diff --git a/gramps2/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsBSDDB.py b/gramps2/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsBSDDB.py
index db080a239..84c124002 100644
--- a/gramps2/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsBSDDB.py
+++ b/gramps2/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsBSDDB.py
@@ -860,8 +860,7 @@ class GrampsBSDDB(GrampsDbBase):
         # Start BSD DB transaction -- DBTxn
         self.txn = self.env.txn_begin()
 
-        trans = GrampsDbBase.transaction_begin(sef,msg)
-        return trans
+        return GrampsDbBase.transaction_begin(sef,msg)
 
     def transaction_commit(self,transaction,msg):
 
diff --git a/gramps2/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsDbBase.py b/gramps2/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsDbBase.py
index 5fb044906..c83229b6c 100644
--- a/gramps2/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsDbBase.py
+++ b/gramps2/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsDbBase.py
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ import locale
 import re
 from sys import maxint
 import sets
-import sys
 from gettext import gettext as _
 import logging
 log = logging.getLogger(".GrampsDb")