diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
-## [_Unreleased_](https://github.com/freckle/freckle-app/compare/v1.10.2.0...main)
+## [_Unreleased_](https://github.com/freckle/freckle-app/compare/v1.10.3.0...main)
+
+## [v1.10.3.0](https://github.com/freckle/freckle-app/compare/v1.10.2.0...v1.10.3.0)
+
+- Add classes `MonadSqlBackend` and `MonadSqlTx` for being quite nonspecific about the
+  context in which you interact with a SQL database.
 
 ## [v1.10.2.0](https://github.com/freckle/freckle-app/compare/v1.10.1.0...v1.10.2.0)
 
diff --git a/freckle-app.cabal b/freckle-app.cabal
--- a/freckle-app.cabal
+++ b/freckle-app.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version:      1.18
 name:               freckle-app
-version:            1.10.2.0
+version:            1.10.3.0
 license:            MIT
 license-file:       LICENSE
 maintainer:         Freckle Education
diff --git a/library/Freckle/App.hs b/library/Freckle/App.hs
--- a/library/Freckle/App.hs
+++ b/library/Freckle/App.hs
@@ -251,6 +251,12 @@
 instance Applicative m => XRay.MonadTracer (AppT app m) where
   getVaultData = pure Nothing
 
+instance
+  (MonadUnliftIO m, HasSqlPool app, HasStatsClient app, HasTracer app)
+  => MonadSqlTx (ReaderT SqlBackend (AppT app m)) (AppT app m)
+  where
+  runSqlTx = runDB
+
 runAppT :: (MonadUnliftIO m, HasLogger app) => AppT app m a -> app -> m a
 runAppT action app =
   runResourceT $ runLoggerLoggingT app $ runReaderT (unAppT action) app
diff --git a/library/Freckle/App/Database.hs b/library/Freckle/App/Database.hs
--- a/library/Freckle/App/Database.hs
+++ b/library/Freckle/App/Database.hs
@@ -1,17 +1,32 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE ApplicativeDo #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE FunctionalDependencies #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE QuasiQuotes #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE TypeOperators #-}
 
 -- | Database access for your @App@
 module Freckle.App.Database
-  ( MonadTracer
+  ( -- * Running transactions
+    MonadSqlTx (..)
+  , runDB
+  , runDBSimple
+
+    -- * Running queries
+  , SqlBackend
+  , HasSqlBackend (..)
+  , MonadSqlBackend (..)
+  , liftSql
+
+    -- * Telemetry
+  , MonadTracer
   , HasStatsClient
+
+    -- * Connection pools
   , HasSqlPool (..)
   , SqlPool
   , makePostgresPool
   , makePostgresPoolWith
-  , runDB
-  , runDBSimple
+
+    -- * Setup
   , PostgresConnectionConf (..)
   , PostgresPasswordSource (..)
   , PostgresPassword (..)
@@ -59,6 +74,32 @@
 import UnliftIO.Exception (displayException)
 import UnliftIO.IORef
 import Yesod.Core.Types (HandlerData (..), RunHandlerEnv (..))
+
+-- | A monadic context in which a SQL backend is available
+--   for running database queries
+class MonadIO m => MonadSqlBackend m where
+  getSqlBackendM :: m SqlBackend
+
+instance (HasSqlBackend r, MonadIO m) => MonadSqlBackend (ReaderT r m) where
+  getSqlBackendM = asks getSqlBackend
+
+-- | Generalize from 'SqlPersistT' to 'MonadSqlBackend'
+liftSql :: MonadSqlBackend m => ReaderT SqlBackend m a -> m a
+liftSql (ReaderT f) = getSqlBackendM >>= f
+
+-- | The constraint @'MonadSqlTx' db m@ indicates that @m@ is a monadic
+--   context that can run @db@ actions, usually as a SQL transaction.
+--   Typically, this means that @db@ needs a connection and @m@ can
+--   provide one, e.g. from a connection pool.
+class (MonadSqlBackend db, MonadUnliftIO m) => MonadSqlTx db m | m -> db where
+  -- | Runs the action in a SQL transaction
+  runSqlTx :: HasCallStack => db a -> m a
+
+class HasSqlBackend a where
+  getSqlBackend :: a -> SqlBackend
+
+instance HasSqlBackend SqlBackend where
+  getSqlBackend = id
 
 type SqlPool = Pool SqlBackend
 
diff --git a/library/Freckle/App/Database/XRay.hs b/library/Freckle/App/Database/XRay.hs
--- a/library/Freckle/App/Database/XRay.hs
+++ b/library/Freckle/App/Database/XRay.hs
@@ -3,14 +3,28 @@
 
 -- | Legacy version of "Freckle.App.Database" that still uses XRay
 module Freckle.App.Database.XRay
-  ( MonadTracer (..)
+  ( -- * Running transactions
+    MonadSqlTx (..)
+  , runDB
+  , runDBSimple
+
+    -- * Running queries
+  , SqlBackend
+  , HasSqlBackend (..)
+  , MonadSqlBackend (..)
+  , liftSql
+
+    -- * Telemetry
+  , MonadTracer (..)
   , HasStatsClient
+
+    -- * Connection pools
   , HasSqlPool (..)
   , SqlPool
   , makePostgresPool
   , makePostgresPoolWith
-  , runDB
-  , runDBSimple
+
+    -- * Setup
   , PostgresConnectionConf (..)
   , PostgresPasswordSource (..)
   , PostgresPassword (..)
@@ -25,12 +39,7 @@
 import Control.Monad.IO.Unlift (MonadUnliftIO (..))
 import Control.Monad.Reader
 import Data.Pool
-import Database.Persist.Postgresql
-  ( SqlBackend
-  , SqlPersistT
-  , runSqlConn
-  , runSqlPool
-  )
+import Database.Persist.Postgresql (SqlPersistT, runSqlConn, runSqlPool)
 import Freckle.App.Database hiding (MonadTracer, runDB)
 import qualified Freckle.App.Stats as Stats
 import Network.AWS.XRayClient.Persistent
diff --git a/library/Freckle/App/Env.hs b/library/Freckle/App/Env.hs
--- a/library/Freckle/App/Env.hs
+++ b/library/Freckle/App/Env.hs
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
   , eitherReader
   , time
   , keyValues
+  , keyValue
+  , splitOnParse
   , timeout
   ) where
 
@@ -129,20 +131,38 @@
 -- Value-less keys are not supported:
 --
 -- >>> var keyValues "TAGS" mempty `parsePure` [("TAGS", "foo,baz:bat")]
--- Left [("TAGS",UnreadError "Key foo has no value: \"foo,baz:bat\"")]
+-- Left [("TAGS",UnreadError "Key foo has no value: \"foo\"")]
 --
 -- Nor are key-less values:
 --
 -- >>> var keyValues "TAGS" mempty `parsePure` [("TAGS", "foo:bar,:bat")]
--- Left [("TAGS",UnreadError "Value bat has no key: \"foo:bar,:bat\"")]
+-- Left [("TAGS",UnreadError "Value bat has no key: \":bat\"")]
 keyValues :: Reader Error [(Text, Text)]
-keyValues = eitherReader $ traverse keyValue . T.splitOn "," . pack
+keyValues = splitOnParse ',' $ keyValue ':'
+
+keyValue :: Char -> Reader Error (Text, Text)
+keyValue c =
+  eitherReader $ go . second (T.drop 1) . T.breakOn (T.singleton c) . pack
  where
-  keyValue :: Text -> Either String (Text, Text)
-  keyValue t = case second (T.drop 1) $ T.breakOn ":" t of
+  go = \case
     (k, v) | T.null v -> Left $ "Key " <> unpack k <> " has no value"
     (k, v) | T.null k -> Left $ "Value " <> unpack v <> " has no key"
     (k, v) -> Right (k, v)
+
+-- | Use 'splitOn' then call the given 'Reader' on each element
+--
+-- @
+-- 'splitOnParse' c pure == 'splitOn' c
+-- @
+--
+-- >>> var (splitOnParse @Error ',' nonempty) "X" mempty `parsePure` [("X", "a,b")]
+-- Right ["a","b"]
+--
+-- >>> var (splitOnParse @Error ',' nonempty) "X" mempty `parsePure` [("X", ",,")]
+-- Left [("X",EmptyError)]
+--
+splitOnParse :: Char -> Reader e a -> Reader e [a]
+splitOnParse c p = traverse p <=< splitOn c
 
 -- | Represents a timeout in seconds or milliseconds
 data Timeout
diff --git a/library/Freckle/App/Test.hs b/library/Freckle/App/Test.hs
--- a/library/Freckle/App/Test.hs
+++ b/library/Freckle/App/Test.hs
@@ -45,7 +45,12 @@
 import Control.Monad.Reader
 import Control.Monad.Trans.Control
 import Database.Persist.Sql (SqlPersistT, runSqlPool)
-import Freckle.App.Database (HasSqlPool (..))
+import Freckle.App.Database
+  ( HasSqlPool (..)
+  , HasStatsClient
+  , MonadSqlTx (..)
+  , runDB
+  )
 import qualified Freckle.App.Database.XRay as XRay
 import qualified Freckle.App.Dotenv as Dotenv
 import Freckle.App.OpenTelemetry
@@ -124,6 +129,12 @@
 
 instance XRay.MonadTracer (AppExample app) where
   getVaultData = pure Nothing
+
+instance
+  (HasSqlPool app, HasStatsClient app, HasTracer app)
+  => MonadSqlTx (SqlPersistT (AppExample app)) (AppExample app)
+  where
+  runSqlTx = runDB
 
 -- | A type restricted version of id
 --
diff --git a/package.yaml b/package.yaml
--- a/package.yaml
+++ b/package.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name: freckle-app
-version: 1.10.2.0
+version: 1.10.3.0
 maintainer: Freckle Education
 category: Utils
 github: freckle/freckle-app