diff --git a/appview/db/db.go b/appview/db/db.go
index daa31633..e46cf334 100644
--- a/appview/db/db.go
+++ b/appview/db/db.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ func Make(ctx context.Context, dbPath string) (*DB, error) {
 		"_journal_mode=WAL",
 		"_synchronous=NORMAL",
 		"_auto_vacuum=incremental",
+		"_busy_timeout=5000",
 	}
 
 	logger := log.FromContext(ctx)
diff --git a/knotserver/db/db.go b/knotserver/db/db.go
index dbfd58a3..3c5879c4 100644
--- a/knotserver/db/db.go
+++ b/knotserver/db/db.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ func Setup(ctx context.Context, dbPath string) (*DB, error) {
 		"_journal_mode=WAL",
 		"_synchronous=NORMAL",
 		"_auto_vacuum=incremental",
+		"_busy_timeout=5000",
 	}
 
 	logger := log.FromContext(ctx)
diff --git a/spindle/db/db.go b/spindle/db/db.go
index 78121a63..e59f9bf0 100644
--- a/spindle/db/db.go
+++ b/spindle/db/db.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ func Make(dbPath string) (*DB, error) {
 		"_journal_mode=WAL",
 		"_synchronous=NORMAL",
 		"_auto_vacuum=incremental",
+		"_busy_timeout=5000",
 	}
 
 	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dbPath+"?"+strings.Join(opts, "&"))