diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d4f03a0df..14050d4e4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -12,3 +12,4 @@ system-test/*key.json
 .DS_Store
 package-lock.json
 __pycache__
+.vscode
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/database.ts b/src/database.ts
index 970e6d8c2..c35f1557e 100644
--- a/src/database.ts
+++ b/src/database.ts
@@ -224,6 +224,13 @@ export interface GetIamPolicyOptions {
   gaxOptions?: CallOptions;
 }
 
+/**
+ * @typedef {object} GetTransactionOptions
+ * * @property {boolean} [optimisticLock] The optimistic lock a
+ *     {@link Transaction} should use while running.
+ */
+export type GetTransactionOptions = Omit<RunTransactionOptions, 'timeout'>;
+
 export type CreateSessionCallback = ResourceCallback<
   Session,
   spannerClient.spanner.v1.ISession
@@ -1989,16 +1996,36 @@ class Database extends common.GrpcServiceObject {
    * });
    * ```
    */
-  getTransaction(): Promise<[Transaction]>;
+  getTransaction(
+    optionsOrCallback?: GetTransactionOptions
+  ): Promise<[Transaction]>;
   getTransaction(callback: GetTransactionCallback): void;
   getTransaction(
+    optionsOrCallback?: GetTransactionOptions | GetTransactionCallback,
     callback?: GetTransactionCallback
   ): void | Promise<[Transaction]> {
+    const cb =
+      typeof optionsOrCallback === 'function'
+        ? (optionsOrCallback as GetTransactionCallback)
+        : callback;
+    const options =
+      typeof optionsOrCallback === 'object' && optionsOrCallback
+        ? (optionsOrCallback as GetTransactionOptions)
+        : {};
     this.pool_.getSession((err, session, transaction) => {
+      if (options.requestOptions) {
+        transaction!.requestOptions = Object.assign(
+          transaction!.requestOptions || {},
+          options.requestOptions
+        );
+      }
+      if (options.optimisticLock) {
+        transaction!.useOptimisticLock();
+      }
       if (!err) {
         this._releaseOnEnd(session!, transaction!);
       }
-      callback!(err as grpc.ServiceError | null, transaction);
+      cb!(err as grpc.ServiceError | null, transaction);
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/system-test/spanner.ts b/system-test/spanner.ts
index 8849f6e2b..041920a77 100644
--- a/system-test/spanner.ts
+++ b/system-test/spanner.ts
@@ -8894,6 +8894,24 @@ describe('Spanner', () => {
         mismatchedColumnError(done, DATABASE, googleSqlTable);
       });
 
+      it('GOOGLE_STANDARD_SQL should use getTransaction for executing sql', async () => {
+        const transaction = (
+          await DATABASE.getTransaction({optimisticLock: true})
+        )[0];
+
+        try {
+          const [rows] = await transaction!.run('SELECT * FROM TxnTable');
+          assert.strictEqual(rows.length, googleSqlRecords.length);
+        } catch (err) {
+          // flaky failures are acceptable here as long as the error is not due to a lock conflict
+          if ((err as grpc.ServiceError).code === grpc.status.ABORTED) {
+            assert.ok(err, 'Transaction is aborted');
+          }
+        } finally {
+          transaction.end();
+        }
+      });
+
       it('POSTGRESQL should throw an error for mismatched columns', function (done) {
         if (IS_EMULATOR_ENABLED) {
           this.skip();
diff --git a/test/spanner.ts b/test/spanner.ts
index 38f1105d3..293b8bbd2 100644
--- a/test/spanner.ts
+++ b/test/spanner.ts
@@ -3286,6 +3286,29 @@ describe('Spanner with mock server', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    it('should use optimistic lock and transaction tag for getTransaction', async () => {
+      const database = newTestDatabase();
+      const promise = await database.getTransaction({
+        optimisticLock: true,
+        requestOptions: {transactionTag: 'transaction-tag'},
+      });
+      const transaction = promise[0];
+      await transaction.run('SELECT 1').then(results => {
+        const request = spannerMock.getRequests().find(val => {
+          return (val as v1.ExecuteSqlRequest).sql;
+        }) as v1.ExecuteSqlRequest;
+        assert.ok(request, 'no ExecuteSqlRequest found');
+        assert.strictEqual(
+          request.transaction!.begin!.readWrite!.readLockMode,
+          'OPTIMISTIC'
+        );
+        assert.strictEqual(
+          request.requestOptions?.transactionTag,
+          'transaction-tag'
+        );
+      });
+    });
+
     it('should reuse a session for optimistic and pessimistic locks', async () => {
       const database = newTestDatabase({min: 1, max: 1});
       let session1;