diff --git a/bindings/rust/src/lib.rs b/bindings/rust/src/lib.rs
index 15ae191f7..a5ffacec0 100644
--- a/bindings/rust/src/lib.rs
+++ b/bindings/rust/src/lib.rs
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ impl Connection {
     /// 3. Step through query -> returns Busy -> sleep/yield for 2 ms
     /// 4. Step through query -> returns Busy -> sleep/yield for 2 ms (totaling 5 ms of sleep)
     /// 5. Step through query -> returns Busy -> return Busy to user
-    pub fn busy_timeout(&self, duration: Option<std::time::Duration>) -> Result<()> {
+    pub fn busy_timeout(&self, duration: std::time::Duration) -> Result<()> {
         let conn = self
             .inner
             .lock()
diff --git a/core/lib.rs b/core/lib.rs
index 79999a7bb..f7d0421bb 100644
--- a/core/lib.rs
+++ b/core/lib.rs
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ impl Database {
             encryption_cipher_mode: Cell::new(None),
             sync_mode: Cell::new(SyncMode::Full),
             data_sync_retry: Cell::new(false),
-            busy_timeout: Cell::new(None),
+            busy_timeout: Cell::new(Duration::new(0, 0)),
         });
         self.n_connections
             .fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
@@ -1007,7 +1007,8 @@ pub struct Connection {
     sync_mode: Cell<SyncMode>,
     data_sync_retry: Cell<bool>,
     /// User defined max accumulated Busy timeout duration
-    busy_timeout: Cell<Option<std::time::Duration>>,
+    /// Default is 0 (no timeout)
+    busy_timeout: Cell<std::time::Duration>,
 }
 
 impl Drop for Connection {
@@ -2174,26 +2175,20 @@ impl Connection {
     /// 5. Step through query -> returns Busy -> return Busy to user
     ///
     /// This slight api change demonstrated a better throughtput in `perf/throughput/turso` benchmark
-    pub fn set_busy_timeout(&self, mut duration: Option<std::time::Duration>) {
-        duration = duration.filter(|duration| !duration.is_zero());
+    pub fn set_busy_timeout(&self, duration: std::time::Duration) {
         self.busy_timeout.set(duration);
     }
 
-    pub fn get_busy_timeout(&self) -> Option<std::time::Duration> {
+    pub fn get_busy_timeout(&self) -> std::time::Duration {
         self.busy_timeout.get()
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, Default)]
+#[derive(Debug)]
 struct BusyTimeout {
     /// Busy timeout instant
-    timeout: Option<Instant>,
-    /// Max duration of timeout set by Connection
-    max_duration: Duration,
-    /// Accumulated duration for busy timeout
-    ///
-    /// It will be decremented until it reaches 0, then after that no timeout will be emitted
-    accum_duration: Duration,
+    timeout: Instant,
+    /// Next iteration index for DELAYS
     iteration: usize,
 }
 
@@ -2213,30 +2208,48 @@ impl BusyTimeout {
         Duration::from_millis(100),
     ];
 
-    pub fn new(duration: std::time::Duration) -> Self {
+    const TOTALS: [std::time::Duration; 12] = [
+        Duration::from_millis(0),
+        Duration::from_millis(1),
+        Duration::from_millis(3),
+        Duration::from_millis(8),
+        Duration::from_millis(18),
+        Duration::from_millis(33),
+        Duration::from_millis(53),
+        Duration::from_millis(78),
+        Duration::from_millis(103),
+        Duration::from_millis(128),
+        Duration::from_millis(178),
+        Duration::from_millis(228),
+    ];
+
+    pub fn new(now: Instant) -> Self {
         Self {
-            timeout: None,
-            max_duration: duration,
+            timeout: now,
             iteration: 0,
-            accum_duration: duration,
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn initiate_timeout(&mut self, now: Instant) {
-        self.timeout = Self::DELAYS.get(self.iteration).and_then(|delay| {
-            if self.accum_duration.is_zero() {
-                None
-            } else {
-                let new_timeout = now + (*delay).min(self.accum_duration);
-                self.accum_duration = self.accum_duration.saturating_sub(*delay);
-                Some(new_timeout)
+    // implementation of sqliteDefaultBusyCallback
+    pub fn busy_callback(&mut self, now: Instant, max_duration: Duration) {
+        let idx = self.iteration.min(11);
+        let mut delay = Self::DELAYS[idx];
+        let mut prior = Self::TOTALS[idx];
+
+        if self.iteration >= 12 {
+            prior += delay * (self.iteration as u32 - 11);
+        }
+
+        if prior + delay > max_duration {
+            delay = max_duration.saturating_sub(prior);
+            // no more waiting after this
+            if delay.is_zero() {
+                return;
             }
-        });
-        self.iteration = if self.iteration < Self::DELAYS.len() - 1 {
-            self.iteration + 1
-        } else {
-            self.iteration
-        };
+        }
+
+        self.iteration += 1;
+        self.timeout = now + delay;
     }
 }
 
@@ -2254,6 +2267,7 @@ pub struct Statement {
     /// Flag to show if the statement was busy
     busy: bool,
     /// Busy timeout instant
+    /// We need Option here because `io.now()` is not a cheap call
     busy_timeout: Option<BusyTimeout>,
 }
 
