diff --git a/ovsdb/TODO.rst b/ovsdb/TODO.rst
index 3bd4e761c58..fb4a50fa678 100644
--- a/ovsdb/TODO.rst
+++ b/ovsdb/TODO.rst
@@ -39,9 +39,6 @@ OVSDB Clustering To-do List
 
 * Include index with monitor update?
 
-* Back off when transaction fails to commit?  Definitely back off until
-  the eid changes for prereq failures
-
 * Testing with replication.
 
 * Handling bad transactions in read_db().  (Kill the database?)
diff --git a/ovsdb/raft.c b/ovsdb/raft.c
index 68b527c12a3..eee4f336a2b 100644
--- a/ovsdb/raft.c
+++ b/ovsdb/raft.c
@@ -1906,7 +1906,7 @@ raft_get_eid(const struct raft *raft, uint64_t index)
     return &raft->snap.eid;
 }
 
-static const struct uuid *
+const struct uuid *
 raft_current_eid(const struct raft *raft)
 {
     return raft_get_eid(raft, raft->log_end - 1);
diff --git a/ovsdb/raft.h b/ovsdb/raft.h
index cd16782b805..3d448995af2 100644
--- a/ovsdb/raft.h
+++ b/ovsdb/raft.h
@@ -180,4 +180,5 @@ struct ovsdb_error *raft_store_snapshot(struct raft *,
 void raft_take_leadership(struct raft *);
 void raft_transfer_leadership(struct raft *, const char *reason);
 
+const struct uuid *raft_current_eid(const struct raft *);
 #endif /* lib/raft.h */
diff --git a/ovsdb/storage.c b/ovsdb/storage.c
index b810bff041d..e26252b066f 100644
--- a/ovsdb/storage.c
+++ b/ovsdb/storage.c
@@ -601,3 +601,12 @@ ovsdb_storage_write_schema_change(struct ovsdb_storage *storage,
     }
     return w;
 }
+
+const struct uuid *
+ovsdb_storage_peek_last_eid(struct ovsdb_storage *storage)
+{
+    if (!storage->raft) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    return raft_current_eid(storage->raft);
+}
diff --git a/ovsdb/storage.h b/ovsdb/storage.h
index 4a01fde9174..8a9bbab709e 100644
--- a/ovsdb/storage.h
+++ b/ovsdb/storage.h
@@ -91,4 +91,6 @@ struct ovsdb_storage *ovsdb_storage_open_standalone(const char *filename,
                                                     bool rw);
 struct ovsdb_schema *ovsdb_storage_read_schema(struct ovsdb_storage *);
 
+const struct uuid *ovsdb_storage_peek_last_eid(struct ovsdb_storage *);
+
 #endif /* ovsdb/storage.h */
diff --git a/ovsdb/transaction.c b/ovsdb/transaction.c
index 9fc1fd7f75c..67ea771d695 100644
--- a/ovsdb/transaction.c
+++ b/ovsdb/transaction.c
@@ -1011,6 +1011,16 @@ struct ovsdb_txn_progress {
     struct ovsdb_storage *storage;
 };
 
+bool
+ovsdb_txn_precheck_prereq(const struct ovsdb *db)
+{
+    const struct uuid *eid = ovsdb_storage_peek_last_eid(db->storage);
+    if (!eid) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    return uuid_equals(&db->prereq, eid);
+}
+
 struct ovsdb_txn_progress *
 ovsdb_txn_propose_schema_change(struct ovsdb *db,
                                 const struct json *schema,
diff --git a/ovsdb/transaction.h b/ovsdb/transaction.h
index c8193735706..c21871a45ef 100644
--- a/ovsdb/transaction.h
+++ b/ovsdb/transaction.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ void ovsdb_txn_set_txnid(const struct uuid *, struct ovsdb_txn *);
 const struct uuid *ovsdb_txn_get_txnid(const struct ovsdb_txn *);
 void ovsdb_txn_abort(struct ovsdb_txn *);
 
+bool ovsdb_txn_precheck_prereq(const struct ovsdb *db);
 struct ovsdb_error *ovsdb_txn_replay_commit(struct ovsdb_txn *)
     OVS_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
 struct ovsdb_txn_progress *ovsdb_txn_propose_commit(struct ovsdb_txn *,
diff --git a/ovsdb/trigger.c b/ovsdb/trigger.c
index 3f62dc96fec..6f4ed96b000 100644
--- a/ovsdb/trigger.c
+++ b/ovsdb/trigger.c
@@ -194,6 +194,10 @@ ovsdb_trigger_try(struct ovsdb_trigger *t, long long int now)
         struct ovsdb_txn *txn = NULL;
         struct ovsdb *newdb = NULL;
         if (!strcmp(t->request->method, "transact")) {
+            if (!ovsdb_txn_precheck_prereq(t->db)) {
+                return false;
+            }
+
             bool durable;
 
             struct json *result;