diff --git a/apps/history/api.py b/apps/history/api.py
index 3f0d81a52d..b15e15a13f 100644
--- a/apps/history/api.py
+++ b/apps/history/api.py
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 import pickle
 import json
 
+try:
+    from psycopg2 import OperationalError
+except ImportError:
+    class OperationalError(Exception):
+        pass
+
+from django.db import transaction
 from django.db.utils import DatabaseError
 #from django.utils import simplejson
 from django.core import serializers
@@ -10,7 +17,7 @@ from django.db import models
 from history.models import HistoryType, History
 from history.runtime_data import history_types_dict
 
-
+@transaction.commit_manually
 def register_history_type(history_type_dict):
     namespace = history_type_dict['namespace']
     name = history_type_dict['name']
@@ -29,8 +36,14 @@ def register_history_type(history_type_dict):
             'expressions': history_type_dict.get('expressions', []),
         }
     except DatabaseError:
-        #Special case for ./manage.py syncdb
-        pass
+        transaction.rollback()
+        # Special case for ./manage.py syncdb
+    except OperationalError:
+        transaction.rollback()
+        # Special for DjangoZoom, which executes collectstatic media
+        # doing syncdb and creating the database tables
+    else:
+        transaction.commit()
 
 
 def create_history(history_type_dict, source_object=None, data=None):
diff --git a/apps/ocr/__init__.py b/apps/ocr/__init__.py
index 366c84ad8a..42d691f7df 100644
--- a/apps/ocr/__init__.py
+++ b/apps/ocr/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+try:
+    from psycopg2 import OperationalError
+except ImportError:
+    class OperationalError(Exception):
+        pass
+
+from django.db import transaction
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext
 from django.db.utils import DatabaseError
@@ -65,14 +72,22 @@ register_tool(all_document_ocr_cleanup, namespace='ocr', title=_(u'OCR'))
 #Menus
 register_top_menu('ocr', link={'text': _('OCR'), 'famfam': 'hourglass', 'view': 'queue_document_list'}, children_path_regex=[r'^ocr/'])
 
-try:
-    default_queue, created = DocumentQueue.objects.get_or_create(name='default')
-    if created:
-        default_queue.label = ugettext(u'Default')
-        default_queue.save()
-except DatabaseError:
-    #syncdb
-    pass
+@transaction.commit_manually
+def create_default_queue():
+    try:
+        default_queue, created = DocumentQueue.objects.get_or_create(name='default')
+        if created:
+            default_queue.label = ugettext(u'Default')
+            default_queue.save()
+    except DatabaseError:
+        transaction.rollback()
+        # Special case for ./manage.py syncdb
+    except OperationalError:
+        transaction.rollback()
+        # Special for DjangoZoom, which executes collectstatic media
+        # doing syncdb and creating the database tables
+    else:
+        transaction.commit()
 
 
 def document_post_save(sender, instance, **kwargs):
@@ -82,4 +97,6 @@ def document_post_save(sender, instance, **kwargs):
 
 post_save.connect(document_post_save, sender=Document)
 
+create_default_queue()
+
 register_interval_job('task_process_document_queues', _(u'Checks the OCR queue for pending documents.'), task_process_document_queues, seconds=QUEUE_PROCESSING_INTERVAL)
diff --git a/apps/permissions/api.py b/apps/permissions/api.py
index ac30aa43a5..d2a860ebc7 100644
--- a/apps/permissions/api.py
+++ b/apps/permissions/api.py
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
+try:
+    from psycopg2 import OperationalError
+except ImportError:
+    class OperationalError(Exception):
+        pass
+
+from django.db import transaction
 from django.db.utils import DatabaseError
 from django.shortcuts import get_object_or_404
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext
 from django.core.exceptions import PermissionDenied
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
-from django.db import transaction
 
 from permissions import PERMISSION_ROLE_VIEW, PERMISSION_ROLE_EDIT, \
     PERMISSION_ROLE_CREATE, PERMISSION_ROLE_DELETE, \
@@ -29,7 +35,11 @@ def register_permission(permission):
         permission_obj.save()
     except DatabaseError:
         transaction.rollback()
-        #Special case for ./manage.py syncdb
+        # Special case for ./manage.py syncdb
+    except OperationalError:
+        transaction.rollback()
+        # Special for DjangoZoom, which executes collectstatic media
+        # doing syncdb and creating the database tables
     else:
         transaction.commit()