diff --git a/internal/agent/controller/app/app_handler.go b/internal/agent/controller/app/app_handler.go
index a647041..971337c 100644
--- a/internal/agent/controller/app/app_handler.go
+++ b/internal/agent/controller/app/app_handler.go
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
+const defaultSQLiteParams = "?_pragma=foreign_keys(1)&_pragma=journal_mode(WAL)&_txlock=immediate"
+
 func (c *Controller) getHandlerOptions(ctx context.Context, appKey string, specs *spec.Spec) ([]edgeHTTP.HandlerOptionFunc, error) {
 	dataDir, err := c.ensureAppDataDir(ctx, appKey)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -35,7 +37,7 @@ func (c *Controller) getHandlerOptions(ctx context.Context, appKey string, specs
 	}
 
 	dbFile := filepath.Join(dataDir, appKey+".sqlite")
-	db, err := sqlite.Open(dbFile)
+	db, err := sqlite.Open(dbFile + defaultSQLiteParams)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "could not open database file '%s'", dbFile)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/config/database.go b/internal/config/database.go
index 189c129..566c83a 100644
--- a/internal/config/database.go
+++ b/internal/config/database.go
@@ -15,6 +15,6 @@ type DatabaseConfig struct {
 func NewDefaultDatabaseConfig() DatabaseConfig {
 	return DatabaseConfig{
 		Driver: "sqlite",
-		DSN:    "sqlite://emissary.sqlite?_fk=true&_journal=WAL",
+		DSN:    "sqlite://emissary.sqlite?_pragma=foreign_keys(1)&_pragma=journal_mode(WAL)&_txlock=immediate",
 	}
 }
diff --git a/misc/packaging/common/config-server.yml b/misc/packaging/common/config-server.yml
index 8f150eb..d4b7ae7 100644
--- a/misc/packaging/common/config-server.yml
+++ b/misc/packaging/common/config-server.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ server:
     port: 3000
   database:
     driver: sqlite
-    dsn: sqlite:///var/lib/emissary/data.sqlite?_fk=true&_journal=WAL
+    dsn: sqlite:///var/lib/emissary/data.sqlite?_pragma=foreign_keys(1)&_pragma=journal_mode(WAL)&_txlock=immediate
   cors:
     allowedOrigins: []
     allowCredentials: true