Top 10 Mistakes in Hibernate and How to Avoid Them (With Examples)

Hibernate is a powerful ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) framework for Java, making database interactions easier. However, many developers make common mistakes that lead to performance issues, inefficient queries, and security risks.

In this guide, we’ll explore the top 10 Hibernate mistakes and provide best practices using Hibernate 6.x (Jakarta Persistence API — JPA 3.1) to avoid them.

For non-members, read this article for free on my blog: Top 10 Mistakes in Hibernate and How to Avoid Them (With Examples)

Let’s dive in! 🏊‍♂️

1️⃣ Not Managing Transactions Properly

Problem: Many developers assume Hibernate automatically handles transactions. Failing to use transactions properly can cause inconsistent data and unexpected behavior.

❌ Bad Code (No Transaction Handling)

public void saveUser(User user) {
    entityManager.persist(user);  // No transaction management
}

🔴 Issue: Hibernate won’t roll back changes if an error occurs, leading to data corruption.

✅ Good Code (Using @Transactional)

import jakarta.transaction.Transactional;

@Service
public class UserService {
    @PersistenceContext
    private EntityManager entityManager;

    @Transactional
    public void saveUser(User user) {…