diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 107f051a..1930f2cd 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -62,11 +62,6 @@ requires = [
     #
     # package                           # low                   high
 
-    # TODO: previously was capping this to pre-1.0 although i'm not sure why.
-    # however the 1.2 release has some breaking changes which require refactor.
-    # cf. https://pypi.org/project/zope.sqlalchemy/#id3
-    'zope.sqlalchemy<1.2',              # 0.7                   1.1
-
     # TODO: apparently they jumped from 0.1 to 0.9 and that broke us...
     # (0.1 was released on 2014-09-14 and then 0.9 came out on 2018-09-27)
     # (i've cached 0.1 at pypi.rattailproject.org just in case it disappears)
@@ -106,6 +101,7 @@ requires = [
     'waitress',                         # 0.8.1
     'WebHelpers2',                      # 2.0
     'WTForms',                          # 2.1
+    'zope.sqlalchemy',                  # 0.7                   2.0
 ]
 
 
diff --git a/tailbone/db.py b/tailbone/db.py
index ae919e49..4a6821f9 100644
--- a/tailbone/db.py
+++ b/tailbone/db.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 ################################################################################
 #
 #  Rattail -- Retail Software Framework
-#  Copyright © 2010-2021 Lance Edgar
+#  Copyright © 2010-2023 Lance Edgar
 #
 #  This file is part of Rattail.
 #
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@
 Database Stuff
 """
 
-from __future__ import unicode_literals, absolute_import
-
 import sqlalchemy as sa
 from zope.sqlalchemy import datamanager
 import sqlalchemy_continuum as continuum
@@ -111,20 +109,51 @@ def join_transaction(session, initial_state=datamanager.STATUS_ACTIVE, transacti
             DataManager(session, initial_state, transaction_manager, keep_session=keep_session)
 
 
-class ZopeTransactionExtension(datamanager.ZopeTransactionExtension):
-    """Record that a flush has occurred on a session's connection. This allows
-    the DataManager to rollback rather than commit on read only transactions.
+if zope_sqlalchemy_version_parsed >= parse_version('1.2'): # 1.2+
 
-    .. note::
-       This class is copied from upstream, and tweaked so that our custom
-       :func:`join_transaction()` will be used.
-    """
+    class ZopeTransactionEvents(datamanager.ZopeTransactionEvents):
+        """
+        Record that a flush has occurred on a session's
+        connection. This allows the DataManager to rollback rather
+        than commit on read only transactions.
 
-    def after_begin(self, session, transaction, connection):
-        join_transaction(session, self.initial_state, self.transaction_manager, self.keep_session)
+        .. note::
+           This class is copied from upstream, and tweaked so that our
+           custom :func:`join_transaction()` will be used.
+        """
 
-    def after_attach(self, session, instance):
-        join_transaction(session, self.initial_state, self.transaction_manager, self.keep_session)
+        def after_begin(self, session, transaction, connection):
+            join_transaction(session, self.initial_state,
+                             self.transaction_manager, self.keep_session)
+
+        def after_attach(self, session, instance):
+            join_transaction(session, self.initial_state,
+                             self.transaction_manager, self.keep_session)
+
+        def join_transaction(self, session):
+            join_transaction(session, self.initial_state,
+                             self.transaction_manager, self.keep_session)
+
+else: # pre-1.2
+
+    class ZopeTransactionExtension(datamanager.ZopeTransactionExtension):
+        """
+        Record that a flush has occurred on a session's
+        connection. This allows the DataManager to rollback rather
+        than commit on read only transactions.
+
+        .. note::
+           This class is copied from upstream, and tweaked so that our
+           custom :func:`join_transaction()` will be used.
+        """
+
+        def after_begin(self, session, transaction, connection):
+            join_transaction(session, self.initial_state,
+                             self.transaction_manager, self.keep_session)
+
+        def after_attach(self, session, instance):
+            join_transaction(session, self.initial_state,
+                             self.transaction_manager, self.keep_session)
 
 
 def register(session, initial_state=datamanager.STATUS_ACTIVE,
@@ -147,11 +176,21 @@ def register(session, initial_state=datamanager.STATUS_ACTIVE,
     """
     from sqlalchemy import event
 
-    ext = ZopeTransactionExtension(
-        initial_state=initial_state,         
-        transaction_manager=transaction_manager,
-        keep_session=keep_session,
-    )
+    if zope_sqlalchemy_version_parsed >= parse_version('1.2'): # 1.2+
+
+        ext = ZopeTransactionEvents(
+            initial_state=initial_state,
+            transaction_manager=transaction_manager,
+            keep_session=keep_session,
+        )
+
+    else: # pre-1.2
+
+        ext = ZopeTransactionExtension(
+            initial_state=initial_state,
+            transaction_manager=transaction_manager,
+            keep_session=keep_session,
+        )
 
     event.listen(session, "after_begin", ext.after_begin)
     event.listen(session, "after_attach", ext.after_attach)
@@ -160,6 +199,10 @@ def register(session, initial_state=datamanager.STATUS_ACTIVE,
     event.listen(session, "after_bulk_delete", ext.after_bulk_delete)
     event.listen(session, "before_commit", ext.before_commit)
 
+    if zope_sqlalchemy_version_parsed >= parse_version('1.5'): # 1.5+
+        if datamanager.SA_GE_14:
+            event.listen(session, "do_orm_execute", ext.do_orm_execute)
+
 
 register(Session)
 register(TempmonSession)