diff --git a/ext/kv/sqlite.rs b/ext/kv/sqlite.rs
index 63be1281b4..80d230ab15 100644
--- a/ext/kv/sqlite.rs
+++ b/ext/kv/sqlite.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright 2018-2023 the Deno authors. All rights reserved. MIT license.
 
 use std::borrow::Cow;
+use std::cell::Cell;
 use std::cell::RefCell;
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::path::Path;
@@ -10,6 +11,8 @@ use std::rc::Rc;
 use async_trait::async_trait;
 use deno_core::error::type_error;
 use deno_core::error::AnyError;
+use deno_core::task::spawn_blocking;
+use deno_core::AsyncRefCell;
 use deno_core::OpState;
 use rusqlite::params;
 use rusqlite::OpenFlags;
@@ -112,11 +115,9 @@ impl<P: SqliteDbHandlerPermissions> DatabaseHandler for SqliteDbHandler<P> {
     state: Rc<RefCell<OpState>>,
     path: Option<String>,
   ) -> Result<Self::DB, AnyError> {
-    let conn = match (path.as_deref(), &self.default_storage_dir) {
-      (Some(":memory:"), _) | (None, None) => {
-        rusqlite::Connection::open_in_memory()?
-      }
-      (Some(path), _) => {
+    // Validate path
+    if let Some(path) = &path {
+      if path != ":memory:" {
         if path.is_empty() {
           return Err(type_error("Filename cannot be empty"));
         }
@@ -132,44 +133,92 @@ impl<P: SqliteDbHandlerPermissions> DatabaseHandler for SqliteDbHandler<P> {
           permissions.check_read(path, "Deno.openKv")?;
           permissions.check_write(path, "Deno.openKv")?;
         }
-        let flags = OpenFlags::default().difference(OpenFlags::SQLITE_OPEN_URI);
-        rusqlite::Connection::open_with_flags(path, flags)?
-      }
-      (None, Some(path)) => {
-        std::fs::create_dir_all(path)?;
-        let path = path.join("kv.sqlite3");
-        rusqlite::Connection::open(&path)?
-      }
-    };
-
-    conn.pragma_update(None, "journal_mode", "wal")?;
-    conn.execute(STATEMENT_CREATE_MIGRATION_TABLE, [])?;
-
-    let current_version: usize = conn
-      .query_row(
-        "select version from migration_state where k = 0",
-        [],
-        |row| row.get(0),
-      )
-      .optional()?
-      .unwrap_or(0);
-
-    for (i, migration) in MIGRATIONS.iter().enumerate() {
-      let version = i + 1;
-      if version > current_version {
-        conn.execute_batch(migration)?;
-        conn.execute(
-          "replace into migration_state (k, version) values(?, ?)",
-          [&0, &version],
-        )?;
       }
     }
 
-    Ok(SqliteDb(RefCell::new(conn)))
+    let default_storage_dir = self.default_storage_dir.clone();
+    let conn = spawn_blocking(move || {
+      let conn = match (path.as_deref(), &default_storage_dir) {
+        (Some(":memory:"), _) | (None, None) => {
+          rusqlite::Connection::open_in_memory()?
+        }
+        (Some(path), _) => {
+          let flags =
+            OpenFlags::default().difference(OpenFlags::SQLITE_OPEN_URI);
+          rusqlite::Connection::open_with_flags(path, flags)?
+        }
+        (None, Some(path)) => {
+          std::fs::create_dir_all(path)?;
+          let path = path.join("kv.sqlite3");
+          rusqlite::Connection::open(&path)?
+        }
+      };
+
+      conn.pragma_update(None, "journal_mode", "wal")?;
+      conn.execute(STATEMENT_CREATE_MIGRATION_TABLE, [])?;
+
+      let current_version: usize = conn
+        .query_row(
+          "select version from migration_state where k = 0",
+          [],
+          |row| row.get(0),
+        )
+        .optional()?
+        .unwrap_or(0);
+
+      for (i, migration) in MIGRATIONS.iter().enumerate() {
+        let version = i + 1;
+        if version > current_version {
+          conn.execute_batch(migration)?;
+          conn.execute(
+            "replace into migration_state (k, version) values(?, ?)",
+            [&0, &version],
+          )?;
+        }
+      }
+
+      Ok::<_, AnyError>(conn)
+    })
+    .await
+    .unwrap()?;
+
+    Ok(SqliteDb(Rc::new(AsyncRefCell::new(Cell::new(Some(conn))))))
   }
 }
 
