diff --git a/zerver/lib/actions.py b/zerver/lib/actions.py
index 09e0eb0837..1cdf0cecfa 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/actions.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/actions.py
@@ -2141,6 +2141,10 @@ def do_add_submessage(
     msg_type: str,
     content: str,
 ) -> None:
+    """Should be called while holding a SELECT FOR UPDATE lock
+    (e.g. via access_message(..., lock_message=True)) on the
+    Message row, to prevent race conditions.
+    """
     submessage = SubMessage(
         sender_id=sender_id,
         message_id=message_id,
@@ -2160,7 +2164,7 @@ def do_add_submessage(
     ums = UserMessage.objects.filter(message_id=message_id)
     target_user_ids = [um.user_profile_id for um in ums]
 
-    send_event(realm, event, target_user_ids)
+    transaction.on_commit(lambda: send_event(realm, event, target_user_ids))
 
 
 def notify_reaction_update(
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_submessage.py b/zerver/tests/test_submessage.py
index cf1dfe46d7..d71c6ad6b5 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_submessage.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_submessage.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Mapping
+from unittest import mock
 
+from zerver.lib.actions import do_add_submessage
 from zerver.lib.message import MessageDict
 from zerver.lib.test_classes import ZulipTestCase
 from zerver.models import Message, SubMessage
@@ -147,3 +149,19 @@ class TestBasics(ZulipTestCase):
             sender_id=cordelia.id,
         )
         self.assertEqual(row, expected_data)
+
+    def test_submessage_event_sent_after_transaction_commits(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Tests that `send_event` is hooked to `transaction.on_commit`. This is important, because
+        we don't want to end up holding locks on message rows for too long if the event queue runs
+        into a problem.
+        """
+        hamlet = self.example_user("hamlet")
+        message_id = self.send_stream_message(hamlet, "Scotland")
+
+        with self.tornado_redirected_to_list([], expected_num_events=1):
+            with mock.patch("zerver.lib.actions.send_event") as m:
+                m.side_effect = AssertionError(
+                    "Events should be sent only after the transaction commits."
+                )
+                do_add_submessage(hamlet.realm, hamlet.id, message_id, "whatever", "whatever")
diff --git a/zerver/views/submessage.py b/zerver/views/submessage.py
index 8e5e7cab3c..5a1d51ca75 100644
--- a/zerver/views/submessage.py
+++ b/zerver/views/submessage.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import orjson
+from django.db import transaction
 from django.http import HttpRequest, HttpResponse
 from django.utils.translation import gettext as _
 
@@ -10,6 +11,8 @@ from zerver.lib.validator import check_int
 from zerver.models import UserProfile
 
 
+# transaction.atomic is required since we use FOR UPDATE queries in access_message.
+@transaction.atomic
 @has_request_variables
 def process_submessage(
     request: HttpRequest,
@@ -18,7 +21,7 @@ def process_submessage(
     msg_type: str = REQ(),
     content: str = REQ(),
 ) -> HttpResponse:
-    message, user_message = access_message(user_profile, message_id)
+    message, user_message = access_message(user_profile, message_id, lock_message=True)
 
     try:
         orjson.loads(content)