@@ -2299,15 +2313,10 @@ impl Statement {
     }
 
     pub fn step(&mut self) -> Result<StepResult> {
-        if let Some(busy_timeout) = self.busy_timeout.as_mut() {
-            if let Some(timeout) = busy_timeout.timeout {
-                let now = self.pager.io.now();
-
-                if now < timeout {
-                    // Yield the query as the timeout has not been reached yet
-                    return Ok(StepResult::IO);
-                }
-                // Timeout ended now continue to query execution
+        if let Some(busy_timeout) = self.busy_timeout.as_ref() {
+            if self.pager.io.now() < busy_timeout.timeout {
+                // Yield the query as the timeout has not been reached yet
+                return Ok(StepResult::IO);
             }
         }
 
@@ -2353,14 +2362,22 @@ impl Statement {
         }
 
         if matches!(res, Ok(StepResult::Busy)) {
-            self.check_if_busy_handler_set();
-            if let Some(busy_timeout) = self.busy_timeout.as_mut() {
-                busy_timeout.initiate_timeout(self.pager.io.now());
-                if busy_timeout.timeout.is_some() {
-                    // Yield instead of busy, as now we will try to wait for the timeout
-                    // before continuing execution
-                    res = Ok(StepResult::IO);
+            let now = self.pager.io.now();
+            let max_duration = self.program.connection.busy_timeout.get();
+            self.busy_timeout = match self.busy_timeout.take() {
+                None => {
+                    let mut result = BusyTimeout::new(now);
+                    result.busy_callback(now, max_duration);
+                    Some(result)
                 }
+                Some(mut bt) => {
+                    bt.busy_callback(now, max_duration);
+                    Some(bt)
+                }
+            };
+
+            if now < self.busy_timeout.as_ref().unwrap().timeout {
+                res = Ok(StepResult::IO);
             }
         }
 
@@ -2546,7 +2563,7 @@ impl Statement {
     pub fn _reset(&mut self, max_registers: Option<usize>, max_cursors: Option<usize>) {
         self.state.reset(max_registers, max_cursors);
         self.busy = false;
-        self.check_if_busy_handler_set();
+        self.busy_timeout = None;
     }
 
     pub fn row(&self) -> Option<&Row> {
@@ -2560,30 +2577,6 @@ impl Statement {
     pub fn is_busy(&self) -> bool {
         self.busy
     }
-
-    /// Checks if the busy handler is set in the connection and sets the handler if needed
-    fn check_if_busy_handler_set(&mut self) {
-        let conn_busy_timeout = self
-            .program
-            .connection
-            .busy_timeout
-            .get()
-            .map(BusyTimeout::new);
-        if self.busy_timeout.is_none() {
-            self.busy_timeout = conn_busy_timeout;
-            return;
-        }
-        if let Some(conn_busy_timeout) = conn_busy_timeout {
-            let busy_timeout = self
-                .busy_timeout
-                .as_mut()
-                .expect("busy timeout was checked for None above");
-            // User changed max duration, so clear previous handler and set a new one
-            if busy_timeout.max_duration != conn_busy_timeout.max_duration {
-                *busy_timeout = conn_busy_timeout;
-            }
-        }
-    }
 }
 
 pub type Row = vdbe::Row;
diff --git a/core/translate/pragma.rs b/core/translate/pragma.rs
index fa4274ed3..a50880611 100644
--- a/core/translate/pragma.rs
+++ b/core/translate/pragma.rs
@@ -118,9 +118,7 @@ fn update_pragma(
                 _ => bail_parse_error!("expected integer, got {:?}", data),
             };
             let busy_timeout_ms = busy_timeout_ms.max(0);
-            connection.set_busy_timeout(Some(std::time::Duration::from_millis(
-                busy_timeout_ms as u64,
-            )));
+            connection.set_busy_timeout(std::time::Duration::from_millis(busy_timeout_ms as u64));
             Ok((program, TransactionMode::Write))
         }
         PragmaName::CacheSize => {
@@ -402,13 +400,7 @@ fn query_pragma(
             Ok((program, TransactionMode::Read))
         }
         PragmaName::BusyTimeout => {
-            program.emit_int(
-                connection
-                    .get_busy_timeout()
-                    .map(|t| t.as_millis() as i64)
-                    .unwrap_or_default(),
-                register,
-            );
+            program.emit_int(connection.get_busy_timeout().as_millis() as i64, register);
             program.emit_result_row(register, 1);
             program.add_pragma_result_column(pragma.to_string());
             Ok((program, TransactionMode::None))
diff --git a/perf/encryption/src/main.rs b/perf/encryption/src/main.rs
index 7736055c5..0fab31549 100644
--- a/perf/encryption/src/main.rs
+++ b/perf/encryption/src/main.rs
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ async fn worker_thread(
                 .await?;
         }
 
-        conn.busy_timeout(Some(timeout))?;
+        conn.busy_timeout(timeout)?;
 
         let mut insert_stmt = conn
             .prepare("INSERT INTO test_table (id, data) VALUES (?, ?)")
diff --git a/perf/throughput/turso/src/main.rs b/perf/throughput/turso/src/main.rs
index d16151aac..409f68f80 100644
--- a/perf/throughput/turso/src/main.rs
+++ b/perf/throughput/turso/src/main.rs
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ async fn worker_thread(
 
     for iteration in 0..iterations {
         let conn = db.connect()?;
-        conn.busy_timeout(Some(timeout))?;
+        conn.busy_timeout(timeout)?;
         let total_inserts = Arc::clone(&total_inserts);
         let tx_fut = async move {
             let mut stmt = conn