-pub struct SqliteDb(RefCell<rusqlite::Connection>);
+pub struct SqliteDb(Rc<AsyncRefCell<Cell<Option<rusqlite::Connection>>>>);
+
+impl SqliteDb {
+  async fn run_tx<F, R>(&self, f: F) -> Result<R, AnyError>
+  where
+    F: (FnOnce(rusqlite::Transaction<'_>) -> Result<R, AnyError>)
+      + Send
+      + 'static,
+    R: Send + 'static,
+  {
+    // Transactions need exclusive access to the connection. Wait until
+    // we can borrow_mut the connection.
+    let cell = self.0.borrow_mut().await;
+
+    // Take the db out of the cell and run the transaction via spawn_blocking.
+    let mut db = cell.take().unwrap();
+    let (result, db) = spawn_blocking(move || {
+      let result = {
+        match db.transaction() {
+          Ok(tx) => f(tx),
+          Err(e) => Err(e.into()),
+        }
+      };
+      (result, db)
+    })
+    .await
+    .unwrap();
+
+    // Put the db back into the cell.
+    cell.set(Some(db));
+    result
+  }
+}
 
 #[async_trait(?Send)]
 impl Database for SqliteDb {
@@ -178,110 +227,126 @@ impl Database for SqliteDb {
     requests: Vec<ReadRange>,
     _options: SnapshotReadOptions,
   ) -> Result<Vec<ReadRangeOutput>, AnyError> {
-    let mut responses = Vec::with_capacity(requests.len());
-    let mut db = self.0.borrow_mut();
-    let tx = db.transaction()?;
+    self
+      .run_tx(move |tx| {
+        let mut responses = Vec::with_capacity(requests.len());
+        for request in requests {
+          let mut stmt = tx.prepare_cached(if request.reverse {
+            STATEMENT_KV_RANGE_SCAN_REVERSE
+          } else {
+            STATEMENT_KV_RANGE_SCAN
+          })?;
+          let entries = stmt
+            .query_map(
+              (
+                request.start.as_slice(),
+                request.end.as_slice(),
+                request.limit.get(),
+              ),
+              |row| {
+                let key: Vec<u8> = row.get(0)?;
+                let value: Vec<u8> = row.get(1)?;
+                let encoding: i64 = row.get(2)?;
 
-    for request in requests {
-      let mut stmt = tx.prepare_cached(if request.reverse {
-        STATEMENT_KV_RANGE_SCAN_REVERSE
-      } else {
-        STATEMENT_KV_RANGE_SCAN
-      })?;
-      let entries = stmt
-        .query_map(
-          (
-            request.start.as_slice(),
-            request.end.as_slice(),
-            request.limit.get(),
-          ),
-          |row| {
-            let key: Vec<u8> = row.get(0)?;
-            let value: Vec<u8> = row.get(1)?;
-            let encoding: i64 = row.get(2)?;
+                let value = decode_value(value, encoding);
 
-            let value = decode_value(value, encoding);
+                let version: i64 = row.get(3)?;
+                Ok(KvEntry {
+                  key,
+                  value,
+                  versionstamp: version_to_versionstamp(version),
+                })
+              },
+            )?
+            .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, rusqlite::Error>>()?;
+          responses.push(ReadRangeOutput { entries });
+        }
 
