What causes "SQLite is not supported by this provider" in github/copilot-sdk?

Implement the `sqlite` capability on your provider (query method) or switch to a provider that supports it

SQLite is not supported by this provider

Error message

SQLite is not supported by this provider

What it means

Thrown by the SQLite query handler in createSessionFsAdapter when a sqliteQuery request arrives but the session filesystem provider does not implement the optional `sqlite` capability. The adapter deliberately lets this plain Error propagate so the original message appears in the JSON-RPC error response instead of being remapped to a SessionFsError.

Solutions

Implement the `sqlite` capability on your provider (query method) or switch to a provider that supports it
Gate sqliteQuery calls behind a capability check (provider.sqlite presence / advertised features)
Disable or avoid the SQL-backed feature when using a filesystem-only provider

Example fix

// before
const res = await sessionFs.sqliteQuery({ queryType: "all", query: "SELECT 1" }); // provider has no sqlite
// after
if (provider.sqlite) {
  const res = await sessionFs.sqliteQuery({ queryType: "all", query: "SELECT 1" });
} else {
  // fallback to file-based API or surface unsupported feature
}

Defensive patterns

Strategy: type-guard

Validate before calling

if (!provider.sqlite) throw new Error("This feature requires a sqlite-capable sessionFs provider");

Type guard

function hasSqlite(p) {
  return typeof p?.sqlite?.query === "function";
}

Try / catch

try {
  return await sessionFs.sqliteQuery({ queryType, query, params });
} catch (err) {
  if (err?.message === "SQLite is not supported by this provider") {
    return fileBasedFallback(query);
  }
  throw err;
}

Prevention

Verify the provider implements the optional sqlite capability before enabling SQL-backed features
Use a sqlite-capable provider when the app depends on SQL APIs
Feature-flag sqlite usage on a runtime capability check

When it happens

Trigger: Calling the session-fs sqliteQuery JSON-RPC method against a provider constructed without a `sqlite` property; a custom provider that only implements file operations; provider built by an older factory version predating sqlite support.

Common situations: Custom sessionFs provider implementations missing the sqlite interface; running SQL-backed features (journaling, search) against a plain filesystem provider; feature flags enabling sqlite-dependent features on providers that cannot serve them.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of github/copilot-sdk@cd8cf15dc3 (2026-09-09). Data as JSON: /api/errors/89875995fc470a5b. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at nodejs/src/sessionFsProvider.ts:261

                return toSessionFsError(err);
            }
        },
        rename: async ({ src, dest }) => {
            try {
                await provider.rename(src, dest);
                return undefined;
            } catch (err) {
                return toSessionFsError(err);
            }
        },
        // Unlike the FS methods above, SQLite methods let errors propagate to the JSON-RPC layer
        // rather than catching and mapping via toSessionFsError. The FS error mapping is specifically
        // for translating Node.js errno codes (e.g., ENOENT) into SessionFsError, which isn't
        // meaningful for SQL errors. Letting exceptions propagate preserves the original error
        // message in the JSON-RPC error response.
        sqliteQuery: async ({ queryType, query, params: bindParams }) => {
            if (!provider.sqlite) {
                throw new Error("SQLite is not supported by this provider");
            }
            const result = await provider.sqlite.query(
                queryType,
                query,
                normalizeSqliteParams(bindParams)
            );
            return result ?? { rows: [], columns: [], rowsAffected: 0 };
        },
        sqliteTransaction: async ({ statements }) => {
            if (!provider.sqlite?.transaction) {
                return {
                    results: [],
                    error: {
                        errorClass: "fatal",
                        message: "SQLite transactions are not supported by this provider",
                    },
                };
            }

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