diff --git a/scripts/base/frameworks/input/__load__.bro b/scripts/base/frameworks/input/__load__.bro
index 0e7d8ffb73..ab7c289fcf 100644
--- a/scripts/base/frameworks/input/__load__.bro
+++ b/scripts/base/frameworks/input/__load__.bro
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 @load ./readers/ascii
 @load ./readers/raw
 @load ./readers/benchmark
-
+@load ./readers/sqlite
diff --git a/scripts/base/frameworks/logging/writers/sqlite.bro b/scripts/base/frameworks/logging/writers/sqlite.bro
index 654af93c96..d835d10151 100644
--- a/scripts/base/frameworks/logging/writers/sqlite.bro
+++ b/scripts/base/frameworks/logging/writers/sqlite.bro
@@ -9,5 +9,9 @@ export {
 
 	## String to use for an unset &optional field.
 	const unset_field = Log::unset_field &redef;
+
+	## String to use for empty fields. This should be different from
+        ## *unset_field* to make the output non-ambigious. 
+	const empty_field = Log::empty_field &redef;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/input.bif b/src/input.bif
index 199b665fa6..bb2ee9a58b 100644
--- a/src/input.bif
+++ b/src/input.bif
@@ -57,3 +57,8 @@ const autospread: double;
 const addfactor: count;
 const stopspreadat: count;
 const timedspread: double;
+
+module InputSQLite;
+const set_separator: string;
+const unset_field: string;
+const empty_field: string;
diff --git a/src/input/readers/SQLite.cc b/src/input/readers/SQLite.cc
index 8821d1a8a2..f843accced 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/SQLite.cc
+++ b/src/input/readers/SQLite.cc
@@ -22,7 +22,17 @@ using threading::Field;
 
 SQLite::SQLite(ReaderFrontend *frontend) : ReaderBackend(frontend)
 	{
-	io = new AsciiInputOutput(this, AsciiInputOutput::SeparatorInfo());
+	set_separator.assign(
+			(const char*) BifConst::LogSQLite::set_separator->Bytes(),
+			BifConst::InputSQLite::set_separator->Len()
+			);
+
+	unset_field.assign(
+			(const char*) BifConst::LogSQLite::unset_field->Bytes(),
+			BifConst::InputSQLite::unset_field->Len()
+			);
+		
+	io = new AsciiInputOutput(this, AsciiInputOutput::SeparatorInfo(set_separator, unset_field));
 	}
 
 SQLite::~SQLite()
diff --git a/src/input/readers/SQLite.h b/src/input/readers/SQLite.h
index 6ab6bb9c58..aa7f9686c7 100644
--- a/src/input/readers/SQLite.h
+++ b/src/input/readers/SQLite.h
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ private:
 	sqlite3 *db;
 	sqlite3_stmt *st;
 	AsciiInputOutput* io;
+
+	string set_separator;
+	string unset_field;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/logging.bif b/src/logging.bif
index 93317e242d..f7684b7216 100644
--- a/src/logging.bif
+++ b/src/logging.bif
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ const num_threads: count;
 module LogSQLite;
 
 const set_separator: string;
+const empty_field: string;
 const unset_field: string;
 
 # Options for the ElasticSearch writer.
diff --git a/src/logging/writers/SQLite.cc b/src/logging/writers/SQLite.cc
index dc58688994..eaa20da466 100644
--- a/src/logging/writers/SQLite.cc
+++ b/src/logging/writers/SQLite.cc
@@ -30,9 +30,14 @@ SQLite::SQLite(WriterFrontend* frontend) : WriterBackend(frontend)
 			BifConst::LogAscii::unset_field->Len()
 			);
 
+	empty_field.assign(
+			(const char*) BifConst::LogAscii::empty_field->Bytes(),
+			BifConst::LogAscii::empty_field->Len()
+			);	
+
 	db = 0;
 
-	io = new AsciiInputOutput(this, AsciiInputOutput::SeparatorInfo(set_separator, unset_field));
+	io = new AsciiInputOutput(this, AsciiInputOutput::SeparatorInfo(set_separator, unset_field, empty_field));
 	}
 
 SQLite::~SQLite()
@@ -134,7 +139,7 @@ bool SQLite::DoInit(const WriterInfo& info, int num_fields,
 					&db,
 					SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE | 
 					SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE |
-					SQLITE_OPEN_FULLMUTEX // perhaps change to nomutex
+					SQLITE_OPEN_NOMUTEX // perhaps change to nomutex
 					,
 					NULL)) )
 		return false;
diff --git a/src/logging/writers/SQLite.h b/src/logging/writers/SQLite.h
index 2300144063..f430057ed8 100644
--- a/src/logging/writers/SQLite.h
+++ b/src/logging/writers/SQLite.h
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ private:
 	sqlite3 *db;
 	sqlite3_stmt *st;
 
-	string separator;
 	string set_separator;
 	string unset_field;
+	string empty_field;	
 	
 	AsciiInputOutput* io;
 };
diff --git a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/sqlite/basic.bro b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/sqlite/basic.bro
index 39ff448b7d..06b121be51 100644
--- a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/sqlite/basic.bro
+++ b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/sqlite/basic.bro
@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@ event bro_init()
 	};
 
 	outfile = open("../out");
-	# first read in the old stuff into the table...
 	Input::add_event([$source="../conn", $name="conn", $fields=Conn::Info, $ev=line, $want_record=T, $reader=Input::READER_SQLITE, $config=config_strings]);
 	}
 
diff --git a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/sqlite/port.bro b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/sqlite/port.bro
index 5cdc9a9d76..4501f28b2b 100644
--- a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/sqlite/port.bro
+++ b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/input/sqlite/port.bro
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ event bro_init()
 	};
 
 	outfile = open("../out");
-	# first read in the old stuff into the table...
 	Input::add_event([$source="../port", $name="port", $fields=Val, $ev=line, $reader=Input::READER_SQLITE, $want_record=F, $config=config_strings]);
 	}