diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 41c03b0eb..6c0a33cde 100644
Binary files a/package-lock.json and b/package-lock.json differ
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 33a7975e0..14b4c5fd4 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -110,7 +110,6 @@
         "picocolors": "^1.1.1",
         "probe-image-size": "^7.2.3",
         "reflect-metadata": "^0.2.2",
-        "sqlite3": "^5.1.7",
         "tslib": "^2.8.1",
         "typeorm": "^0.3.28",
         "wretch": "^2.11.1",
@@ -132,5 +131,10 @@
         "mailgun.js": "^12.4.0",
         "node-mailjet": "^6.0.11",
         "nodemailer": "^7.0.11"
+    },
+    "overrides": {
+        "typeorm": {
+            "sqlite3": "../_EXCLUDED_"
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/util/util/Database.ts b/src/util/util/Database.ts
index 647fba015..7a0d084f0 100644
--- a/src/util/util/Database.ts
+++ b/src/util/util/Database.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,18 @@ const dbConnectionString = process.env.DATABASE || path.join(process.cwd(), "dat
 export const DatabaseType = dbConnectionString.includes("://") ? dbConnectionString.split(":")[0]?.replace("+srv", "") : "sqlite";
 const isSqlite = DatabaseType.includes("sqlite");
 
+let hasWarnedSqlite = false;
+if (isSqlite && !hasWarnedSqlite) {
+    hasWarnedSqlite = true;
+    console.log(`[Database] ${red(`You are running sqlite! Please keep in mind that we recommend setting up a dedicated database!`)}`);
+    try {
+        const _ = require("sqlite3");
+    } catch (e) {
+        console.log(`[Database] ${red(`Failed to load sqlite3 package. Please install it with 'npm install --no-save sqlite3', or switch to a real database like Postgres.`)}`);
+        process.exit(1);
+    }
+}
+
 export const DataSourceOptions = new DataSource({
     // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
     //@ts-ignore type 'string' is not 'sqlite' | 'postgres' | etc etc
@@ -66,10 +78,6 @@ export function getDatabase(): DataSource | null {
 export async function initDatabase(): Promise<DataSource> {
     if (dbConnection) return dbConnection;
 
-    if (isSqlite) {
-        console.log(`[Database] ${red(`You are running sqlite! Please keep in mind that we recommend setting up a dedicated database!`)}`);
-    }
-
     if (!process.env.DB_SYNC) {
         const supported = ["postgres", "sqlite"];
         if (!supported.includes(DatabaseType)) {
@@ -80,7 +88,7 @@ export async function initDatabase(): Promise<DataSource> {
                             ` To ignore, set DB_SYNC=true in your env. https://docs.spacebar.chat/setup/server/configuration/env/`,
                     ),
             );
-            process.exit();
+            process.exit(1);
         }
     }