diff --git a/pkg/storage/driver/sql.go b/pkg/storage/driver/sql.go
index 85e6cbd3f..c98478d95 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/driver/sql.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/driver/sql.go
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ func (s *SQL) ensureDBSetup() error {
 				},
 				Down: []string{
 					fmt.Sprintf(`
-						DELETE TABLE %s;
+						DROP TABLE %s;
 					`, sqlCustomLabelsTableName),
 				},
 			},
@@ -569,7 +569,11 @@ func (s *SQL) Create(key string, rel release.Releaser) error {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-	defer transaction.Commit()
+
+	if err := transaction.Commit(); err != nil {
+		s.Logger().Debug("failed to commit release creation", slog.String("key", key), slog.Any("error", err))
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to commit release creation: %w", err)
+	}
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -649,7 +653,6 @@ func (s *SQL) Delete(key string) (release.Releaser, error) {
 		transaction.Rollback()
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	defer transaction.Commit()
 
 	deleteQuery, args, err := s.statementBuilder.
 		Delete(sqlReleaseTableName).
@@ -658,12 +661,14 @@ func (s *SQL) Delete(key string) (release.Releaser, error) {
 		ToSql()
 	if err != nil {
 		s.Logger().Debug("failed to build delete query", slog.Any("error", err))
+		transaction.Rollback()
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	_, err = transaction.Exec(deleteQuery, args...)
 	if err != nil {
 		s.Logger().Debug("failed perform delete query", slog.Any("error", err))
+		transaction.Rollback()
 		return release, err
 	}
 
@@ -673,6 +678,7 @@ func (s *SQL) Delete(key string) (release.Releaser, error) {
 			slog.String("namespace", s.namespace),
 			slog.String("key", key),
 			slog.Any("error", err))
+		transaction.Rollback()
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -684,10 +690,21 @@ func (s *SQL) Delete(key string) (release.Releaser, error) {
 
 	if err != nil {
 		s.Logger().Debug("failed to build delete Labels query", slog.Any("error", err))
+		transaction.Rollback()
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	_, err = transaction.Exec(deleteCustomLabelsQuery, args...)
-	return release, err
+
+	if _, err = transaction.Exec(deleteCustomLabelsQuery, args...); err != nil {
+		transaction.Rollback()
+		return release, err
+	}
+
+	if err := transaction.Commit(); err != nil {
+		s.Logger().Debug("failed to commit release deletion", slog.String("key", key), slog.Any("error", err))
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to commit release deletion: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return release, nil
 }
 
