diff --git a/surfsense_local/backend/shared/db.py b/surfsense_local/backend/shared/db.py
index 1b4579110e..cbad5d06ca 100644
--- a/surfsense_local/backend/shared/db.py
+++ b/surfsense_local/backend/shared/db.py
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 )
 from sqlalchemy.orm import DeclarativeBase, Session, sessionmaker
 
+from shared.sqlite import enable_wal
+
 # SQLite is the only backend that lets constraints stay unnamed, and Alembic's
 # batch mode cannot drop what it cannot name. Retrofitting this later would not
 # match the names already on disk, so it has to hold from the first migration.
@@ -94,10 +96,11 @@ def _apply_pragmas(dbapi_connection: Any, _record: Any) -> None:
     dbapi_connection.enable_load_extension(False)
 
     cursor = dbapi_connection.cursor()
-    cursor.execute("PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL")
-    cursor.execute("PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON")
+    # First, so what follows waits for a concurrent writer instead of failing.
     cursor.execute("PRAGMA busy_timeout = 5000")
+    cursor.execute("PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON")
     cursor.close()
+    enable_wal(dbapi_connection)
 
 
 # The API sets this for the span of one request. Waiting for the write lock on
diff --git a/surfsense_local/backend/shared/queue.py b/surfsense_local/backend/shared/queue.py
index 259ea97a6b..f41d4762e2 100644
--- a/surfsense_local/backend/shared/queue.py
+++ b/surfsense_local/backend/shared/queue.py
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
+import sqlite3
+from contextlib import closing
+
 from huey import SqliteHuey
 
 from shared.config import get_storage_settings
+from shared.sqlite import enable_wal
 
 _settings = get_storage_settings()
 # SqliteHuey opens the file as it is constructed.
@@ -9,6 +13,10 @@
 # Its own file: constant polling must not hold the write lock on the database.
 _QUEUE_FILE = str(_settings.queue_path)
 
+# Before huey connects: its own journal_mode switch cannot wait for the lock.
+with closing(sqlite3.connect(_QUEUE_FILE, timeout=5)) as _connection:
+    enable_wal(_connection)
+
 # One queue per consumer, so an import never queues ahead of a summary.
 ingest_queue = SqliteHuey(name="ingest", filename=_QUEUE_FILE)
 studio_queue = SqliteHuey(name="studio", filename=_QUEUE_FILE)
diff --git a/surfsense_local/backend/shared/sqlite.py b/surfsense_local/backend/shared/sqlite.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bc05b43c6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/surfsense_local/backend/shared/sqlite.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import sqlite3
+import time
+from typing import Any
+
+# Switching a fresh file to WAL wants an exclusive lock, and SQLite answers
+# SQLITE_BUSY without running the busy handler, so busy_timeout does not cover
+# it. ponytail: fixed 5s poll, matching busy_timeout; it only ever waits on
+# another process creating a schema.
+_ATTEMPTS = 50
+_DELAY = 0.1
+
+
+def enable_wal(connection: Any, attempts: int = _ATTEMPTS) -> None:
+    """Put a SQLite file in WAL mode, waiting out a concurrent first opener."""
+    for remaining in reversed(range(attempts)):
+        try:
+            connection.execute("PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL")
+            return
+        except sqlite3.OperationalError:
+            if not remaining:
+                raise
+            time.sleep(_DELAY)
diff --git a/surfsense_local/backend/tests/unit/shared/test_sqlite.py b/surfsense_local/backend/tests/unit/shared/test_sqlite.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..acc18c625c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/surfsense_local/backend/tests/unit/shared/test_sqlite.py
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import sqlite3
+import threading
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+from shared.sqlite import enable_wal
+
+pytestmark = pytest.mark.unit
+
+
+def test_wal_waits_for_the_process_still_creating_the_file(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """A sidecar that opens a fresh file while another is creating its schema
+    gets SQLITE_BUSY on the switch, and dies on it without this wait."""
+    path = tmp_path / "queue.db"
+    creator = sqlite3.connect(path, isolation_level=None)
+    creator.execute("CREATE TABLE task (id integer primary key)")
+    creator.execute("BEGIN IMMEDIATE")
+
+    latecomer = sqlite3.connect(path, timeout=5, check_same_thread=False)
+    with pytest.raises(sqlite3.OperationalError, match="locked"):
+        latecomer.execute("PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL")
+
+    switch = threading.Thread(target=enable_wal, args=(latecomer,))
+    switch.start()
+    try:
+        assert switch.is_alive()
+        creator.execute("COMMIT")
+        switch.join(timeout=5)
+        assert not switch.is_alive()
+        assert latecomer.execute("PRAGMA journal_mode").fetchone()[0] == "wal"
+    finally:
+        switch.join(timeout=5)
+        creator.close()
+        latecomer.close()
+
+
+def test_wal_is_a_no_op_once_the_file_is_in_wal(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """So a later connection may run the pragma while someone else writes."""
+    path = tmp_path / "queue.db"
+    first = sqlite3.connect(path)
+    enable_wal(first)
+    holder = sqlite3.connect(path, isolation_level=None)
+    holder.execute("CREATE TABLE task (id integer primary key)")
+    holder.execute("BEGIN IMMEDIATE")
+
+    second = sqlite3.connect(path, timeout=0)
+    try:
+        enable_wal(second, attempts=1)
+    finally:
+        holder.close()
+        first.close()
+        second.close()
diff --git a/surfsense_local/frontend/src/features/studio/studio-panel.test.tsx b/surfsense_local/frontend/src/features/studio/studio-panel.test.tsx
index 9c68463ef3..d8b058fe04 100644
--- a/surfsense_local/frontend/src/features/studio/studio-panel.test.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_local/frontend/src/features/studio/studio-panel.test.tsx
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ function StudioHarness({
         onOpen={vi.fn()}
         onRegenerate={(id) => void studio.regenerate(id)}
         onDelete={(id) => void studio.remove(id)}
-        onRetry={(id) => void studio.retry(id)}
       />
     </>
   )