diff --git a/google-cloud-datastore/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/datastore/DatastoreException.java b/google-cloud-datastore/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/datastore/DatastoreException.java
index 42c0079e0a77..a70ba9963f22 100644
--- a/google-cloud-datastore/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/datastore/DatastoreException.java
+++ b/google-cloud-datastore/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/datastore/DatastoreException.java
@@ -34,17 +34,24 @@ public final class DatastoreException extends BaseServiceException {
 
   // see https://cloud.google.com/datastore/docs/concepts/errors#Error_Codes"
   private static final Set<Error> RETRYABLE_ERRORS = ImmutableSet.of(
-      new Error(10, "ABORTED"), new Error(4, "DEADLINE_EXCEEDED"), new Error(14, "UNAVAILABLE"));
+      new Error(10, "ABORTED", true),
+      new Error(4, "DEADLINE_EXCEEDED", false),
+      new Error(14, "UNAVAILABLE", true));
   private static final long serialVersionUID = 2663750991205874435L;
 
   public DatastoreException(int code, String message, String reason) {
-    this(code, message, reason, null);
+    this(code, message, reason, true, null);
   }
 
   public DatastoreException(int code, String message, String reason, Throwable cause) {
     super(code, message, reason, true, cause);
   }
 
+  public DatastoreException(int code, String message, String reason, boolean idempotent,
+      Throwable cause) {
+    super(code, message, reason, idempotent, cause);
+  }
+
   public DatastoreException(IOException exception) {
     super(exception, true);
   }
diff --git a/google-cloud-datastore/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/datastore/spi/DefaultDatastoreRpc.java b/google-cloud-datastore/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/datastore/spi/DefaultDatastoreRpc.java
index cbb2436c82e6..54b9456e227a 100644
--- a/google-cloud-datastore/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/datastore/spi/DefaultDatastoreRpc.java
+++ b/google-cloud-datastore/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/datastore/spi/DefaultDatastoreRpc.java
@@ -93,6 +93,11 @@ private static String removeScheme(String url) {
 
   private static DatastoreException translate(
       com.google.datastore.v1.client.DatastoreException exception) {
+    return translate(exception, true);
+  }
+
+  private static DatastoreException translate(
+      com.google.datastore.v1.client.DatastoreException exception, boolean idempotent) {
     String reason = "";
     if (exception.getCode() != null) {
       reason = exception.getCode().name();
@@ -103,7 +108,7 @@ private static DatastoreException translate(
       }
     }
     return new DatastoreException(
-        exception.getCode().getNumber(), exception.getMessage(), reason, exception);
+        exception.getCode().getNumber(), exception.getMessage(), reason, idempotent, exception);
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -111,7 +116,6 @@ public AllocateIdsResponse allocateIds(AllocateIdsRequest request) {
     try {
       return client.allocateIds(request);
     } catch (com.google.datastore.v1.client.DatastoreException ex) {
-
       throw translate(ex);
     }
   }
@@ -130,7 +134,7 @@ public CommitResponse commit(CommitRequest request) {
     try {
       return client.commit(request);
     } catch (com.google.datastore.v1.client.DatastoreException ex) {
-      throw translate(ex);
+      throw translate(ex, request.getMode() == CommitRequest.Mode.NON_TRANSACTIONAL);
     }
   }