diff --git a/bin/migrate-cocina b/bin/migrate-cocina
index 2a0f7d236..bb3cabaae 100755
--- a/bin/migrate-cocina
+++ b/bin/migrate-cocina
@@ -84,16 +84,8 @@ def perform_migrate(migrator_class:, obj:, mode:)
   current_object_version = obj.head_version.version
   obj = open_version(cocina_object: obj, version_description: migrator.version_description, mode:) if migrator.version?
 
-  # For active record migrations, we need to wrap the migration in a transaction and save the object instead of
-  # opening/closing versions
-  if mode == :commit
-    obj.transaction do
-      migrator.migrate
-      obj.save!
-    end
-  else
-    migrator.migrate # This is where the actual migration happens
-  end
+  migrator.migrate # This is where the actual migration happens
+
   updated_cocina_object = obj.head_version.to_cocina_with_metadata # This validates the cocina object
   Cocina::ObjectValidator.validate(updated_cocina_object) # This validation is performed by UpdateObjectService.
 
@@ -102,6 +94,12 @@ def perform_migrate(migrator_class:, obj:, mode:)
     updated_cocina_object = UpdateObjectService.update(updated_cocina_object, skip_open_check: !migrator.version?)
     Publish::MetadataTransferService.publish(updated_cocina_object) if migrator.publish?
     close_version(cocina_object: updated_cocina_object, version_description: migrator.version_description) unless updated_cocina_object.version == current_object_version
+  elsif mode == :commit
+    # For active record migrations, we need to wrap the migration in a transaction and save the object instead of
+    # opening/closing versions
+    obj.transaction do
+      obj.save!
+    end
   end
   [obj.id, obj.external_identifier, 'SUCCESS']
 rescue Dry::Struct::Error, Cocina::Models::ValidationError, Cocina::ValidationError => e