diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index b734503..ecbee70 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -274,7 +274,8 @@ class HyperDB {
     definition,
     {
       versions = definition.versions,
-      snapshot = engine.snapshot(),
+      snapshotOptions = {},
+      snapshot = engine.snapshot(snapshotOptions),
       updates = new Updates(1, []),
       rootInstance = null,
       writable = true,
@@ -282,6 +283,7 @@ class HyperDB {
     } = {}
   ) {
     this.versions = versions
+    this.snapshotOptions = snapshotOptions
     this.context = context
     this.index = 0 // for the session
     this.engine = engine
@@ -453,11 +455,16 @@ class HyperDB {
     this.engine = null
   }
 
-  _createSnapshot(rootInstance, writable, context) {
-    const snapshot = this.engineSnapshot.ref()
+  _createSnapshot(rootInstance, writable, context, options) {
+    const opts = engineOptions(options)
+    const snapshotOptions = opts ? { ...this.snapshotOptions, ...opts } : this.snapshotOptions
+    const snapshot = opts
+      ? this.engine.snapshotFrom(this.engineSnapshot, snapshotOptions)
+      : this.engineSnapshot.ref()
 
     return new HyperDB(this.engine, this.definition, {
       versions: this.versions,
+      snapshotOptions,
       snapshot,
       updates: this.updates.ref(),
       rootInstance,
@@ -470,7 +477,7 @@ class HyperDB {
     maybeClosed(this)
 
     const context = (options && options.context) || this.context
-    return this._createSnapshot(this, false, context)
+    return this._createSnapshot(this, false, context, options)
   }
 
   // in future major, lets move transaction to be exclusive (aka sync) always
@@ -494,7 +501,7 @@ class HyperDB {
     }
 
     const context = (options && options.context) || this.context
-    const tx = this._createSnapshot(this, true, context)
+    const tx = this._createSnapshot(this, true, context, options)
 
     tx.update()
 
@@ -744,7 +751,7 @@ class HyperDB {
     this.updates.flush()
 
     this.engineSnapshot.unref()
-    this.engineSnapshot = this.engine.snapshot()
+    this.engineSnapshot = this.engine.snapshot(this.snapshotOptions)
 
     if (this.watchers !== null) {
       for (const fn of this.watchers) fn()
@@ -783,6 +790,13 @@ function maybeClosed(db) {
   if (db.closing !== null) throw new Error('Hyperdb is closed')
 }
 
+// strips hyperdb-level options, returns null if nothing is left for the engine
+function engineOptions(options) {
+  if (!options) return null
+  const { context, ...opts } = options
+  return Object.keys(opts).length > 0 ? opts : null
+}
+
 function withinRange(range, key) {
   if (range.gte && b4a.compare(range.gte, key) > 0) return false
   if (range.gt && b4a.compare(range.gt, key) >= 0) return false
diff --git a/lib/engine/bee.js b/lib/engine/bee.js
index 385ba71..a583962 100644
--- a/lib/engine/bee.js
+++ b/lib/engine/bee.js
@@ -140,6 +140,10 @@ module.exports = class BeeEngine {
     return new BeeSnapshot(this.db.snapshot(), this._freeSnapBound)
   }
 
+  snapshotFrom(snap) {
+    return snap.ref() // snapshot options not supported
+  }
+
   outdated(snap) {
     return (
       snap === null ||
diff --git a/lib/engine/bee2.js b/lib/engine/bee2.js
index e5ab238..c6620a2 100644
--- a/lib/engine/bee2.js
+++ b/lib/engine/bee2.js
@@ -157,9 +157,14 @@ module.exports = class Bee2Engine {
     return stream
   }
 
-  snapshot() {
+  snapshot(opts) {
     this.snaps.inc()
-    return new BeeSnapshot(this.db.snapshot(), this._freeSnapBound)
+    return new BeeSnapshot(this.db.snapshot(opts), this._freeSnapBound)
+  }
+
+  snapshotFrom(snap, opts) {
+    this.snaps.inc()
+    return new BeeSnapshot(snap.snapshot.snapshot(opts), this._freeSnapBound)
   }
 
   checkout(opts) {
diff --git a/lib/engine/rocks.js b/lib/engine/rocks.js
index 16a1b34..9549fba 100644
--- a/lib/engine/rocks.js
+++ b/lib/engine/rocks.js
@@ -153,6 +153,10 @@ module.exports = class RocksEngine {
     return new RocksSnapshot(this.db.snapshot(), this.clock)
   }
 
