diff --git a/backend/db/index.ts b/backend/db/index.ts
index 458b13a..22089ff 100644
--- a/backend/db/index.ts
+++ b/backend/db/index.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,12 @@ async function openDatabase(options: DatabaseOpenOptions) {
     fileName = resolve(path, "main.db");
   await Deno.mkdir(path, { recursive: true });
   const database = new Database(fileName, options);
+
+  // Enable WAL mode for better concurrency (allows concurrent readers and writers)
+  database.exec("PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL");
+  // Set busy timeout to 30 seconds to wait for locks instead of failing immediately
+  database.exec("PRAGMA busy_timeout = 30000");
+
   return database;
 }
 
diff --git a/backend/db/minimal.ts b/backend/db/minimal.ts
index 545fb44..1ca0f83 100644
--- a/backend/db/minimal.ts
+++ b/backend/db/minimal.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ async function openDatabase(options: DatabaseOpenOptions) {
     fileName = resolve(path, "main.db");
   await Deno.mkdir(path, { recursive: true });
   const database = new Database(fileName, options);
+
+  // Enable WAL mode for better concurrency (allows concurrent readers and writers)
+  database.exec("PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL");
+  // Set busy timeout to 30 seconds to wait for locks instead of failing immediately
+  database.exec("PRAGMA busy_timeout = 30000");
+
   return database;
 }