diff --git a/driver/src/main/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/reactive/InternalRxSession.java b/driver/src/main/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/reactive/InternalRxSession.java
index be0d7648dd..69073d6051 100644
--- a/driver/src/main/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/reactive/InternalRxSession.java
+++ b/driver/src/main/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/reactive/InternalRxSession.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
  */
 package org.neo4j.driver.internal.reactive;
 
-import org.neo4j.driver.Query;
 import org.reactivestreams.Publisher;
 import reactor.core.publisher.Flux;
 
@@ -26,8 +25,9 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 
 import org.neo4j.driver.AccessMode;
-import org.neo4j.driver.TransactionConfig;
 import org.neo4j.driver.Bookmark;
+import org.neo4j.driver.Query;
+import org.neo4j.driver.TransactionConfig;
 import org.neo4j.driver.exceptions.TransactionNestingException;
 import org.neo4j.driver.internal.async.NetworkSession;
 import org.neo4j.driver.internal.cursor.RxResultCursor;
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 import org.neo4j.driver.reactive.RxTransactionWork;
 
 import static org.neo4j.driver.internal.reactive.RxUtils.createEmptyPublisher;
-import static org.neo4j.driver.internal.reactive.RxUtils.createMono;
+import static org.neo4j.driver.internal.reactive.RxUtils.createSingleItemPublisher;
 
 public class InternalRxSession extends AbstractRxQueryRunner implements RxSession
 {
@@ -61,40 +61,46 @@ public Publisher<RxTransaction> beginTransaction()
     @Override
     public Publisher<RxTransaction> beginTransaction( TransactionConfig config )
     {
-        return createMono( () ->
-        {
-            CompletableFuture<RxTransaction> txFuture = new CompletableFuture<>();
-            session.beginTransactionAsync( config ).whenComplete( ( tx, completionError ) -> {
-                if ( tx != null )
+        return createSingleItemPublisher(
+                () ->
                 {
-                    txFuture.complete( new InternalRxTransaction( tx ) );
-                }
-                else
-                {
-                    releaseConnectionBeforeReturning( txFuture, completionError );
-                }
-            } );
-            return txFuture;
-        } );
+                    CompletableFuture<RxTransaction> txFuture = new CompletableFuture<>();
+                    session.beginTransactionAsync( config ).whenComplete(
+                            ( tx, completionError ) ->
+                            {
+                                if ( tx != null )
+                                {
+                                    txFuture.complete( new InternalRxTransaction( tx ) );
+                                }
+                                else
+                                {
+                                    releaseConnectionBeforeReturning( txFuture, completionError );
+                                }
+                            } );
+                    return txFuture;
+                }, () -> new IllegalStateException( "Unexpected condition, begin transaction call has completed successfully with transaction being null" ) );
     }
 
     private Publisher<RxTransaction> beginTransaction( AccessMode mode, TransactionConfig config )
     {
-        return createMono( () ->
-        {
-            CompletableFuture<RxTransaction> txFuture = new CompletableFuture<>();
-            session.beginTransactionAsync( mode, config ).whenComplete( ( tx, completionError ) -> {
-                if ( tx != null )
+        return createSingleItemPublisher(
+                () ->
                 {
-                    txFuture.complete( new InternalRxTransaction( tx ) );
-                }
-                else
-                {
-                    releaseConnectionBeforeReturning( txFuture, completionError );
-                }
-            } );
-            return txFuture;
-        } );
+                    CompletableFuture<RxTransaction> txFuture = new CompletableFuture<>();
+                    session.beginTransactionAsync( mode, config ).whenComplete(
+                            ( tx, completionError ) ->
+                            {
+                                if ( tx != null )
+                                {
+                                    txFuture.complete( new InternalRxTransaction( tx ) );
+                                }
+                                else
+                                {
+                                    releaseConnectionBeforeReturning( txFuture, completionError );
+                                }
+                            } );
+                    return txFuture;
+                }, () -> new IllegalStateException( "Unexpected condition, begin transaction call has completed successfully with transaction being null" ) );
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/driver/src/main/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/reactive/RxUtils.java b/driver/src/main/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/reactive/RxUtils.java
index 9bbebf8e23..392365e1da 100644
--- a/driver/src/main/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/reactive/RxUtils.java
+++ b/driver/src/main/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/reactive/RxUtils.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import org.reactivestreams.Publisher;
 import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
 
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletionStage;
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
@@ -49,27 +50,35 @@ public static <T> Publisher<T> createEmptyPublisher( Supplier<CompletionStage<Vo
     }
 
