diff --git a/core/lib.rs b/core/lib.rs
index 3dc0a5a9b..e3ea5fe12 100644
--- a/core/lib.rs
+++ b/core/lib.rs
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ impl Database {
             let pager = conn.pager.borrow().clone();
 
             db.with_schema_mut(|schema| {
-                schema.schema_version = get_schema_version(&conn)?;
+                schema.schema_version = header_accessor::get_schema_cookie(&conn.pager.borrow())?;
                 let result = schema
                     .make_from_btree(None, pager.clone(), &syms)
                     .or_else(|e| {
@@ -505,7 +505,6 @@ impl Database {
         let schema = Arc::make_mut(&mut *schema_ref);
         f(schema)
     }
-
     pub(crate) fn clone_schema(&self) -> Result<Arc<Schema>> {
         let schema = self.schema.lock().map_err(|_| LimboError::SchemaLocked)?;
         Ok(schema.clone())
@@ -535,50 +534,6 @@ impl Database {
     }
 }
 
-fn get_schema_version(conn: &Arc<Connection>) -> Result<u32> {
-    let mut rows = conn
-        .query("PRAGMA schema_version")?
-        .ok_or(LimboError::InternalError(
-            "failed to parse pragma schema_version on initialization".to_string(),
-        ))?;
-    let mut schema_version = None;
-    loop {
-        match rows.step()? {
-            StepResult::Row => {
-                let row = rows.row().unwrap();
-                if schema_version.is_some() {
-                    return Err(LimboError::InternalError(
-                        "PRAGMA schema_version; returned more that one row".to_string(),
-                    ));
-                }
-                schema_version = Some(row.get::<i64>(0)? as u32);
-            }
-            StepResult::IO => {
-                rows.run_once()?;
-            }
-            StepResult::Interrupt => {
-                return Err(LimboError::InternalError(
-                    "PRAGMA schema_version; returned more that one row".to_string(),
-                ));
-            }
-            StepResult::Done => {
-                if let Some(version) = schema_version {
-                    return Ok(version);
-                } else {
-                    return Err(LimboError::InternalError(
-                        "failed to get schema_version".to_string(),
-                    ));
-                }
-            }
-            StepResult::Busy => {
-                return Err(LimboError::InternalError(
-                    "PRAGMA schema_version; returned more that one row".to_string(),
-                ));
-            }
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
 pub enum CaptureDataChangesMode {
     Off,
diff --git a/core/translate/mod.rs b/core/translate/mod.rs
index 9a273fe83..45cb6c9fb 100644
--- a/core/translate/mod.rs
+++ b/core/translate/mod.rs
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ pub fn translate(
         stmt => translate_inner(schema, stmt, syms, program, &connection)?,
     };
 
-    program.epilogue();
+    program.epilogue(schema);
 
     Ok(program.build(connection, change_cnt_on, input))
 }
diff --git a/core/vdbe/builder.rs b/core/vdbe/builder.rs
index a945b3ce9..06bb4ceb4 100644
--- a/core/vdbe/builder.rs
+++ b/core/vdbe/builder.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use turso_sqlite3_parser::ast::{self, TableInternalId};
 use crate::{
     numeric::Numeric,
     parameters::Parameters,
-    schema::{BTreeTable, Index, PseudoCursorType, Table},
+    schema::{BTreeTable, Index, PseudoCursorType, Schema, Table},
     translate::{
         collate::CollationSeq,
         emitter::TransactionMode,
@@ -778,7 +778,7 @@ impl ProgramBuilder {
     /// Clean up and finalize the program, resolving any remaining labels
     /// Note that although these are the final instructions, typically an SQLite
     /// query will jump to the Transaction instruction via init_label.
-    pub fn epilogue(&mut self) {
+    pub fn epilogue(&mut self, schema: &Schema) {
         if self.nested_level == 0 {
             // "rollback" flag is used to determine if halt should rollback the transaction.
             self.emit_halt(self.rollback);
@@ -788,7 +788,7 @@ impl ProgramBuilder {
                 self.emit_insn(Insn::Transaction {
                     db: 0,
                     write: matches!(self.txn_mode, TransactionMode::Write),
-                    schema_cookie: 0, // TODO: placeholder until we have epilogue being called only in one place
+                    schema_cookie: schema.schema_version,
                 });
             }
 
diff --git a/core/vdbe/execute.rs b/core/vdbe/execute.rs
index c3bb8d5eb..8b4d9d029 100644
--- a/core/vdbe/execute.rs
+++ b/core/vdbe/execute.rs
@@ -1997,10 +1997,6 @@ pub fn op_transaction(
     else {
         unreachable!("unexpected Insn {:?}", insn)
     };
-    let header_schema_cookie = header_accessor::get_schema_cookie(pager)?;
-    if header_schema_cookie != *schema_cookie {
-        return Err(LimboError::SchemaUpdated);
-    }
     let conn = program.connection.clone();
     if *write && conn._db.open_flags.contains(OpenFlags::ReadOnly) {
         return Err(LimboError::ReadOnly);
@@ -2012,6 +2008,10 @@ pub fn op_transaction(
         if state.mv_tx_id.is_none() {
             // We allocate the first page lazily in the first transaction.
             return_if_io!(pager.maybe_allocate_page1());
+            let header_schema_cookie = header_accessor::get_schema_cookie(pager)?;
+            if header_schema_cookie != *schema_cookie {
+                return Err(LimboError::SchemaUpdated);
+            }
             let tx_id = mv_store.begin_tx(pager.clone());
             conn.mv_transactions.borrow_mut().push(tx_id);
             state.mv_tx_id = Some(tx_id);
@@ -2081,6 +2081,15 @@ pub fn op_transaction(
                 }
             }
         }
+
+        // Can only read header if page 1 has been allocated already
+        // begin_write_tx and begin_read_tx guarantee that happens
+        let header_schema_cookie = header_accessor::get_schema_cookie(pager)?;
+        tracing::info!(header_schema_cookie, schema_cookie);
+        if header_schema_cookie != *schema_cookie {
+            return Err(LimboError::SchemaUpdated);
+        }
+
         if updated {
             conn.transaction_state.replace(new_transaction_state);
         }