diff --git a/ext/vwal/vwal.c b/ext/vwal/vwal.c
index e53a73f9b9..619770d602 100644
--- a/ext/vwal/vwal.c
+++ b/ext/vwal/vwal.c
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ void libsql_register_vwal() {
     .xDb = v_db,
     .xPathnameLen = v_pathname_len,
     .xGetWalPathname = v_get_wal_pathname,
+    .xPreMainDbOpen = NULL,
     .zName = "vwal"
   };
   libsql_wal_methods_register(&methods);
diff --git a/src/pager.c b/src/pager.c
index f4b8578e5a..9c8a5eb5eb 100644
--- a/src/pager.c
+++ b/src/pager.c
@@ -4893,6 +4893,14 @@ int sqlite3PagerOpen(
     sqlite3FileSuffix3(zFilename, pPager->zWal);
     pPtr = (u8*)(pPager->zWal + sqlite3Strlen30(pPager->zWal)+1);
 #endif
+
+  if (pWalMethods->xPreMainDbOpen) {
+    int rc = pWalMethods->xPreMainDbOpen(zPathname);
+    if (rc != SQLITE_OK) {
+      return rc;
+    }
+  }
+
   }else{
     pPager->zWal = 0;
   }
diff --git a/src/wal.c b/src/wal.c
index 2e782e4bb2..bc751ae823 100644
--- a/src/wal.c
+++ b/src/wal.c
@@ -4092,6 +4092,10 @@ static void libsqlGetWalPathname(char *buf, const char *orig, int orig_len) {
   memcpy(buf + orig_len, "-wal", 4);
 }
 
+static int libsqlPreMainDbOpen(Wal *, const char *) {
+  return SQLITE_OK;
+}
+
 libsql_wal_methods *libsql_wal_methods_find(const char *zName) {
   static libsql_wal_methods methods;
   static libsql_wal_methods *methods_head = NULL; 
@@ -4146,6 +4150,7 @@ libsql_wal_methods *libsql_wal_methods_find(const char *zName) {
     methods.xDb = sqlite3WalDb;
     methods.xPathnameLen = libsqlWalPathnameLen;
     methods.xGetWalPathname = libsqlGetWalPathname;
+    methods.xPreMainDbOpen = libsqlPreMainDbOpen;
 
     methods.bUsesShm = 1;
     methods.zName = "default";
diff --git a/src/wal.h b/src/wal.h
index 5380889b49..6383fb5e6a 100644
--- a/src/wal.h
+++ b/src/wal.h
@@ -141,6 +141,13 @@ typedef struct libsql_wal_methods {
   ** */
   void (*xGetWalPathname)(char *buf, const char *orig, int orig_len);
 
+  /*
+  ** This optional callback gets called before the main database file which owns
+  ** the WAL file is open. It is a good place for initialization routines, as WAL
+  ** is otherwise open lazily.
+  */
+  int (*xPreMainDbOpen)(Wal *pWal, const char *main_db_path);
+
   /* True if the implementation relies on shared memory routines (e.g. locks) */
   int bUsesShm;