Speculative branch handling for transaction abort

A computer program product for implementing branch handling for transaction abort, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to perform a method comprising:
• detecting a beginning of a current execution of a transaction;
• based on detecting the beginning of the transaction, disabling speculative execution based on branch prediction of an initial branch instruction of the transaction, wherein the initial branch instruction branches to two possible paths, and wherein a first path of the two possible paths comprises an abort handler;
• and
• disabling updating of a history table for the initial branch instruction.

A computer system for branch handling for transaction abort, the system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor, communicatively coupled to said memory, the computer system configured to perform a method comprising:
• detecting a beginning of a current execution of a transaction;
• based on detecting the beginning of the transaction, disabling speculative execution based on branch prediction of an initial branch instruction of the transaction, wherein the initial branch instruction branches to two possible paths, and wherein a first path of the two possible paths comprises an abort handler;
• and
• disabling updating of a history table for the initial branch instruction.