diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a9b585e..c6c40cd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -11,18 +11,18 @@ wire-compatible and share the driver, so this covers both.
 `requirements.txt`:
 
 ```
-mysql @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/mysql.git@v0.1.0
+mysql @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/mysql.git@v0.1.1
 ```
 
 Direct:
 
 ```bash
-pip install "mysql @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/mysql.git@v0.1.0"
+pip install "mysql @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/mysql.git@v0.1.1"
 ```
 
 Pulls `aiomysql` (which pulls `PyMySQL`).
 
-Drop the `@v0.1.0` suffix from the line above to install the latest unpinned.
+Drop the `@v0.1.1` suffix from the line above to install the latest unpinned.
 
 ## The two-layer API
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 451d2b1..d57e484 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "hatchling.build"
 
 [project]
 name = "mysql"
-version = "0.1.0"
+version = "0.1.1"
 description = "async mysql/mariadb wrapper over aiomysql: two-layer API (friendly verbs + raw escape hatch), fail-loud, config-free"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
 dependencies = [
diff --git a/src/mysql/mysql.py b/src/mysql/mysql.py
index c6241ec..5f3cd53 100644
--- a/src/mysql/mysql.py
+++ b/src/mysql/mysql.py
@@ -373,7 +373,15 @@ class _Transaction:
 
     async def __aenter__(self):
         self._conn = await self._pool.acquire()
-        await self._conn.begin()
+        try:
+            await self._conn.begin()
+        except BaseException:
+            # begin() failing after acquire would otherwise leak the pooled connection —
+            # __aexit__ is not called when __aenter__ raises. release it and reset so a
+            # failed transaction start never burns a pool slot.
+            self._pool.release(self._conn)
+            self._conn = None
+            raise
         return self._conn
 
     async def __aexit__(self, exc_type, exc, tb) -> None: