diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/transaction/RetryingTransactionAdvice.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/transaction/RetryingTransactionAdvice.java
index 1c75af998b..8491d58bd6 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/transaction/RetryingTransactionAdvice.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/transaction/RetryingTransactionAdvice.java
@@ -134,6 +134,11 @@ public class RetryingTransactionAdvice implements MethodInterceptor
                         }
                         break;
                     }
+                    // Apparently java.lang.Throwable default the cause as 'this'.
+                    if (t == t.getCause())
+                    {
+                        break;
+                    }
                     t = t.getCause();
                 }
                 if (shouldRetry)
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/transaction/RetryingTransactionHelper.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/transaction/RetryingTransactionHelper.java
index 38ecf1cc9b..271b065f57 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/transaction/RetryingTransactionHelper.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/transaction/RetryingTransactionHelper.java
@@ -183,6 +183,10 @@ public class RetryingTransactionHelper
                         }
                         break;
                     }
+                    if (t == t.getCause())
+                    {
+                        break;
+                    }
                     t = t.getCause();
                 }
                 if (shouldRetry)