     /**
-     * Create a {@link Mono<T>} publisher from the given {@link CompletionStage<T>} supplier.
-     * @param supplier supplies a {@link CompletionStage<T>}.
-     * @param <T> the type of the item to publish.
-     * @return A {@link Mono<T>} publisher.
+     * The publisher created by this method will either succeed with exactly one item or fail with an error.
+     *
+     * @param supplier                    supplies a {@link CompletionStage<T>} that MUST produce a non-null result when completed successfully.
+     * @param nullResultThrowableSupplier supplies a {@link Throwable} that is used as an error when the supplied completion stage completes successfully with
+     *                                    null.
+     * @param <T>                         the type of the item to publish.
+     * @return A publisher that succeeds exactly one item or fails with an error.
      */
-    public static <T> Publisher<T> createMono( Supplier<CompletionStage<T>> supplier )
+    public static <T> Publisher<T> createSingleItemPublisher( Supplier<CompletionStage<T>> supplier, Supplier<Throwable> nullResultThrowableSupplier )
     {
-        return Mono.create( sink -> supplier.get().whenComplete( ( item, completionError ) -> {
-            Throwable error = Futures.completionExceptionCause( completionError );
-            if ( item != null )
-            {
-                sink.success( item );
-            }
-            if ( error != null )
-            {
-                sink.error( error );
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                sink.success();
-            }
-        } ) );
+        return Mono.create( sink -> supplier.get().whenComplete(
+                ( item, completionError ) ->
+                {
+                    if ( completionError == null )
+                    {
+                        if ( item != null )
+                        {
+                            sink.success( item );
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            sink.error( nullResultThrowableSupplier.get() );
+                        }
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        Throwable error = Optional.ofNullable( Futures.completionExceptionCause( completionError ) ).orElse( completionError );
+                        sink.error( error );
+                    }
+                } ) );
     }
 }
diff --git a/driver/src/test/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/reactive/RxUtilsTest.java b/driver/src/test/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/reactive/RxUtilsTest.java
index 92016d3c71..7adc1b7f2a 100644
--- a/driver/src/test/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/reactive/RxUtilsTest.java
+++ b/driver/src/test/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/reactive/RxUtilsTest.java
@@ -27,21 +27,22 @@
 
 import org.neo4j.driver.internal.util.Futures;
 
-import static org.neo4j.driver.internal.util.Futures.failedFuture;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.neo4j.driver.internal.reactive.RxUtils.createEmptyPublisher;
-import static org.neo4j.driver.internal.reactive.RxUtils.createMono;
+import static org.neo4j.driver.internal.reactive.RxUtils.createSingleItemPublisher;
+import static org.neo4j.driver.internal.util.Futures.failedFuture;
 
 class RxUtilsTest
 {
     @Test
-    void emptyPublisherShouldComplete() throws Throwable
+    void emptyPublisherShouldComplete()
     {
         Publisher<Void> emptyPublisher = createEmptyPublisher( Futures::completedWithNull );
         StepVerifier.create( emptyPublisher ).verifyComplete();
     }
 
     @Test
-    void emptyPublisherShouldErrorIfSupplierErrored() throws Throwable
+    void emptyPublisherShouldErrorWhenSupplierErrors()
     {
         RuntimeException error = new RuntimeException( "Error" );
         Publisher<Void> emptyPublisher = createEmptyPublisher( () -> failedFuture( error ) );
@@ -50,18 +51,27 @@ void emptyPublisherShouldErrorIfSupplierErrored() throws Throwable
     }
 
     @Test
-    void monoPublisherShouldCompleteWithValue() throws Throwable
+    void singleItemPublisherShouldCompleteWithValue()
     {
-        Publisher<String> mono = createMono( () -> CompletableFuture.completedFuture( "One" ) );
-        StepVerifier.create( mono ).expectNext( "One" ).verifyComplete();
+        Publisher<String> publisher = createSingleItemPublisher( () -> CompletableFuture.completedFuture( "One" ), () -> mock( Throwable.class ) );
+        StepVerifier.create( publisher ).expectNext( "One" ).verifyComplete();
     }
 
     @Test
-    void monoPublisherShouldErrorIfSupplierErrored() throws Throwable
+    void singleItemPublisherShouldErrorWhenFutureCompletesWithNull()
     {
-        RuntimeException error = new RuntimeException( "Error" );
-        Publisher<String> mono = createMono( () -> failedFuture( error ) );
+        Throwable error = mock( Throwable.class );
+        Publisher<String> publisher = createSingleItemPublisher( Futures::completedWithNull, () -> error );
+
+        StepVerifier.create( publisher ).verifyErrorMatches( actualError -> error == actualError );
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void singleItemPublisherShouldErrorWhenSupplierErrors()
+    {
+        RuntimeException error = mock( RuntimeException.class );
+        Publisher<String> publisher = createSingleItemPublisher( () -> failedFuture( error ), () -> mock( Throwable.class ) );
 
-        StepVerifier.create( mono ).verifyErrorMatches( Predicate.isEqual( error ) );
+        StepVerifier.create( publisher ).verifyErrorMatches( actualError -> error == actualError );
     }
 }