 // Get release custom labels from database
diff --git a/pkg/storage/driver/sql_test.go b/pkg/storage/driver/sql_test.go
index 6044ce3c6..74202befb 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/driver/sql_test.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/driver/sql_test.go
@@ -263,6 +263,66 @@ func TestSqlCreate(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// A COMMIT failure must surface as an error: previously the commit ran in a
+// defer with its error discarded, so Create reported success while the
+// release record was never persisted.
+func TestSqlCreateCommitFailure(t *testing.T) {
+	vers := 1
+	name := "smug-pigeon"
+	namespace := "default"
+	key := testKey(name, vers)
+	rel := releaseStub(name, vers, namespace, common.StatusDeployed)
+
+	sqlDriver, mock := newTestFixtureSQL(t)
+	body, _ := encodeRelease(rel)
+
+	query := fmt.Sprintf(
+		"INSERT INTO %s (%s,%s,%s,%s,%s,%s,%s,%s,%s) VALUES ($1,$2,$3,$4,$5,$6,$7,$8,$9)",
+		sqlReleaseTableName,
+		sqlReleaseTableKeyColumn,
+		sqlReleaseTableTypeColumn,
+		sqlReleaseTableBodyColumn,
+		sqlReleaseTableNameColumn,
+		sqlReleaseTableNamespaceColumn,
+		sqlReleaseTableVersionColumn,
+		sqlReleaseTableStatusColumn,
+		sqlReleaseTableOwnerColumn,
+		sqlReleaseTableCreatedAtColumn,
+	)
+
+	mock.ExpectBegin()
+	mock.
+		ExpectExec(regexp.QuoteMeta(query)).
+		WithArgs(key, sqlReleaseDefaultType, body, rel.Name, rel.Namespace, int(rel.Version), rel.Info.Status.String(), sqlReleaseDefaultOwner, recentUnixTimestamp()).
+		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(1, 1))
+
+	labelsQuery := fmt.Sprintf(
+		"INSERT INTO %s (%s,%s,%s,%s) VALUES ($1,$2,$3,$4)",
+		sqlCustomLabelsTableName,
+		sqlCustomLabelsTableReleaseKeyColumn,
+		sqlCustomLabelsTableReleaseNamespaceColumn,
+		sqlCustomLabelsTableKeyColumn,
+		sqlCustomLabelsTableValueColumn,
+	)
+
+	mock.MatchExpectationsInOrder(false)
+	for k, v := range filterSystemLabels(rel.Labels) {
+		mock.
+			ExpectExec(regexp.QuoteMeta(labelsQuery)).
+			WithArgs(key, rel.Namespace, k, v).
+			WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(1, 1))
+	}
+	mock.ExpectCommit().WillReturnError(errors.New("connection reset by peer"))
+
+	if err := sqlDriver.Create(key, rel); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected Create to fail when COMMIT fails, got nil")
+	}
+
+	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("sql expectations weren't met: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestSqlCreateAlreadyExists(t *testing.T) {
 	vers := 1
 	name := "smug-pigeon"
@@ -556,6 +616,75 @@ func TestSqlDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// A COMMIT failure must surface as an error: previously the commit ran in a
+// defer registered before the DELETE statements, so any error after it still
+// committed a partial deletion while Delete reported failure — or, on commit
+// failure, reported success while nothing was deleted.
+func TestSqlDeleteCommitFailure(t *testing.T) {
+	vers := 1
+	name := "smug-pigeon"
+	namespace := "default"
+	key := testKey(name, vers)
+	rel := releaseStub(name, vers, namespace, common.StatusDeployed)
+	body, _ := encodeRelease(rel)
+
+	sqlDriver, mock := newTestFixtureSQL(t)
+
+	selectQuery := fmt.Sprintf(
+		"SELECT %s FROM %s WHERE %s = $1 AND %s = $2",
+		sqlReleaseTableBodyColumn,
+		sqlReleaseTableName,
+		sqlReleaseTableKeyColumn,
+		sqlReleaseTableNamespaceColumn,
+	)
+
+	mock.ExpectBegin()
+	mock.
+		ExpectQuery(regexp.QuoteMeta(selectQuery)).
+		WithArgs(key, namespace).
+		WillReturnRows(
+			mock.NewRows([]string{
+				sqlReleaseTableBodyColumn,
+			}).AddRow(
+				body,
+			),
+		).RowsWillBeClosed()
+
+	deleteQuery := fmt.Sprintf(
+		"DELETE FROM %s WHERE %s = $1 AND %s = $2",
+		sqlReleaseTableName,
+		sqlReleaseTableKeyColumn,
+		sqlReleaseTableNamespaceColumn,
+	)
+	mock.
+		ExpectExec(regexp.QuoteMeta(deleteQuery)).
+		WithArgs(key, namespace).
+		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(0, 1))
+
+	mockGetReleaseCustomLabels(mock, key, namespace, rel.Labels)
+
+	deleteLabelsQuery := fmt.Sprintf(
+		"DELETE FROM %s WHERE %s = $1 AND %s = $2",
+		sqlCustomLabelsTableName,
+		sqlCustomLabelsTableReleaseKeyColumn,
+		sqlCustomLabelsTableReleaseNamespaceColumn,
+	)
+	mock.
+		ExpectExec(regexp.QuoteMeta(deleteLabelsQuery)).
+		WithArgs(key, namespace).
+		WillReturnResult(sqlmock.NewResult(0, 1))
+
+	mock.ExpectCommit().WillReturnError(errors.New("connection reset by peer"))
+
+	if _, err := sqlDriver.Delete(key); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected Delete to fail when COMMIT fails, got nil")
+	}
+
+	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("sql expectations weren't met: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func mockGetReleaseCustomLabels(mock sqlmock.Sqlmock, key string, namespace string, labels map[string]string) {
 	query := fmt.Sprintf(
 		regexp.QuoteMeta("SELECT %s, %s FROM %s WHERE %s = $1 AND %s = $2"),