diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index a389412..71e55ee 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 2025-04-23 - 5.14.1 - fix(db operations)
+Update transaction API to consistently pass optional session parameters across database operations
+
+- Revised transaction support in readme to use startSession without await and showcased session usage in getInstance and save calls
+- Updated methods in classes.collection.ts to accept an optional session parameter for findOne, getCursor, findAll, insert, update, delete, and getCount
+- Enhanced SmartDataDbDoc save and delete methods to propagate session parameters
+- Improved overall consistency of transactional APIs across the library
+
 ## 2025-04-23 - 5.14.0 - feat(doc)
 Implement support for beforeSave, afterSave, beforeDelete, and afterDelete lifecycle hooks in document save and delete operations to allow custom logic execution during these critical moments.
 
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 185c928..2397b8a 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -409,19 +409,23 @@ class Product extends SmartDataDbDoc<Product, Product> {
 
 ### Transaction Support
 
-Use MongoDB transactions for atomic operations:
+Use MongoDB transactions for atomic operations. SmartData now exposes `startSession()` and accepts an optional session in all fetch and write APIs:
 
 ```typescript
-const session = await db.startSession();
+// start a client session (no await)
+const session = db.startSession();
 try {
+  // wrap operations in a transaction
   await session.withTransaction(async () => {
-    const user = await User.getInstance({ id: 'user-id' }, { session });
+    // pass session as second arg to getInstance
+    const user = await User.getInstance({ id: 'user-id' }, session);
     user.balance -= 100;
+    // pass session in save opts
     await user.save({ session });
 
-    const recipient = await User.getInstance({ id: 'recipient-id' }, { session });
+    const recipient = await User.getInstance({ id: 'recipient-id' }, session);
     recipient.balance += 100;
-    await user.save({ session });
+    await recipient.save({ session });
   });
 } finally {
   await session.endSession();
@@ -518,6 +522,11 @@ class Order extends SmartDataDbDoc<Order, Order> {
       throw new Error('Order cannot be deleted');
     }
   }
+  // Called after deleting the document
+  async afterDelete() {
+    // Cleanup or audit actions
+    await auditLogDeletion(this.id);
+  }
 }
 ```
 
diff --git a/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts b/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
index d3dce4d..653646c 100644
--- a/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
+++ b/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
  */
 export const commitinfo = {
   name: '@push.rocks/smartdata',
-  version: '5.14.0',
+  version: '5.14.1',
   description: 'An advanced library for NoSQL data organization and manipulation using TypeScript with support for MongoDB, data validation, collections, and custom data types.'
 }
diff --git a/ts/classes.collection.ts b/ts/classes.collection.ts
index 5ab6606..a3b2c76 100644
--- a/ts/classes.collection.ts
+++ b/ts/classes.collection.ts
@@ -222,29 +222,34 @@ export class SmartdataCollection<T> {
   /**
    * finds an object in the DbCollection
    */
-  public async findOne(filterObject: any): Promise<any> {
+  public async findOne(
+    filterObject: any,
+    opts?: { session?: plugins.mongodb.ClientSession }
+  ): Promise<any> {
     await this.init();
-    const cursor = this.mongoDbCollection.find(filterObject);
-    const result = await cursor.next();
-    cursor.close();
-    return result;
+    // Use MongoDB driver's findOne with optional session
+    return this.mongoDbCollection.findOne(filterObject, { session: opts?.session });
   }
 
   public async getCursor(
     filterObjectArg: any,
     dbDocArg: typeof SmartDataDbDoc,
+    opts?: { session?: plugins.mongodb.ClientSession }
   ): Promise<SmartdataDbCursor<any>> {
     await this.init();
-    const cursor = this.mongoDbCollection.find(filterObjectArg);
+    const cursor = this.mongoDbCollection.find(filterObjectArg, { session: opts?.session });
     return new SmartdataDbCursor(cursor, dbDocArg);
   }
 
