diff --git a/Sources/SQLiteNIOExtras/SQLiteClient.swift b/Sources/SQLiteNIOExtras/SQLiteClient.swift
index a57dab1..9d2a0c6 100644
--- a/Sources/SQLiteNIOExtras/SQLiteClient.swift
+++ b/Sources/SQLiteNIOExtras/SQLiteClient.swift
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 //
 
 import Logging
+import NIOCore
 import SQLiteNIO
 
 /// A SQLite client backed by a connection pool.
@@ -49,9 +50,9 @@ public final class SQLiteClient: Sendable {
         /// Logger used for pool operations.
         public let logger: Logger
         /// Journal mode applied to each pooled connection.
-        public let journalMode: JournalMode
+        public let journalMode: JournalMode?
         /// Busy timeout, in milliseconds, applied to each pooled connection.
-        public let busyTimeoutMilliseconds: Int
+        public let busyTimeoutMilliseconds: Int?
         /// Foreign key enforcement mode applied to each pooled connection.
         public let foreignKeysMode: ForeignKeysMode
 
@@ -68,15 +69,17 @@ public final class SQLiteClient: Sendable {
             storage: SQLiteConnection.Storage,
             logger: Logger,
             minimumConnections: Int = 1,
-            maximumConnections: Int = 8,
-            journalMode: JournalMode = .wal,
+            maximumConnections: Int = System.coreCount,
+            journalMode: JournalMode? = nil,
             foreignKeysMode: ForeignKeysMode = .on,
-            busyTimeoutMilliseconds: Int = 1000
+            busyTimeoutMilliseconds: Int? = nil
         ) {
             precondition(minimumConnections >= 0)
             precondition(maximumConnections >= 1)
             precondition(minimumConnections <= maximumConnections)
-            precondition(busyTimeoutMilliseconds >= 0)
+            if let busyTimeoutMilliseconds {
+                precondition(busyTimeoutMilliseconds >= 0)
+            }
             self.storage = storage
             self.minimumConnections = minimumConnections
             self.maximumConnections = maximumConnections
diff --git a/Sources/SQLiteNIOExtras/SQLiteConnectionPool.swift b/Sources/SQLiteNIOExtras/SQLiteConnectionPool.swift
index 308c28e..6fe6cba 100644
--- a/Sources/SQLiteNIOExtras/SQLiteConnectionPool.swift
+++ b/Sources/SQLiteNIOExtras/SQLiteConnectionPool.swift
@@ -191,15 +191,21 @@ actor SQLiteConnectionPool {
             logger: configuration.logger
         )
         do {
+            let foreignKeys = configuration.foreignKeysMode
+
             _ = try await connection.query(
-                "PRAGMA journal_mode = \(configuration.journalMode.rawValue);"
-            )
-            _ = try await connection.query(
-                "PRAGMA busy_timeout = \(configuration.busyTimeoutMilliseconds);"
-            )
-            _ = try await connection.query(
-                "PRAGMA foreign_keys = \(configuration.foreignKeysMode.rawValue);"
+                "PRAGMA foreign_keys = \(foreignKeys.rawValue);"
             )
+            if let busyTimeout = configuration.busyTimeoutMilliseconds {
+                _ = try await connection.query(
+                    "PRAGMA busy_timeout = \(busyTimeout);"
+                )
+            }
+            if let journalMode = configuration.journalMode {
+                _ = try await connection.query(
+                    "PRAGMA journal_mode = \(journalMode.rawValue);"
+                )
+            }
         }
         catch {
             await closeConnection(connection)
diff --git a/Tests/SQLiteNIOExtrasTests/SQLiteNIOExtrasTestSuite.swift b/Tests/SQLiteNIOExtrasTests/SQLiteNIOExtrasTestSuite.swift
index 009769c..9aeef6d 100644
--- a/Tests/SQLiteNIOExtrasTests/SQLiteNIOExtrasTestSuite.swift
+++ b/Tests/SQLiteNIOExtrasTests/SQLiteNIOExtrasTestSuite.swift
@@ -229,4 +229,84 @@ struct SQLiteNIOExtrasTestSuite {
             #expect(result[0].column("is_valid")?.bool == true)
         }
     }
+
+    // MARK: - lock
+
+    private actor LockBarrier {
+        private var ready = false
+        private var waiters: [CheckedContinuation<Void, Never>] = []
+
+        func waitUntilLocked() async {
+            if ready { return }
+            await withCheckedContinuation { continuation in
+                waiters.append(continuation)
+            }
+        }
+
+        func markLocked() {
+            guard !ready else { return }
+            ready = true
+            let pending = waiters
+            waiters.removeAll(keepingCapacity: false)
+            for continuation in pending {
+                continuation.resume()
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    func warmupWaitsForTransientExclusiveLock() async throws {
+        let dbPath =
+            "/tmp/feather-lock-\(UInt64.random(in: 0...UInt64.max)).sqlite"
+
+        var logger = Logger(label: "test.sqlite.lock.warmup")
+        logger.logLevel = .info
+
+        let config = SQLiteClient.Configuration(
+            storage: .file(path: dbPath),
+            logger: logger,
+            minimumConnections: 1,
+            maximumConnections: 1,
+            journalMode: .delete,
+            busyTimeoutMilliseconds: 5_000
+        )
+
+        let clientA = SQLiteClient(configuration: config)
+        let clientB = SQLiteClient(configuration: config)
+
+        try await clientA.run()
+        defer {
+            Task {
+                await clientB.shutdown()
+                await clientA.shutdown()
+            }
+        }
+
+        let barrier = LockBarrier()
+
+        let holder = Task {
+            try await clientA.withConnection { connection in
+                _ = try await connection.query("BEGIN EXCLUSIVE;")
+                await barrier.markLocked()
+                try await Task.sleep(for: .milliseconds(1200))
+                _ = try await connection.query("COMMIT;")
+            }
+        }
+
+        await barrier.waitUntilLocked()
+
+        let clock = ContinuousClock()
+        let start = clock.now
+
+        try await clientB.run()
+        try await clientB.withConnection { connection in
+            _ = try await connection.query("SELECT 1;")
+        }
+
+        let elapsed = start.duration(to: clock.now)
+        #expect(elapsed >= .milliseconds(900))
+
+        _ = try await holder.value
+    }
+
 }