diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/endtoend/main_test.go b/go/vt/vtgate/endtoend/main_test.go
index 046af36a3dd..29783035992 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/endtoend/main_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/endtoend/main_test.go
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ create table t1(
 	primary key(id1)
 ) Engine=InnoDB;
 
+create table t1_copy_basic(
+	id1 bigint,
+	id2 bigint,
+	primary key(id1)
+) Engine=InnoDB;
+
 create table t1_id2_idx(
 	id2 bigint,
 	keyspace_id varbinary(10),
@@ -134,6 +140,12 @@ create table t1_sharded(
 					Name:   "t1_id2_vdx",
 				}},
 			},
+			"t1_copy_basic": {
+				ColumnVindexes: []*vschemapb.ColumnVindex{{
+					Column: "id1",
+					Name:   "hash",
+				}},
+			},
 			"t1_sharded": {
 				ColumnVindexes: []*vschemapb.ColumnVindex{{
 					Column: "id1",
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/endtoend/vstream_test.go b/go/vt/vtgate/endtoend/vstream_test.go
index 477bb2518b5..2fc6cf2105b 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/endtoend/vstream_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/endtoend/vstream_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"regexp"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -98,18 +99,29 @@ func TestVStream(t *testing.T) {
 	// In a real world scenario where every mysql instance hosts only one
 	// keyspace/shard, we should expect only a single event.
 	// The events could come in any order as the scatter insert runs in parallel.
-	emptyEventSkipped := false
 	for i := 0; i < 2; i++ {
 		events, err := reader.Recv()
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 		fmt.Printf("events: %v\n", events)
-		// An empty transaction has three events: begin, gtid and commit.
-		if len(events) == 3 && !emptyEventSkipped {
-			emptyEventSkipped = true
-			continue
+
+		// An empty transaction has either:
+		// - three events: begin, vgtid and commit.
+		// - two events: vgtid and other
+		if len(events) == 3 {
+			if events[0].Type == binlogdatapb.VEventType_BEGIN &&
+				events[1].Type == binlogdatapb.VEventType_VGTID &&
+				events[2].Type == binlogdatapb.VEventType_COMMIT {
+				continue
+			}
+		} else if len(events) == 2 {
+			if events[0].Type == binlogdatapb.VEventType_VGTID &&
+				events[1].Type == binlogdatapb.VEventType_OTHER {
+				continue
+			}
 		}
+
 		if len(events) != 5 {
 			t.Errorf("Unexpected event length: %v", events)
 			continue
@@ -381,6 +393,149 @@ func TestVStreamSharded(t *testing.T) {
 
 }
 
+// TestVStreamCopyTransactions tests that we are properly wrapping
+// ROW events in the stream with BEGIN and COMMIT events.
+func TestVStreamCopyTransactions(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+	keyspace := "ks"
+	shards := []string{"-80", "80-"}
+	table := "t1_copy_basic"
+	beginEventSeen, commitEventSeen := false, false
+	numResultInTrx := 0
+	vgtid := &binlogdatapb.VGtid{
+		ShardGtids: []*binlogdatapb.ShardGtid{
+			{
+				Keyspace: keyspace,
+				Shard:    shards[0],
+				Gtid:     "", // Start a vstream copy
+			},
+			{
+				Keyspace: keyspace,
+				Shard:    shards[1],
+				Gtid:     "", // Start a vstream copy
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	filter := &binlogdatapb.Filter{
+		Rules: []*binlogdatapb.Rule{{
+			Match:  table,
+			Filter: fmt.Sprintf("select * from %s", table),
+		}},
+	}
+
+	gconn, conn, _, closeConnections := initialize(ctx, t)
+	defer closeConnections()
+
+	// Clear any existing data.
+	q := fmt.Sprintf("delete from %s", table)
+	_, err := conn.ExecuteFetch(q, -1, false)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "error clearing data: %v", err)
+
+	// Generate some test data. Enough to cross the default
+	// vstream_packet_size threshold.
+	for i := 1; i <= 100000; i++ {
+		values := fmt.Sprintf("(%d, %d)", i, i)
+		q := fmt.Sprintf("insert into %s (id1, id2) values %s", table, values)
+		_, err := conn.ExecuteFetch(q, 1, false)
+		require.NoError(t, err, "error inserting data: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Start a vstream.
+	reader, err := gconn.VStream(ctx, topodatapb.TabletType_PRIMARY, vgtid, filter, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "error starting vstream: %v", err)
+
+recvLoop:
+	for {
+		finished := true
+
+		vevents, err := reader.Recv()
+		numResultInTrx++
+		eventCount := len(vevents)
+		t.Logf("------------------ Received %d events in response #%d for the transaction ------------------\n",
+			eventCount, numResultInTrx)
+		switch err {
+		case nil:
+
+			for _, event := range vevents {
+				switch event.Type {
+				case binlogdatapb.VEventType_BEGIN:
+					require.False(t, beginEventSeen, "received a second BEGIN event within the transaction: numResultInTrx=%d\n",
+						numResultInTrx)
+					beginEventSeen = true
+					t.Logf("Found BEGIN event, beginEventSeen=%t, commitEventSeen=%t, eventType=%v, numResultInTrx=%d\n",
+						beginEventSeen, commitEventSeen, event.Type, numResultInTrx)
+					require.False(t, commitEventSeen, "received a BEGIN event when expecting a COMMIT event: numResultInTrx=%d\n",
+						numResultInTrx)
+				case binlogdatapb.VEventType_VGTID:
+					t.Logf("Found VGTID event, beginEventSeen=%t, commitEventSeen=%t, eventType=%v, numResultInTrx=%d, event=%+v\n",
+						beginEventSeen, commitEventSeen, event.Type, numResultInTrx, event)
+
+					finished = true
+					for _, shardGtid := range event.Vgtid.ShardGtids {
+						finished = finished && len(shardGtid.TablePKs) == 0
+					}
+
+				case binlogdatapb.VEventType_FIELD:
+					t.Logf("Found FIELD event, beginEventSeen=%t, commitEventSeen=%t, eventType=%v, numResultInTrx=%d, event=%+v\n",
+						beginEventSeen, commitEventSeen, event.Type, numResultInTrx, event)
+				case binlogdatapb.VEventType_ROW:
+					// Uncomment if you need to do more debugging.
+					// t.Logf("Found ROW event, beginEventSeen=%t, commitEventSeen=%t, eventType=%v, numResultInTrx=%d, event=%+v\n",
+					//	beginEventSeen, commitEventSeen, event.Type, numResultInTrx, event)
+
+				case binlogdatapb.VEventType_COMMIT:
+					commitEventSeen = true
+					t.Logf("Found COMMIT event, beginEventSeen=%t, commitEventSeen=%t, eventType=%v, numResultInTrx=%d, event=%+v\n",
+						beginEventSeen, commitEventSeen, event.Type, numResultInTrx, event)
+					require.True(t, beginEventSeen, "received COMMIT event before receiving BEGIN event: numResultInTrx=%d\n",
+						numResultInTrx)
+
+					if finished {
+						t.Logf("Finished vstream copy\n")
+						t.Logf("-------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n")
+						cancel()
+						break recvLoop
+					}
+
+				default:
+					t.Logf("Found extraneous event: %+v\n", event)
+				}
+				if beginEventSeen && commitEventSeen {
+					t.Logf("Received both BEGIN and COMMIT, so resetting transactional state\n")
+					beginEventSeen = false
+					commitEventSeen = false
+					numResultInTrx = 0
+				}
+			}
+		case io.EOF:
+			t.Logf("vstream ended\n")
+			t.Logf("-------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n")
+			cancel()
+			return
+		default:
+			require.FailNowf(t, "unexpected error", "encountered error in vstream: %v", err)
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	// The last response, when the vstream copy completes, does not
+	// typically contain ROW events.
+	if beginEventSeen || commitEventSeen {
+		require.True(t, (beginEventSeen && commitEventSeen), "did not receive both BEGIN and COMMIT events in the final ROW event set")
+	}
+}
+
+func removeAnyDeprecatedDisplayWidths(orig string) string {
+	var adjusted string
+	baseIntType := "int"
+	intRE := regexp.MustCompile(`(?i)int\(([0-9]*)?\)`)
+	adjusted = intRE.ReplaceAllString(orig, baseIntType)
+	baseYearType := "year"
+	yearRE := regexp.MustCompile(`(?i)year\(([0-9]*)?\)`)
+	adjusted = yearRE.ReplaceAllString(adjusted, baseYearType)
+	return adjusted
+}
+
 var printMu sync.Mutex
 
