A method, computer program product, and computer system for handling open transactions in a data replication environment is provided. The method includes determining a database user that initiated an earliest open transaction in a transaction log. The method further includes, upon determining that the database user does not have access privileges for one or more tables of a target database corresponding to one or more tables of a source database associated with the earliest open transaction, skipping replication of the earliest open transaction to the target database, such that the data replication system no longer waits for the earliest open transaction to complete. The skipping includes discarding, from the transaction log, one or more entries related to the earliest open transaction, and identifying, in the transaction log, a next earliest open transaction.