diff --git a/scripts/policy/frameworks/storage/backend/sqlite/main.zeek b/scripts/policy/frameworks/storage/backend/sqlite/main.zeek
index c8c5f6ca87..505aee00de 100644
--- a/scripts/policy/frameworks/storage/backend/sqlite/main.zeek
+++ b/scripts/policy/frameworks/storage/backend/sqlite/main.zeek
@@ -20,14 +20,19 @@ export {
 		## different between the two.
 		table_name: string;
 
+		## The timeout for the connection to the database. This is set
+		## per-connection. It is equivalent to setting a ``busy_timeout`` pragma
+		## value, but that value will be ignored in favor of this field.
+		busy_timeout: interval &default=5 secs;
+
 		## Key/value table for passing pragma commands when opening the database.
 		## These must be pairs that can be passed to the ``pragma`` command in
 		## sqlite. The ``integrity_check`` pragma is run automatically and does
 		## not need to be included here. For pragmas without a second argument,
-		## set the value to an empty string.
+		## set the value to an empty string. Setting the ``busy_timeout`` pragma
+		## here will be ignored.
 		pragma_commands: table[string] of string &ordered &default=table(
 			["integrity_check"] = "",
-			["busy_timeout"] = "5000",
 			["journal_mode"] = "WAL",
 			["synchronous"] = "normal",
 			["temp_store"] = "memory"
diff --git a/src/storage/backend/sqlite/SQLite.cc b/src/storage/backend/sqlite/SQLite.cc
index 596ae6374f..309407bb6c 100644
--- a/src/storage/backend/sqlite/SQLite.cc
+++ b/src/storage/backend/sqlite/SQLite.cc
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ OperationResult SQLite::DoOpen(OpenResultCallback* cb, RecordValPtr options) {
     full_path = zeek::filesystem::path(path->ToStdString()).string();
     table_name = backend_options->GetField<StringVal>("table_name")->ToStdString();
 
+    auto busy_timeout = backend_options->GetField<IntervalVal>("busy_timeout")->Get();
+
     auto pragma_timeout_val = backend_options->GetField<IntervalVal>("pragma_timeout");
     pragma_timeout = std::chrono::milliseconds(static_cast<int64_t>(pragma_timeout_val->Get() * 1000));
 
@@ -99,25 +101,26 @@ OperationResult SQLite::DoOpen(OpenResultCallback* cb, RecordValPtr options) {
         return open_res;
     }
 
-    // TODO: Should we use sqlite3_busy_timeout here instead of using the pragma? That would
-    // at least let us skip over one. The busy timeout is per-connection as well, so it'll
-    // never fail to run like the other pragmas can.
-    //    sqlite3_busy_timeout(db, 2000);
+    sqlite3_busy_timeout(db, busy_timeout * 1000);
 
     auto pragmas = backend_options->GetField<TableVal>("pragma_commands");
     for ( const auto& iter : *(pragmas->Get()) ) {
         auto k = iter.GetHashKey();
-        auto v = iter.value;
         auto vl = pragmas->GetTableHash()->RecoverVals(*k);
 
         auto ks = vl->AsListVal()->Idx(0)->AsStringVal();
         auto ks_sv = ks->ToStdStringView();
+
+        if ( ks_sv == "busy_timeout" )
+            continue;
+
         auto vs = iter.value->GetVal()->AsStringVal();
         auto vs_sv = vs->ToStdStringView();
 
         auto pragma_res = RunPragma(ks_sv, vs_sv);
         if ( pragma_res.code != ReturnCode::SUCCESS ) {
             Error(pragma_res.err_str.c_str());
+            Close(nullptr);
             return pragma_res;
         }
     }
diff --git a/testing/btest/Baseline/scripts.base.frameworks.storage.sqlite-basic/out b/testing/btest/Baseline/scripts.base.frameworks.storage.sqlite-basic/out
index 0d8cb07abb..055e0cd530 100644
--- a/testing/btest/Baseline/scripts.base.frameworks.storage.sqlite-basic/out
+++ b/testing/btest/Baseline/scripts.base.frameworks.storage.sqlite-basic/out
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 ### BTest baseline data generated by btest-diff. Do not edit. Use "btest -U/-u" to update. Requires BTest >= 0.63.
-Storage::backend_opened, Storage::STORAGE_BACKEND_SQLITE, [serializer=Storage::STORAGE_SERIALIZER_JSON, sqlite=[database_path=test.sqlite, table_name=testing, pragma_commands={
+Storage::backend_opened, Storage::STORAGE_BACKEND_SQLITE, [serializer=Storage::STORAGE_SERIALIZER_JSON, sqlite=[database_path=test.sqlite, table_name=testing, busy_timeout=5.0 secs, pragma_commands={
 [integrity_check] = ,
-[busy_timeout] = 5000,
 [journal_mode] = WAL,
 [synchronous] = normal,
 [temp_store] = memory