diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3358c98..d41b164 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -10,18 +10,18 @@ a sibling of the `mongo` lib. Class is **`PsqlDB`**.
 `requirements.txt`:
 
 ```
-psql @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/psql.git@v0.1.0
+psql @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/psql.git@v0.1.1
 ```
 
 Direct:
 
 ```bash
-pip install "psql @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/psql.git@v0.1.0"
+pip install "psql @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/psql.git@v0.1.1"
 ```
 
 Pulls `asyncpg`.
 
-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 1de159a..8579d95 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "hatchling.build"
 
 [project]
 name = "psql"
-version = "0.1.0"
+version = "0.1.1"
 description = "async postgres wrapper over asyncpg: two-layer API (friendly verbs + raw escape hatch), fail-loud, config-free"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
 dependencies = [
diff --git a/src/psql/psql.py b/src/psql/psql.py
index d4c4e79..39204c5 100644
--- a/src/psql/psql.py
+++ b/src/psql/psql.py
@@ -338,8 +338,16 @@ class _Transaction:
 
     async def __aenter__(self):
         self._conn = await self._pool.acquire()
-        self._tx = self._conn.transaction()
-        await self._tx.start()
+        try:
+            self._tx = self._conn.transaction()
+            await self._tx.start()
+        except BaseException:
+            # start() (or transaction()) 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.
+            await self._pool.release(self._conn)
+            self._conn = None
+            raise
         return self._conn
 
     async def __aexit__(self, exc_type, exc, tb) -> None: