diff --git a/pkg/internal/client/sender.go b/pkg/internal/client/sender.go
index 35c5e7144340..44460c497709 100644
--- a/pkg/internal/client/sender.go
+++ b/pkg/internal/client/sender.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ package client
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/roachpb"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/storage/engine/enginepb"
@@ -104,16 +105,16 @@ type TxnSender interface {
 	// is the only one which will be invoked.
 	OnFinish(func(error))
 
-	// SetSystemConfigTrigger sets the system db trigger to true on this transaction.
-	// This will impact the EndTransactionRequest.
+	// AnchorOnSystemConfigRange ensures that the transaction record, if/when it
+	// will be created, will be created on the system config range. This is useful
+	// because some commit triggers only work when the EndTransaction is evaluated
+	// on that range.
 	//
-	// NOTE: The system db trigger will only execute correctly if the transaction
-	// record is located on the range that contains the system span. If a
-	// transaction is created which modifies both system *and* non-system data, it
-	// should be ensured that the transaction record itself is on the system span.
-	// This can be done by making sure a system key is the first key touched in the
-	// transaction.
-	SetSystemConfigTrigger() error
+	// An error is returned if the transaction's key has already been set (i.e. if
+	// the transaction already performed any writes).
+	// The note above notwithstanding, it is allowed to call this method multiple
+	// times (even if there's been writes in between the calls).
+	AnchorOnSystemConfigRange() error
 
 	// GetMeta retrieves a copy of the TxnCoordMeta, which can be sent from root
 	// to leaf transactions or the other way around. Can be combined via
@@ -294,8 +295,10 @@ func (m *MockTransactionalSender) OnFinish(f func(error)) {
 	}
 }
 
-// SetSystemConfigTrigger is part of the TxnSender interface.
-func (m *MockTransactionalSender) SetSystemConfigTrigger() error { panic("unimplemented") }
+// AnchorOnSystemConfigRange is part of the TxnSender interface.
+func (m *MockTransactionalSender) AnchorOnSystemConfigRange() error {
+	return fmt.Errorf("unimplemented")
+}
 
 // TxnStatus is part of the TxnSender interface.
 func (m *MockTransactionalSender) TxnStatus() roachpb.TransactionStatus {
diff --git a/pkg/internal/client/txn.go b/pkg/internal/client/txn.go
index a2c6280e7052..14bb00fbcdcf 100644
--- a/pkg/internal/client/txn.go
+++ b/pkg/internal/client/txn.go
@@ -274,8 +274,11 @@ func (txn *Txn) CommitTimestampFixed() bool {
 func (txn *Txn) SetSystemConfigTrigger() error {
 	txn.mu.Lock()
 	defer txn.mu.Unlock()
+	if err := txn.mu.sender.AnchorOnSystemConfigRange(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	txn.systemConfigTrigger = true
-	return txn.mu.sender.SetSystemConfigTrigger()
+	return nil
 }
 
 // DisablePipelining instructs the transaction not to pipeline requests. It
diff --git a/pkg/internal/client/txn_test.go b/pkg/internal/client/txn_test.go
index 8b651bfd7b82..6f0cae1c8c33 100644
--- a/pkg/internal/client/txn_test.go
+++ b/pkg/internal/client/txn_test.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/tracing"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/uuid"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -487,3 +488,24 @@ func TestUpdateDeadlineMaybe(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected deadline: %s", d)
 	}
 }
+
+// Test that, if SetSystemConfigTrigger() fails, the systemConfigTrigger has not
+// been set.
+func TestAnchoringErrorNoTrigger(t *testing.T) {
+	defer leaktest.AfterTest(t)()
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	mc := hlc.NewManualClock(1)
+	clock := hlc.NewClock(mc.UnixNano, time.Nanosecond)
+	db := NewDB(
+		testutils.MakeAmbientCtx(),
+		MakeMockTxnSenderFactory(
+			func(context.Context, *roachpb.Transaction, roachpb.BatchRequest,
+			) (*roachpb.BatchResponse, *roachpb.Error) {
+				return nil, nil
+			}),
+		clock)
+	txn := NewTxn(ctx, db, 0 /* gatewayNodeID */, RootTxn)
+	require.Error(t, txn.SetSystemConfigTrigger(), "unimplemented")
+	require.False(t, txn.systemConfigTrigger)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/kv/txn_coord_sender.go b/pkg/kv/txn_coord_sender.go
index 837a58e52acb..97db2dfccabf 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/txn_coord_sender.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/txn_coord_sender.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 package kv
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"runtime/debug"
@@ -118,11 +119,6 @@ type TxnCoordSender struct {
 		// (a retryable TransactionAbortedError in case of the async abort).
 		closed bool
 
-		// systemConfigTrigger is set to true when modifying keys from the
-		// SystemConfig span. This sets the SystemConfigTrigger on
-		// EndTransactionRequest.
-		systemConfigTrigger bool
-
 		// txn is the Transaction proto attached to all the requests and updated on
 		// all the responses.
 		txn roachpb.Transaction
@@ -1110,18 +1106,18 @@ func (tc *TxnCoordSender) setTxnAnchorKeyLocked(key roachpb.Key) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// SetSystemConfigTrigger is part of the client.TxnSender interface.
-func (tc *TxnCoordSender) SetSystemConfigTrigger() error {
+// AnchorOnSystemConfigRange is part of the client.TxnSender interface.
+func (tc *TxnCoordSender) AnchorOnSystemConfigRange() error {
 	tc.mu.Lock()
 	defer tc.mu.Unlock()
-	if !tc.mu.systemConfigTrigger {
-		tc.mu.systemConfigTrigger = true
-		// The system-config trigger must be run on the system-config range which
-		// means any transaction with the trigger set needs to be anchored to the
-		// system-config range.
-		return tc.setTxnAnchorKeyLocked(keys.SystemConfigSpan.Key)
+	// Allow this to be called more than once.
+	if bytes.Equal(tc.mu.txn.Key, keys.SystemConfigSpan.Key) {
+		return nil
 	}
-	return nil
+	// The system-config trigger must be run on the system-config range which
+	// means any transaction with the trigger set needs to be anchored to the
+	// system-config range.
+	return tc.setTxnAnchorKeyLocked(keys.SystemConfigSpan.Key)
 }
 
 // TxnStatus is part of the client.TxnSender interface.