What causes "SQLite database is closed" in remix-run/remix?

Ensure close() is only called after all in-flight queries, migrations, and transactions have settled (track outstanding promises before closing).

remix-run/remix · critical · Error

SQLite database is closed

Error message

SQLite database is closed

What it means

Thrown by the SQLite data-table driver when an operation is attempted after the underlying SQLite database has been closed. The driver tracks an internal #databaseOpen flag; #assertDatabaseOpen() runs before execute, executeScript, hasTable, hasColumn, and transaction methods and throws immediately if the flag is false. It protects against use-after-close on a driver instance.

Source

Thrown at packages/data-table-sqlite/src/lib/driver.ts:470

    return this.#config
  }

  #assertNoOpenTransactions(method: string): void {
    if (this.#transactions.size > 0) {
      throw new Error('SQLite database cannot ' + method + ' while transactions are open')
    }
  }

  #assertTransaction(token: TransactionToken): void {
    this.#assertDatabaseOpen()
    if (!this.#transactions.has(token.id)) {
      throw new Error('Unknown transaction token: ' + token.id)
    }
  }

  #assertDatabaseOpen(): void {
    if (!this.#databaseOpen) {
      throw new Error('SQLite database is closed')
    }
  }
}

const REMOVE_RETRIES = 10
const REMOVE_RETRY_DELAY_MS = 100

async function removeDatabaseFile(filename: string): Promise<void> {
  // Windows keeps a just-closed database file locked for a short window (deferred handle
  // release, antivirus scans), so removal is retried with a linear backoff
  for (let attempt = 0; ; attempt++) {
    try {
      await rm(filename, { force: true })
      return
    } catch (error) {
      if (attempt >= REMOVE_RETRIES || !isRetryableRemoveError(error)) {
        throw error
      }

View on GitHub (pinned to 9696913134)

Solutions

Ensure close() is only called after all in-flight queries, migrations, and transactions have settled (track outstanding promises before closing).
If you need the database again after closing, create and open a fresh driver/database instance instead of reusing the closed one.
In tests, use beforeEach/afterEach pairs so each test opens and closes its own driver and no shared instance outlives close.

Example fix

// before
await db.close()
await db.hasTable('users') // throws

// after
await db.close()
db = new SqliteDriver(...) // reopen a fresh instance
await db.hasTable('users')

Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Validate before calling

// Track closes in your own wrapper since the flag is private
let closed = false
export async function withDb<T>(fn: () => Promise<T>): Promise<T> {
  if (closed) throw new Error('db already closed')
  return await fn()
}

Try / catch

try {
  await db.hasTable('users')
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof Error && error.message === 'SQLite database is closed') {
    // reopen a new driver instance or bail gracefully
  }
}

Prevention

Track close() in app lifecycle code and gate new queries on it.
Await all in-flight queries before closing in shutdown handlers.
In tests, open/close the driver per test rather than sharing one instance.

When it happens

Trigger: Calling db.execute(...), db.executeScript(...), db.hasTable(...), db.hasColumn(...), beginTransaction(), or any statement inside a transaction after close() (or a failed open/remove cycle) has already run on the same SQLite driver instance.

Common situations: App shutdown handlers that close the DB then a pending request or migration still tries to query; reusing a module-level driver singleton after tests call afterAll/close; hot-reload creating a new database file lifecycle while old handles retry writes.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of remix-run/remix@9696913134 (2026-08-27). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b5bc5e2872edfc6f. Report an issue: GitHub.