diff --git a/pylib/anki/collection.py b/pylib/anki/collection.py
index 77eab8716..6ac769814 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/collection.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/collection.py
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ class Collection:
         # Until we can move away from long-running transactions, the Python
         # code needs to know if transaction should be committed, so we need
         # to check if the backend updated the modification time.
-        return self.db.last_begin_at <= self.mod
+        return self.db.last_begin_at != self.mod
 
     def save(
         self, name: Optional[str] = None, mod: Optional[int] = None, trx: bool = True
diff --git a/pylib/anki/dbproxy.py b/pylib/anki/dbproxy.py
index e555c74b3..1a9c024ff 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/dbproxy.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/dbproxy.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class DBProxy:
     ###############
 
     def begin(self) -> None:
-        self.last_begin_at = anki.utils.intTime(1000)
+        self.last_begin_at = self.scalar("select mod from col")
         self._backend.db_begin()
 
     def commit(self) -> None: