diff --git a/appview/db/db.go b/appview/db/db.go
--- a/appview/db/db.go
+++ b/appview/db/db.go
@@ -27,14 +27,13 @@ PrepareContext(ctx context.Context, query string) (*sql.Stmt, error)
 }
 
 func Make(dbPath string) (*DB, error) {
-	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dbPath)
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dbPath+"?_foreign_keys=1")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	_, err = db.Exec(`
 		pragma journal_mode = WAL;
 		pragma synchronous = normal;
-		pragma foreign_keys = on;
 		pragma temp_store = memory;
 		pragma mmap_size = 30000000000;
 		pragma page_size = 32768;
diff --git a/cmd/punchcardPopulate/main.go b/cmd/punchcardPopulate/main.go
--- a/cmd/punchcardPopulate/main.go
+++ b/cmd/punchcardPopulate/main.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ _ "github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3"
 )
 
 func main() {
-	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", "./appview.db")
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", "./appview.db?_foreign_keys=1")
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal("Failed to open database:", err)
 	}
diff --git a/eventconsumer/cursor/sqlite.go b/eventconsumer/cursor/sqlite.go
--- a/eventconsumer/cursor/sqlite.go
+++ b/eventconsumer/cursor/sqlite.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ }
 }
 
 func NewSQLiteStore(dbPath string, opts ...SqliteStoreOpt) (*SqliteStore, error) {
-	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dbPath)
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dbPath+"?_foreign_keys=1")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to open sqlite database: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/knotserver/db/init.go b/knotserver/db/init.go
--- a/knotserver/db/init.go
+++ b/knotserver/db/init.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ db *sql.DB
 }
 
 func Setup(dbPath string) (*DB, error) {
-	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dbPath)
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dbPath+"?_foreign_keys=1")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 	_, err = db.Exec(`
 		pragma journal_mode = WAL;
 		pragma synchronous = normal;
-		pragma foreign_keys = on;
 		pragma temp_store = memory;
 		pragma mmap_size = 30000000000;
 		pragma page_size = 32768;
diff --git a/rbac/rbac.go b/rbac/rbac.go
--- a/rbac/rbac.go
+++ b/rbac/rbac.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", path)
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", path+"?_foreign_keys=1")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/rbac/rbac_test.go b/rbac/rbac_test.go
--- a/rbac/rbac_test.go
+++ b/rbac/rbac_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ "github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
 func setup(t *testing.T) *rbac.Enforcer {
-	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", ":memory:")
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", ":memory:?_foreign_keys=1")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	a, err := adapter.NewAdapter(db, "sqlite3", "acl")
diff --git a/spindle/db/db.go b/spindle/db/db.go
--- a/spindle/db/db.go
+++ b/spindle/db/db.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ *sql.DB
 }
 
 func Make(dbPath string) (*DB, error) {
-	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dbPath)
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dbPath+"?_foreign_keys=1")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 	_, err = db.Exec(`
 		pragma journal_mode = WAL;
 		pragma synchronous = normal;
-		pragma foreign_keys = on;
 		pragma temp_store = memory;
 		pragma mmap_size = 30000000000;
 		pragma page_size = 32768;
diff --git a/spindle/secrets/sqlite.go b/spindle/secrets/sqlite.go
--- a/spindle/secrets/sqlite.go
+++ b/spindle/secrets/sqlite.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ }
 }
 
 func NewSQLiteManager(dbPath string, opts ...SqliteManagerOpt) (*SqliteManager, error) {
-	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dbPath)
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dbPath+"?_foreign_keys=1")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to open sqlite database: %w", err)
 	}