+  snapshotFrom(snap) {
+    return snap.ref() // snapshot options not supported
+  }
+
   outdated(snap) {
     return snap === null || snap.clock !== this.clock
   }
diff --git a/test/checkout.js b/test/checkout.js
index ae8a905..cd8ebe1 100644
--- a/test/checkout.js
+++ b/test/checkout.js
@@ -59,3 +59,83 @@ test.bee2('empty checkout', async function ({ create }, t) {
 
   await db.close()
 })
+
+test.bee2('transaction discards dry-run writes', async function ({ create }, t) {
+  const db = await create()
+
+  await db.insert('@db/members', { id: 'a', age: 40 })
+  await db.flush()
+
+  const snapshot = db.engineSnapshot
+  db.update()
+  t.is(db.engineSnapshot, snapshot, 'current update reuses the snapshot')
+  const ordinary = db.transaction()
+  t.is(ordinary.engineSnapshot, snapshot, 'ordinary transaction reuses the snapshot')
+  await ordinary.close()
+
+  const tx = db.transaction({ timeout: 100 })
+  t.is(tx.engineSnapshot.snapshot.config.timeout, 100)
+
+  await db.insert('@db/members', { id: 'b', age: 41 })
+  await db.flush()
+
+  t.ok(await tx.get('@db/members', { id: 'a' }))
+  t.absent(await tx.get('@db/members', { id: 'b' }))
+
+  await tx.insert('@db/members', { id: 'c', age: 42 })
+
+  t.ok(await tx.get('@db/members', { id: 'c' }))
+
+  t.ok(await db.get('@db/members', { id: 'a' }))
+  t.ok(await db.get('@db/members', { id: 'b' }))
+  t.absent(await db.get('@db/members', { id: 'c' }))
+
+  await tx.close()
+  await db.close()
+})
+
+test.bee2('transaction timeout', async function ({ create }, t) {
+  const db = await create()
+  await db.ready()
+
+  // unavailable block will trigger timeout
+  db.db.move({ length: db.core.length + 1 })
+  const tx = db.transaction({ timeout: 100 })
+
+  await t.exception(tx.get('@db/members', { id: 'a' }), /REQUEST_TIMEOUT/)
+
+  await tx.close()
+  await db.close()
+})
+
+test.bee2('snapshot options keep the parent position', async function ({ create }, t) {
+  const db = await create()
+
+  await db.insert('@db/members', { id: 'a', age: 40 })
+  await db.flush()
+
+  // pending write on root, then a commit past it leaves root outdated
+  await db.insert('@db/members', { id: 'p', age: 1 })
+  const ahead = db.transaction()
+  await ahead.insert('@db/members', { id: 'b', age: 41 })
+  await ahead.flush()
+
+  const snap = db.snapshot({ timeout: 100, wait: false })
+  t.is(snap.engineSnapshot.snapshot.config.timeout, 100)
+  t.is(snap.engineSnapshot.snapshot.config.wait, false)
+  t.absent(await snap.get('@db/members', { id: 'b' }), 'stays at root position')
+
+  const child = snap.snapshot({ timeout: 200 })
+  t.is(child.engineSnapshot.snapshot.config.timeout, 200)
+  t.is(child.engineSnapshot.snapshot.config.wait, false, 'inherits wait')
+
+  const tx = db.transaction({ timeout: 100 })
+  t.is(tx.updates.size, 0, 'drops stale pending writes')
+  t.ok(await tx.get('@db/members', { id: 'b' }))
+  t.is(tx.engineSnapshot.snapshot.config.timeout, 100, 'keeps options after update')
+
+  await child.close()
+  await snap.close()
+  await tx.close()
+  await db.close()
+})
diff --git a/test/snapshot.js b/test/snapshot.js
index 7df947a..e032382 100644
--- a/test/snapshot.js
+++ b/test/snapshot.js
@@ -123,3 +123,46 @@ test('root close waits for snapshot closes', async function ({ create }, t) {
   t.ok(snap.closed)
   t.ok(snapOfSnap.closed)
 })
+
+test('context-only options share the parent snapshot', async function ({ create }, t) {
+  const db = await create()
+
+  await db.insert('@db/members', { id: 'a', age: 40 })
+  await db.flush()
+
+  const context = {}
+
+  const snap = db.snapshot({ context })
+  t.is(snap.context, context)
+  t.is(snap.engineSnapshot, db.engineSnapshot, 'snapshot reuses the engine snapshot')
+  t.absent('context' in snap.snapshotOptions, 'context is not an engine option')
+
+  const tx = db.transaction({ context })
+  t.is(tx.context, context)
+  t.is(tx.engineSnapshot, db.engineSnapshot, 'transaction reuses the engine snapshot')
+  t.absent('context' in tx.snapshotOptions, 'context is not an engine option')
+
+  await snap.close()
+  await tx.close()
+  await db.close()
+})
+
+test('passing snapshot options works on every engine', async function ({ create }, t) {
+  const db = await create()
+
+  await db.insert('@db/members', { id: 'a', age: 40 })
+  await db.flush()
+
+  const snap = db.snapshot({ timeout: 1000 })
+  t.alike(await snap.get('@db/members', { id: 'a' }), { id: 'a', age: 40 })
+
+  const tx = db.transaction({ timeout: 1000 })
+  t.alike(await tx.get('@db/members', { id: 'a' }), { id: 'a', age: 40 })
+  await tx.insert('@db/members', { id: 'b', age: 41 })
+  await tx.flush()
+
+  t.alike(await db.get('@db/members', { id: 'b' }), { id: 'b', age: 41 })
+
+  await snap.close()
+  await db.close()
+})