SQLite foreign key constraint enforcement is off by default

4/10 Low

SQLite has foreign key constraint enforcement disabled by default for backwards compatibility with legacy databases, requiring developers to explicitly enable it. This can lead to referential integrity violations if developers are unaware of the default behavior.

SQLite
Category
config
Workaround
solid
Stage
onboarding
Freshness
persistent
Scope
single_lib
Upstream
wontfix
Recurring
No
Maintainer
active

Sources

Collection History

Query: “What are the most common pain points with SQLite for developers in 2025?”4/5/2026

Foreign Key Enforcement Is Off By Default... To avoid breaking those legacy databases, foreign key constraint enforcement is turned off by default in SQLite.

Created: 4/5/2026Updated: 4/5/2026