   /**
    * finds an object in the DbCollection
    */
-  public async findAll(filterObject: any): Promise<any[]> {
+  public async findAll(
+    filterObject: any,
+    opts?: { session?: plugins.mongodb.ClientSession }
+  ): Promise<any[]> {
     await this.init();
-    const cursor = this.mongoDbCollection.find(filterObject);
+    const cursor = this.mongoDbCollection.find(filterObject, { session: opts?.session });
     const result = await cursor.toArray();
     cursor.close();
     return result;
@@ -276,7 +281,10 @@ export class SmartdataCollection<T> {
   /**
    * create an object in the database
    */
-  public async insert(dbDocArg: T & SmartDataDbDoc<T, unknown>): Promise<any> {
+  public async insert(
+    dbDocArg: T & SmartDataDbDoc<T, unknown>,
+    opts?: { session?: plugins.mongodb.ClientSession }
+  ): Promise<any> {
     await this.init();
     await this.checkDoc(dbDocArg);
     this.markUniqueIndexes(dbDocArg.uniqueIndexes);
@@ -287,14 +295,17 @@ export class SmartdataCollection<T> {
     }
     
     const saveableObject = await dbDocArg.createSavableObject();
-    const result = await this.mongoDbCollection.insertOne(saveableObject);
+    const result = await this.mongoDbCollection.insertOne(saveableObject, { session: opts?.session });
     return result;
   }
 
   /**
    * inserts object into the DbCollection
    */
-  public async update(dbDocArg: T & SmartDataDbDoc<T, unknown>): Promise<any> {
+  public async update(
+    dbDocArg: T & SmartDataDbDoc<T, unknown>,
+    opts?: { session?: plugins.mongodb.ClientSession }
+  ): Promise<any> {
     await this.init();
     await this.checkDoc(dbDocArg);
     const identifiableObject = await dbDocArg.createIdentifiableObject();
@@ -309,21 +320,27 @@ export class SmartdataCollection<T> {
     const result = await this.mongoDbCollection.updateOne(
       identifiableObject,
       { $set: updateableObject },
-      { upsert: true },
+      { upsert: true, session: opts?.session },
     );
     return result;
   }
 
-  public async delete(dbDocArg: T & SmartDataDbDoc<T, unknown>): Promise<any> {
+  public async delete(
+    dbDocArg: T & SmartDataDbDoc<T, unknown>,
+    opts?: { session?: plugins.mongodb.ClientSession }
+  ): Promise<any> {
     await this.init();
     await this.checkDoc(dbDocArg);
     const identifiableObject = await dbDocArg.createIdentifiableObject();
-    await this.mongoDbCollection.deleteOne(identifiableObject);
+    await this.mongoDbCollection.deleteOne(identifiableObject, { session: opts?.session });
   }
 
-  public async getCount(filterObject: any) {
+  public async getCount(
+    filterObject: any,
+    opts?: { session?: plugins.mongodb.ClientSession }
+  ) {
     await this.init();
-    return this.mongoDbCollection.countDocuments(filterObject);
+    return this.mongoDbCollection.countDocuments(filterObject, { session: opts?.session });
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/ts/classes.db.ts b/ts/classes.db.ts
index 20df5c0..9716628 100644
--- a/ts/classes.db.ts
+++ b/ts/classes.db.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ export class SmartdataDb {
     this.status = 'disconnected';
     logger.log('info', `disconnected from database ${this.smartdataOptions.mongoDbName}`);
   }
+  /**
+   * Start a MongoDB client session for transactions
+   */
+  public startSession(): plugins.mongodb.ClientSession {
+    return this.mongoDbClient.startSession();
+  }
 
   // handle table to class distribution
 
diff --git a/ts/classes.doc.ts b/ts/classes.doc.ts
index 5356220..2254063 100644
--- a/ts/classes.doc.ts
+++ b/ts/classes.doc.ts
@@ -11,8 +11,18 @@ import { SmartdataLuceneAdapter } from './classes.lucene.adapter.js';
  * - validate: post-fetch validator, return true to keep a doc
  */
 export interface SearchOptions<T> {
+  /**
+   * Additional MongoDB filter to AND‐merge into the query
+   */
   filter?: Record<string, any>;
+  /**
+   * Post‐fetch validator; return true to keep each doc
+   */
   validate?: (doc: T) => Promise<boolean> | boolean;
+  /**
+   * Optional MongoDB session for transactional operations
+   */
+  session?: plugins.mongodb.ClientSession;
 }
 