 func printEvents(evs []*binlogdatapb.VEvent) {
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/vstreamer/copy.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/vstreamer/copy.go
index 0065555047d..c4a9f626f6b 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/vstreamer/copy.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/vstreamer/copy.go
@@ -255,12 +255,26 @@ func (uvs *uvstreamer) copyTable(ctx context.Context, tableName string) error {
 				log.Infof("sendFieldEvent returned error %v", err)
 				return err
 			}
+			// sendFieldEvent() sends a BEGIN event first.
+			uvs.inTransaction = true
 		}
+
 		if len(rows.Rows) == 0 {
 			log.V(2).Infof("0 rows returned for table %s", tableName)
 			return nil
 		}
 
+		// We are about to send ROW events, so we need to ensure
+		// that we do so within a transaction. The COMMIT event
+		// will be sent in sendEventsForRows() below.
+		if !uvs.inTransaction {
+			evs := []*binlogdatapb.VEvent{{
+				Type: binlogdatapb.VEventType_BEGIN,
+			}}
+			uvs.send(evs)
+			uvs.inTransaction = true
+		}
+
 		newLastPK = sqltypes.CustomProto3ToResult(uvs.pkfields, &querypb.QueryResult{
 			Fields: rows.Fields,
 			Rows:   []*querypb.Row{rows.Lastpk},
@@ -271,6 +285,8 @@ func (uvs *uvstreamer) copyTable(ctx context.Context, tableName string) error {
 			log.Infof("sendEventsForRows returned error %v", err)
 			return err
 		}
+		// sendEventsForRows() sends a COMMIT event last.
+		uvs.inTransaction = false
 
 		uvs.setCopyState(tableName, qrLastPK)
 		log.V(2).Infof("NewLastPK: %v", qrLastPK)
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/vstreamer/uvstreamer.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/vstreamer/uvstreamer.go
index 40bf27dd0cf..ea3885bff64 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/vstreamer/uvstreamer.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/vstreamer/uvstreamer.go
@@ -51,13 +51,17 @@ type uvstreamer struct {
 	cancel func()
 
 	// input parameters
-	vse        *Engine
-	send       func([]*binlogdatapb.VEvent) error
-	cp         dbconfigs.Connector
-	se         *schema.Engine
-	startPos   string
-	filter     *binlogdatapb.Filter
-	inTablePKs []*binlogdatapb.TableLastPK
+	vse      *Engine
+	send     func([]*binlogdatapb.VEvent) error
+	cp       dbconfigs.Connector
+	se       *schema.Engine
+	startPos string
+	// Are we currently in an explicit transaction?
+	// If we are not, and we're about to send ROW
+	// events, then we need to send a BEGIN event first.
+	inTransaction bool
+	filter        *binlogdatapb.Filter
+	inTablePKs    []*binlogdatapb.TableLastPK
 
 	vschema *localVSchema