diff --git a/bigchaindb/core.py b/bigchaindb/core.py
index 20b03243..5a007eab 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/core.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/core.py
@@ -189,19 +189,25 @@ class Bigchain(object):
             return False
 
     def get_transaction(self, txid, include_status=False):
-        """Retrieve a transaction with `txid` from bigchain.
+        """Get the transaction with the specified `txid` (and optionally its status)
 
-        Queries the bigchain for a transaction, if it's in a valid or invalid
-        block.
+        This query begins by looking in the bigchain table for all blocks containing
+        a transaction with the specified `txid`. If one of those blocks is valid, it
+        returns the matching transaction from that block. Else if some of those
+        blocks are undecided, it returns a matching transaction from one of them. If
+        the transaction was found in invalid blocks only, or in no blocks, then this
+        query looks for a matching transaction in the backlog table, and if it finds
+        one there, it returns that.
 
         Args:
-            txid (str): transaction id of the transaction to query
+            txid (str): transaction id of the transaction to get
             include_status (bool): also return the status of the transaction
                                    the return value is then a tuple: (tx, status)
 
         Returns:
             A :class:`~.models.Transaction` instance if the transaction
-            was found, otherwise ``None``.
+            was found in a valid block, an undecided block, or the backlog table,
+            otherwise ``None``.
             If :attr:`include_status` is ``True``, also returns the
             transaction's status if the transaction was found.
         """
@@ -209,6 +215,7 @@ class Bigchain(object):
         response, tx_status = None, None
 
         validity = self.get_blocks_status_containing_tx(txid)
+        check_backlog = True
 
         if validity:
             # Disregard invalid blocks, and return if there are no valid or undecided blocks
@@ -216,10 +223,14 @@ class Bigchain(object):
                         if status != Bigchain.BLOCK_INVALID}
             if validity:
 
+                # The transaction _was_ found in an undecided or valid block,
+                # so there's no need to look in the backlog table
+                check_backlog = False
+
                 tx_status = self.TX_UNDECIDED
                 # If the transaction is in a valid or any undecided block, return it. Does not check
-                # if transactions in undecided blocks are consistent, but selects the valid block before
-                # undecided ones
+                # if transactions in undecided blocks are consistent, but selects the valid block
+                # before undecided ones
                 for target_block_id in validity:
                     if validity[target_block_id] == Bigchain.BLOCK_VALID:
                         tx_status = self.TX_VALID
@@ -228,8 +239,7 @@ class Bigchain(object):
                 # Query the transaction in the target block and return
                 response = self.backend.get_transaction_from_block(txid, target_block_id)
 
-        else:
-            # Otherwise, check the backlog
+        if check_backlog:
             response = self.backend.get_transaction_from_backlog(txid)
 
             if response:
diff --git a/tests/db/test_bigchain_api.py b/tests/db/test_bigchain_api.py
index f0a88c44..a6b76eb4 100644
--- a/tests/db/test_bigchain_api.py
+++ b/tests/db/test_bigchain_api.py
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ class TestBigchainApi(object):
         inputs = input_tx.to_inputs()
         tx = Transaction.transfer(inputs, [user_vk], input_tx.asset)
         tx = tx.sign([user_sk])
-        b.write_transaction(tx)
+        # There's no need to b.write_transaction(tx) to the backlog
 
         # create block
         block = b.create_block([tx])
@@ -257,8 +257,37 @@ class TestBigchainApi(object):
         response = b.get_transaction(tx.id)
 
         # should be None, because invalid blocks are ignored
+        # and a copy of the tx is not in the backlog
         assert response is None
 
+    @pytest.mark.usefixtures('inputs')
+    def test_read_transaction_invalid_block_and_backlog(self, b, user_vk, user_sk):
+        from bigchaindb.models import Transaction
+
+        input_tx = b.get_owned_ids(user_vk).pop()
+        input_tx = b.get_transaction(input_tx.txid)
+        inputs = input_tx.to_inputs()
+        tx = Transaction.transfer(inputs, [user_vk], input_tx.asset)
+        tx = tx.sign([user_sk])
+
+        # Make sure there's a copy of tx in the backlog
+        b.write_transaction(tx)
+
+        # create block
+        block = b.create_block([tx])
+        b.write_block(block, durability='hard')
+
+        # vote the block invalid
+        vote = b.vote(block.id, b.get_last_voted_block().id, False)
+        b.write_vote(vote)
+
+        # a copy of the tx is both in the backlog and in an invalid
+        # block, so get_transaction should return a transaction,
+        # and a status of TX_IN_BACKLOG
+        response, status = b.get_transaction(tx.id, include_status=True)
+        assert tx.to_dict() == response.to_dict()
+        assert status == b.TX_IN_BACKLOG
+
     @pytest.mark.usefixtures('inputs')
     def test_genesis_block(self, b):
         import rethinkdb as r