 export type TDocCreation = 'db' | 'new' | 'mixed';
@@ -193,8 +203,13 @@ export class SmartDataDbDoc<T extends TImplements, TImplements, TManager extends
   public static async getInstances<T>(
     this: plugins.tsclass.typeFest.Class<T>,
     filterArg: plugins.tsclass.typeFest.PartialDeep<T>,
+    opts?: { session?: plugins.mongodb.ClientSession }
   ): Promise<T[]> {
-    const foundDocs = await (this as any).collection.findAll(convertFilterForMongoDb(filterArg));
+    // Pass session through to findAll for transactional queries
+    const foundDocs = await (this as any).collection.findAll(
+      convertFilterForMongoDb(filterArg),
+      { session: opts?.session },
+    );
     const returnArray = [];
     for (const foundDoc of foundDocs) {
       const newInstance: T = (this as any).createInstanceFromMongoDbNativeDoc(foundDoc);
@@ -212,8 +227,13 @@ export class SmartDataDbDoc<T extends TImplements, TImplements, TManager extends
   public static async getInstance<T>(
     this: plugins.tsclass.typeFest.Class<T>,
     filterArg: plugins.tsclass.typeFest.PartialDeep<T>,
+    opts?: { session?: plugins.mongodb.ClientSession }
   ): Promise<T> {
-    const foundDoc = await (this as any).collection.findOne(convertFilterForMongoDb(filterArg));
+    // Retrieve one document, with optional session for transactions
+    const foundDoc = await (this as any).collection.findOne(
+      convertFilterForMongoDb(filterArg),
+      { session: opts?.session },
+    );
     if (foundDoc) {
       const newInstance: T = (this as any).createInstanceFromMongoDbNativeDoc(foundDoc);
       return newInstance;
@@ -236,14 +256,19 @@ export class SmartDataDbDoc<T extends TImplements, TImplements, TManager extends
    * get cursor
    * @returns
    */
+  /**
+   * Get a cursor for streaming results, with optional session
+   */
   public static async getCursor<T>(
     this: plugins.tsclass.typeFest.Class<T>,
     filterArg: plugins.tsclass.typeFest.PartialDeep<T>,
+    opts?: { session?: plugins.mongodb.ClientSession }
   ) {
     const collection: SmartdataCollection<T> = (this as any).collection;
     const cursor: SmartdataDbCursor<T> = await collection.getCursor(
       convertFilterForMongoDb(filterArg),
       this as any as typeof SmartDataDbDoc,
+      { session: opts?.session },
     );
     return cursor;
   }
@@ -339,7 +364,9 @@ export class SmartDataDbDoc<T extends TImplements, TImplements, TManager extends
     if (opts?.filter) {
       mongoFilter = { $and: [mongoFilter, opts.filter] };
     }
-    let docs: T[] = await (this as any).getInstances(mongoFilter);
+    // Fetch with optional session for transactions
+    // Fetch within optional session
+    let docs: T[] = await (this as any).getInstances(mongoFilter, { session: opts?.session });
     if (opts?.validate) {
       const out: T[] = [];
       for (const d of docs) {
@@ -546,10 +573,9 @@ export class SmartDataDbDoc<T extends TImplements, TImplements, TManager extends
   constructor() {}
 
   /**
-   * saves this instance but not any connected items
-   * may lead to data inconsistencies, but is faster
+   * saves this instance (optionally within a transaction)
    */
-  public async save() {
+  public async save(opts?: { session?: plugins.mongodb.ClientSession }) {
     // allow hook before saving
     if (typeof (this as any).beforeSave === 'function') {
       await (this as any).beforeSave();
@@ -562,10 +588,10 @@ export class SmartDataDbDoc<T extends TImplements, TImplements, TManager extends
     // perform insert or update
     switch (this.creationStatus) {
       case 'db':
-        dbResult = await this.collection.update(self);
+        dbResult = await this.collection.update(self, { session: opts?.session });
         break;
       case 'new':
-        dbResult = await this.collection.insert(self);
+        dbResult = await this.collection.insert(self, { session: opts?.session });
         this.creationStatus = 'db';
         break;
       default:
@@ -579,15 +605,15 @@ export class SmartDataDbDoc<T extends TImplements, TImplements, TManager extends
   }
 
   /**
-   * deletes a document from the database
+   * deletes a document from the database (optionally within a transaction)
    */
-  public async delete() {
+  public async delete(opts?: { session?: plugins.mongodb.ClientSession }) {
     // allow hook before deleting
     if (typeof (this as any).beforeDelete === 'function') {
       await (this as any).beforeDelete();
     }
     // perform deletion
-    const result = await this.collection.delete(this);
+    const result = await this.collection.delete(this, { session: opts?.session });
     // allow hook after delete
     if (typeof (this as any).afterDelete === 'function') {
       await (this as any).afterDelete();