if( rc!=SQLITE_OK ){
       if( (rc&0xff)==SQLITE_BUSY ){
         p->pc = (int)(pOp - aOp);
@@ -3253,14 +3253,11 @@
     /* Gather the schema version number for checking:
     ** IMPLEMENTATION-OF: R-03189-51135 As each SQL statement runs, the schema
     ** version is checked to ensure that the schema has not changed since the
     ** SQL statement was prepared.
     */
-    sqlite3BtreeGetMeta(pBt, BTREE_SCHEMA_VERSION, (u32 *)&iMeta);
     iGen = db->aDb[pOp->p1].pSchema->iGeneration;
-  }else{
-    iGen = iMeta = 0;
   }
   assert( pOp->p5==0 || pOp->p4type==P4_INT32 );
   if( pOp->p5 && (iMeta!=pOp->p3 || iGen!=pOp->p4.i) ){
     sqlite3DbFree(db, p->zErrMsg);
     p->zErrMsg = sqlite3DbStrDup(db, "database schema has changed");
@@ -3624,11 +3621,11 @@
   pCx->nullRow = 1;
   pCx->isEphemeral = 1;
   rc = sqlite3BtreeOpen(db->pVfs, 0, db, &pCx->pBtx, 
                         BTREE_OMIT_JOURNAL | BTREE_SINGLE | pOp->p5, vfsFlags);
   if( rc==SQLITE_OK ){
-    rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pCx->pBtx, 1);
+    rc = sqlite3BtreeBeginTrans(pCx->pBtx, 1, 0);
   }
   if( rc==SQLITE_OK ){
     /* If a transient index is required, create it by calling
     ** sqlite3BtreeCreateTable() with the BTREE_BLOBKEY flag before
     ** opening it. If a transient table is required, just use the