diff --git a/src/storage/backend/sqlite/SQLite.cc b/src/storage/backend/sqlite/SQLite.cc
index b97ff07331..4deb565fd6 100644
--- a/src/storage/backend/sqlite/SQLite.cc
+++ b/src/storage/backend/sqlite/SQLite.cc
@@ -17,11 +17,6 @@
 
 using namespace std::chrono_literals;
 
-namespace {
-// Helper to check whether a database-stored `expire_time` is considered expired.
-bool is_expired(double expire_time) { return expire_time != 0 && expire_time < zeek::run_state::network_time; }
-} // namespace
-
 namespace zeek::storage::backend::sqlite {
 
 OperationResult SQLite::RunPragma(std::string_view name, std::optional<std::string_view> value) {
@@ -196,7 +191,10 @@ OperationResult SQLite::DoOpen(OpenResultCallback* cb, RecordValPtr options) {
     static std::array<std::pair<std::string, sqlite3*>, 8> statements =
         {std::make_pair(util::fmt(put_base_cmd.c_str(), table_name.c_str()), db),
          std::make_pair(util::fmt(put_cmd.c_str(), table_name.c_str()), db),
-         std::make_pair(util::fmt("select value_str, expire_time from %s where key_str=?", table_name.c_str()), db),
+         std::make_pair(util::fmt("select value_str, expire_time from %s where key_str=? and ((expire_time > ?) OR "
+                                  "(expire_time IS NOT NULL AND expire_time == 0.0))",
+                                  table_name.c_str()),
+                        db),
          std::make_pair(util::fmt("delete from %s where key_str=?", table_name.c_str()), db),
 
          std::make_pair(
@@ -297,10 +295,10 @@ OperationResult SQLite::DoPut(ResultCallback* cb, ValPtr key, ValPtr value, bool
         return {ReturnCode::SERIALIZATION_FAILED, "Failed to serialize key"};
 
     unique_stmt_ptr stmt;
-    if ( ! overwrite )
-        stmt = unique_stmt_ptr(put_stmt.get(), sqlite3_reset);
-    else
+    if ( overwrite )
         stmt = unique_stmt_ptr(put_update_stmt.get(), sqlite3_reset);
+    else
+        stmt = unique_stmt_ptr(put_stmt.get(), sqlite3_reset);
 
     if ( auto res = CheckError(sqlite3_bind_blob(stmt.get(), 1, key_data->data(), key_data->size(), SQLITE_STATIC));
          res.code != ReturnCode::SUCCESS ) {
@@ -331,7 +329,7 @@ OperationResult SQLite::DoPut(ResultCallback* cb, ValPtr key, ValPtr value, bool
     }
 
     if ( ! overwrite )
-        if ( auto res = CheckError(sqlite3_bind_double(stmt.get(), 6, util::current_time()));
+        if ( auto res = CheckError(sqlite3_bind_double(stmt.get(), 6, zeek::run_state::network_time));
              res.code != ReturnCode::SUCCESS ) {
             return res;
         }
@@ -365,6 +363,11 @@ OperationResult SQLite::DoGet(ResultCallback* cb, ValPtr key) {
         return res;
     }
 
+    if ( auto res = CheckError(sqlite3_bind_double(stmt.get(), 2, zeek::run_state::network_time));
+         res.code != ReturnCode::SUCCESS ) {
+        return res;
+    }
+
     return Step(stmt.get(), true);
 }
 
@@ -514,19 +517,15 @@ OperationResult SQLite::Step(sqlite3_stmt* stmt, bool parse_value) {
     int step_status = sqlite3_step(stmt);
     if ( step_status == SQLITE_ROW ) {
         if ( parse_value ) {
-            if ( sqlite3_column_type(stmt, 1) != SQLITE_NULL && is_expired(sqlite3_column_double(stmt, 1)) )
-                ret = {ReturnCode::KEY_NOT_FOUND, ""};
-            else {
-                auto blob = static_cast<const std::byte*>(sqlite3_column_blob(stmt, 0));
-                size_t blob_size = sqlite3_column_bytes(stmt, 0);
+            auto blob = static_cast<const std::byte*>(sqlite3_column_blob(stmt, 0));
+            size_t blob_size = sqlite3_column_bytes(stmt, 0);
 
-                auto val = serializer->Unserialize({blob, blob_size}, val_type);
+            auto val = serializer->Unserialize({blob, blob_size}, val_type);
 
-                if ( val )
-                    ret = {ReturnCode::SUCCESS, "", val.value()};
-                else
-                    ret = {ReturnCode::OPERATION_FAILED, val.error()};
-            }
+            if ( val )
+                ret = {ReturnCode::SUCCESS, "", val.value()};
+            else
+                ret = {ReturnCode::OPERATION_FAILED, val.error()};
         }
         else {
             ret = {ReturnCode::OPERATION_FAILED, "sqlite3_step should not have returned a value"};