diff --git a/backend/database/session.py b/backend/database/session.py
index f67864f1..cb051ec2 100644
--- a/backend/database/session.py
+++ b/backend/database/session.py
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 """Engine creation, initialization, and session management."""
 
 import logging
-import sqlite3 as _sqlite3
 import uuid
 
-from sqlalchemy import create_engine
+from sqlalchemy import create_engine, event
 from sqlalchemy.orm import sessionmaker
 
 from .. import config
@@ -23,21 +22,6 @@ from .seed import backfill_generation_versions, seed_builtin_presets
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-def _make_connection(db_path: str) -> _sqlite3.Connection:
-    """Open a SQLite connection with WAL journal mode and a 5-second busy timeout.
-
-    WAL allows concurrent readers while a write is in progress (the default
-    DELETE journal blocks all readers).  This matters for voicebox because SSE
-    status polls and history queries run concurrently with the generation worker
-    writing to the same database.  The busy timeout prevents "database is
-    locked" errors when two writers briefly contend on the same write slot.
-    """
-    conn = _sqlite3.connect(db_path, check_same_thread=False)
-    conn.execute("PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL")
-    conn.execute("PRAGMA busy_timeout=5000")
-    return conn
-
-
 # Initialized by init_db()
 engine = None
 SessionLocal = None
@@ -54,15 +38,21 @@ def init_db() -> None:
     engine = create_engine(
         f"sqlite:///{_db_path}",
         connect_args={"check_same_thread": False},
-        # Each connection enables WAL journal mode and sets a 5-second busy
-        # timeout.  WAL allows concurrent readers during a write (the default
-        # DELETE/ROLLBACK journal blocks all readers), which matters for
-        # voicebox because SSE status polls and history queries run
+    )
+
+    @event.listens_for(engine, "connect")
+    def _set_sqlite_pragmas(dbapi_connection, _record) -> None:
+        # Each pooled connection enables WAL journal mode and sets a 5-second
+        # busy timeout.  WAL allows concurrent readers during a write (the
+        # default DELETE/ROLLBACK journal blocks all readers), which matters
+        # for voicebox because SSE status polls and history queries run
         # concurrently with the generation worker writing to the same db.
         # busy_timeout prevents "database is locked" errors when two
         # connections briefly contend on the same write slot.
-        creator=lambda: _make_connection(str(_db_path)),
-    )
+        cursor = dbapi_connection.cursor()
+        cursor.execute("PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL")
+        cursor.execute("PRAGMA busy_timeout=5000")
+        cursor.close()
 
     SessionLocal = sessionmaker(autocommit=False, autoflush=False, bind=engine)
 
diff --git a/docs/content/docs/overview/troubleshooting.mdx b/docs/content/docs/overview/troubleshooting.mdx
index f615b3c6..7668b873 100644
--- a/docs/content/docs/overview/troubleshooting.mdx
+++ b/docs/content/docs/overview/troubleshooting.mdx
@@ -419,12 +419,14 @@ bun run tauri build
 
 ```bash
 # macOS
-rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/sh.voicebox.app/data/voicebox.db
+rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/sh.voicebox.app/data/voicebox.db*
 
 # Windows
-del %APPDATA%\sh.voicebox.app\data\voicebox.db
+del %APPDATA%\sh.voicebox.app\data\voicebox.db*
 ```
 
+The wildcard also removes the `voicebox.db-wal` and `voicebox.db-shm` sidecar files that SQLite keeps next to the database in WAL mode, so the reset starts completely clean.
+
 Restart the app to create a fresh database.
 
 ## Model Issues
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index 877f1519..9b9a480f 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -348,12 +348,12 @@ db-init: _ensure-venv
 # Reset database (delete + reinit)
 [unix]
 db-reset:
-    rm -f {{ backend_dir }}/data/voicebox.db
+    rm -f {{ backend_dir }}/data/voicebox.db {{ backend_dir }}/data/voicebox.db-wal {{ backend_dir }}/data/voicebox.db-shm
     just db-init
 
 [windows]
 db-reset:
-    if (Test-Path "{{ backend_dir }}/data/voicebox.db") { Remove-Item -Force "{{ backend_dir }}/data/voicebox.db" }
+    Remove-Item -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue "{{ backend_dir }}/data/voicebox.db", "{{ backend_dir }}/data/voicebox.db-wal", "{{ backend_dir }}/data/voicebox.db-shm"
     just db-init
 
 # ─── Utilities ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────