diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6944d88..367d549 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,9 +7,17 @@ adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
 - Added MariaDB and SQLite to the test matrix.
+- `part_of_a_transaction` now raises an error if unhandled callbacks are detected when it starts.
+  This makes it more similar to `transaction`.
+  The error can be silenced by setting the `SUBATOMIC_CATCH_UNHANDLED_AFTER_COMMIT_CALLBACKS_IN_TESTS` setting to `False`
+
+### Fixed
 - Disallowed nesting of `part_of_a_transaction` to prevent nonsense
   implication of nested partial transactions in tests. Fixes #150.
+- `part_of_a_transaction` now clears after-commit callbacks from the transaction before it exits.
+  This avoids polluting the test's transaction with callbacks.
 
 ## [1.0.0] - 2026-04-16
 
diff --git a/docs/reference/settings.md b/docs/reference/settings.md
index 1ba5241..9240880 100644
--- a/docs/reference/settings.md
+++ b/docs/reference/settings.md
@@ -35,11 +35,14 @@ on a per-test basis.
 (default: `True`)
 
 [`transaction`][django_subatomic.db.transaction]
-will raise `_UnhandledCallbacks` in tests
-if it detects any lingering unhandled after-commit callbacks
-when it's called.
-Note: because this exception represents a programming error,
-it starts with an underscore to discourage anyone from catching it.
+and [`transaction_if_not_already`][django_subatomic.db.transaction_if_not_already]
+will raise `subatomic.db._UnhandledCallbacks` in tests
+if they detect any lingering unhandled after-commit callbacks
+when they are called.
+[`part_of_a_transaction`][django_subatomic.test.part_of_a_transaction]
+will raise `subatomic.test._UnhandledCallbacks` instead.
+Note: because these exceptions each represent a programming error,
+they start with an underscore to discourage anyone from catching them.
 
 This highlights order-of-execution issues in tests
 caused by after-commit callbacks having not been run.
diff --git a/src/django_subatomic/test.py b/src/django_subatomic/test.py
index 3fde7b5..ed75a06 100644
--- a/src/django_subatomic/test.py
+++ b/src/django_subatomic/test.py
@@ -3,17 +3,33 @@
 import contextlib
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
+import attrs
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.db import transaction
 
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from collections.abc import Generator
+    from collections.abc import Callable, Generator
 
 __all__ = [
     "part_of_a_transaction",
 ]
 
 
+@attrs.frozen
+class _UnhandledCallbacks(Exception):
+    """
+    Raised in tests when unhandled callbacks are found before calling `part_of_a_transaction`.
+
+    This happens when after-commit callbacks are registered
+    but not run before trying to open a database transaction.
+
+    The best solution is to ensure the after-commit callbacks are handled first.
+    """
+
+    callbacks: tuple[Callable[[], object], ...]
+
+
 @contextlib.contextmanager
 def part_of_a_transaction(using: str | None = None) -> Generator[None]:
     """
@@ -32,5 +48,19 @@ def part_of_a_transaction(using: str | None = None) -> Generator[None]:
     Note that this does not handle after-commit callback simulation. If you need that,
     use [`transaction`][django_subatomic.db.transaction] instead.
     """
+    connection = transaction.get_connection(using)
+    if getattr(
+        settings, "SUBATOMIC_CATCH_UNHANDLED_AFTER_COMMIT_CALLBACKS_IN_TESTS", True
+    ):
+        callbacks = connection.run_on_commit
+        if callbacks:
+            raise _UnhandledCallbacks(tuple(callback for _, callback, _ in callbacks))
+
     with transaction.atomic(using=using, durable=True):
         yield
+
+    # Throw away any callbacks that were registered during the partial transaction,
+    # so that they don't pollute later code.
+    # We don't need to do this in `try: ... finally:` because Django's roll
+    # back logic already clears the callbacks when an exception is raised.
+    connection.run_on_commit = []
diff --git a/tests/test_test.py b/tests/test_test.py
index 1dda72b..0bdea43 100644
--- a/tests/test_test.py
+++ b/tests/test_test.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 from django.db import transaction as django_transaction
+from django.test import override_settings
 
 from django_subatomic import db, test
 
@@ -43,13 +44,68 @@ def test_callbacks_not_executed_in_normal_test_case(self) -> None:
         """
         Callbacks aren't executed when tests manage the transaction.
         """
+        with test.part_of_a_transaction():
+            db.run_after_commit(_callback_which_should_not_be_called)
+
+    def test_dangling_callbacks_cause_an_error_on_enter(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Pre-existing callbacks will be detected and cause an error.
+        """
+        # Django's `atomic` leaves dangling after-commit callbacks
+        # on the test case's transaction.
+        with django_transaction.atomic():
+            django_transaction.on_commit(_callback_which_should_not_be_called)
 
-        def _callback_which_should_not_be_called() -> None:
-            pytest.fail("Callback should not have been called.")  # pragma: no cover
+        # Ignoring private API here because it's the only way to test this guardrail.
+        with pytest.raises(test._UnhandledCallbacks) as exc_info:  # noqa: SLF001
+            with test.part_of_a_transaction():
+                ...
 
+        assert exc_info.value.callbacks == (_callback_which_should_not_be_called,)
+
+    def test_dangling_callbacks_detection_can_be_disabled(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Pre-existing callbacks can be ignored with a setting.
+        """
+        # Django's `atomic` leaves dangling after-commit callbacks
+        # on the test case's transaction.
+        with django_transaction.atomic():
+            django_transaction.on_commit(_callback_which_should_not_be_called)
+
+        # This setting suppresses the guardrail.
+        with override_settings(
+            SUBATOMIC_CATCH_UNHANDLED_AFTER_COMMIT_CALLBACKS_IN_TESTS=False
+        ):
+            with test.part_of_a_transaction():
+                ...
+
+    def test_remaining_callbacks_cleared_on_exit(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Any callbacks left at the end of the block are cleared out.
+        """
         with test.part_of_a_transaction():
             db.run_after_commit(_callback_which_should_not_be_called)
 
+        # If the callbacks weren't cleared, this would raise an error.
+        with db.transaction():
+            ...
+
+    def test_remaining_callbacks_cleared_on_error(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Callbacks left at the end of the block are cleared out when an error is raised.
+        """
+
+        class _ArbitraryError(Exception): ...
+
+        with pytest.raises(_ArbitraryError):
+            with test.part_of_a_transaction():
+                db.run_after_commit(_callback_which_should_not_be_called)
+                raise _ArbitraryError
+
+        # If the callbacks weren't cleared, this would raise an error.
+        with db.transaction():
+            ...
+
     @pytest.mark.parametrize(
         "transaction_manager",
         (
@@ -74,3 +130,7 @@ def test_fails_when_nested_inside_an_atomic_block(
             ):
                 with test.part_of_a_transaction():
                     ...
+
+
+def _callback_which_should_not_be_called() -> None:
+    pytest.fail("Callback should not have been called.")  # pragma: no cover