-            let version: i64 = row.get(3)?;
-            Ok(KvEntry {
-              key,
-              value,
-              versionstamp: version_to_versionstamp(version),
-            })
-          },
-        )?
-        .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, rusqlite::Error>>()?;
-      responses.push(ReadRangeOutput { entries });
-    }
-
-    Ok(responses)
+        Ok(responses)
+      })
+      .await
   }
 
   async fn atomic_write(
     &self,
     write: AtomicWrite,
   ) -> Result<Option<CommitResult>, AnyError> {
-    let mut db = self.0.borrow_mut();
-
-    let tx = db.transaction()?;
-
-    for check in write.checks {
-      let real_versionstamp = tx
-        .prepare_cached(STATEMENT_KV_POINT_GET_VERSION_ONLY)?
-        .query_row([check.key.as_slice()], |row| row.get(0))
-        .optional()?
-        .map(version_to_versionstamp);
-      if real_versionstamp != check.versionstamp {
-        return Ok(None);
-      }
-    }
-
-    let version: i64 = tx
-      .prepare_cached(STATEMENT_INC_AND_GET_DATA_VERSION)?
-      .query_row([], |row| row.get(0))?;
-
-    for mutation in write.mutations {
-      match mutation.kind {
-        MutationKind::Set(value) => {
-          let (value, encoding) = encode_value(&value);
-          let changed = tx
-            .prepare_cached(STATEMENT_KV_POINT_SET)?
-            .execute(params![mutation.key, &value, &encoding, &version])?;
-          assert_eq!(changed, 1)
+    self
+      .run_tx(move |tx| {
+        for check in write.checks {
+          let real_versionstamp = tx
+            .prepare_cached(STATEMENT_KV_POINT_GET_VERSION_ONLY)?
+            .query_row([check.key.as_slice()], |row| row.get(0))
+            .optional()?
+            .map(version_to_versionstamp);
+          if real_versionstamp != check.versionstamp {
+            return Ok(None);
+          }
         }
-        MutationKind::Delete => {
-          let changed = tx
-            .prepare_cached(STATEMENT_KV_POINT_DELETE)?
-            .execute(params![mutation.key])?;
-          assert!(changed == 0 || changed == 1)
-        }
-        MutationKind::Sum(operand) => {
-          mutate_le64(&tx, &mutation.key, "sum", &operand, version, |a, b| {
-            a.wrapping_add(b)
-          })?;
-        }
-        MutationKind::Min(operand) => {
-          mutate_le64(&tx, &mutation.key, "min", &operand, version, |a, b| {
-            a.min(b)
-          })?;
-        }
-        MutationKind::Max(operand) => {
-          mutate_le64(&tx, &mutation.key, "max", &operand, version, |a, b| {
-            a.max(b)
-          })?;
-        }
-      }
-    }
 
-    // TODO(@losfair): enqueues
+        let version: i64 = tx
+          .prepare_cached(STATEMENT_INC_AND_GET_DATA_VERSION)?
+          .query_row([], |row| row.get(0))?;
 
-    tx.commit()?;
+        for mutation in write.mutations {
+          match mutation.kind {
+            MutationKind::Set(value) => {
+              let (value, encoding) = encode_value(&value);
+              let changed = tx
+                .prepare_cached(STATEMENT_KV_POINT_SET)?
+                .execute(params![mutation.key, &value, &encoding, &version])?;
+              assert_eq!(changed, 1)
+            }
+            MutationKind::Delete => {
+              let changed = tx
+                .prepare_cached(STATEMENT_KV_POINT_DELETE)?
+                .execute(params![mutation.key])?;
+              assert!(changed == 0 || changed == 1)
+            }
+            MutationKind::Sum(operand) => {
+              mutate_le64(
+                &tx,
+                &mutation.key,
+                "sum",
+                &operand,
+                version,
+                |a, b| a.wrapping_add(b),
+              )?;
+            }
+            MutationKind::Min(operand) => {
+              mutate_le64(
+                &tx,
+                &mutation.key,
+                "min",
+                &operand,
+                version,
+                |a, b| a.min(b),
+              )?;
+            }
+            MutationKind::Max(operand) => {
+              mutate_le64(
+                &tx,
+                &mutation.key,
+                "max",
+                &operand,
+                version,
+                |a, b| a.max(b),
+              )?;
+            }
+          }
+        }
 
-    let new_vesionstamp = version_to_versionstamp(version);
+        // TODO(@losfair): enqueues
 
-    Ok(Some(CommitResult {
-      versionstamp: new_vesionstamp,
-    }))
+        tx.commit()?;
+
+        let new_vesionstamp = version_to_versionstamp(version);
+
+        Ok(Some(CommitResult {
+          versionstamp: new_vesionstamp,
+        }))
+      })
+      .await
   }
 }