diff --git a/ironic_inspector/db.py b/ironic_inspector/db.py
index ae00081e6..cfa2b1120 100644
--- a/ironic_inspector/db.py
+++ b/ironic_inspector/db.py
@@ -174,7 +174,9 @@ def _create_context_manager():
     _ctx_mgr = enginefacade.transaction_context()
     # TODO(aarefiev): enable foreign keys for SQLite once all unit
     #                 tests with failed constraint will be fixed.
-    _ctx_mgr.configure(sqlite_fk=False)
+    # FIXME(dtantsur): we need to remove reliance on autocommit semantics ASAP
+    # since it's not compatible with SQLAlchemy 2.0
+    _ctx_mgr.configure(sqlite_fk=False, __autocommit=True)
 
     return _ctx_mgr
 
diff --git a/ironic_inspector/test/unit/test_db.py b/ironic_inspector/test/unit/test_db.py
index c7134a6ad..f73ca338c 100644
--- a/ironic_inspector/test/unit/test_db.py
+++ b/ironic_inspector/test/unit/test_db.py
@@ -53,7 +53,10 @@ class TestDB(test_base.NodeTest):
 
         ctx_mgr = db._create_context_manager()
 
-        mock_ctx_mgr.configure.assert_called_once_with(sqlite_fk=False)
+        mock_ctx_mgr.configure.assert_called_once_with(
+            sqlite_fk=False,
+            __autocommit=True,
+        )
         self.assertEqual(mock_ctx_mgr, ctx_mgr)
 
     @mock.patch.object(db, 'get_context_manager', autospec=True)
diff --git a/ironic_inspector/test/unit/test_migrations.py b/ironic_inspector/test/unit/test_migrations.py
index 7f101c750..6f8715588 100644
--- a/ironic_inspector/test/unit/test_migrations.py
+++ b/ironic_inspector/test/unit/test_migrations.py
@@ -56,8 +56,10 @@ def patch_with_engine(engine):
                            autospec=True) as patch_w_sess, \
             mock.patch.object(db, 'get_reader_session',
                               autospec=True) as patch_r_sess:
+        # FIXME(stephenfin): we need to remove reliance on autocommit semantics
+        # ASAP since it's not compatible with SQLAlchemy 2.0
         patch_w_sess.return_value = patch_r_sess.return_value = (
-            orm.get_maker(engine)())
+            orm.get_maker(engine, autocommit=True)())
         yield