diff --git a/core/lib.rs b/core/lib.rs
index d7fac66a4..7002c6803 100644
--- a/core/lib.rs
+++ b/core/lib.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ use schema::Schema;
 use sqlite3_parser::ast;
 use sqlite3_parser::{ast::Cmd, lexer::sql::Parser};
 use std::cell::Cell;
-use std::sync::Weak;
 use std::sync::{Arc, OnceLock, RwLock};
 use std::{cell::RefCell, rc::Rc};
 use storage::btree::btree_init_page;
@@ -119,27 +118,27 @@ impl Database {
             _shared_page_cache.clone(),
             buffer_pool,
         )?);
-        let bootstrap_schema = Rc::new(RefCell::new(Schema::new()));
-        let conn = Rc::new(Connection {
+        let header = db_header;
+        let schema = Rc::new(RefCell::new(Schema::new()));
+        let db = Arc::new(Database {
             pager: pager.clone(),
-            schema: bootstrap_schema.clone(),
-            header: db_header.clone(),
+            schema: schema.clone(),
+            header: header.clone(),
+            shared_page_cache,
+            shared_wal,
+        });
+        let conn = Rc::new(Connection {
+            pager: pager,
+            schema: schema.clone(),
+            header,
             transaction_state: RefCell::new(TransactionState::None),
-            _db: Weak::new(),
+            db: db.clone(),
             last_insert_rowid: Cell::new(0),
         });
-        let mut schema = Schema::new();
         let rows = conn.query("SELECT * FROM sqlite_schema")?;
+        let mut schema = schema.borrow_mut();
         parse_schema_rows(rows, &mut schema, io)?;
-        let schema = Rc::new(RefCell::new(schema));
-        let header = db_header;
-        Ok(Arc::new(Database {
-            pager,
-            schema,
-            header,
-            _shared_page_cache,
-            _shared_wal: shared_wal,
-        }))
+        Ok(db)
     }
 
     pub fn connect(self: &Arc<Database>) -> Rc<Connection> {
@@ -148,7 +147,11 @@ impl Database {
             schema: self.schema.clone(),
             header: self.header.clone(),
             last_insert_rowid: Cell::new(0),
+<<<<<<< HEAD
             _db: Arc::downgrade(self),
+=======
+            db: self.clone(),
+>>>>>>> 680b321 (core: Don't use Weak reference for connection database)
             transaction_state: RefCell::new(TransactionState::None),
         })
     }
@@ -204,10 +207,14 @@ pub fn maybe_init_database_file(file: &Rc<dyn File>, io: &Arc<dyn IO>) -> Result
 }
 
 pub struct Connection {
+    db: Arc<Database>,
     pager: Rc<Pager>,
     schema: Rc<RefCell<Schema>>,
     header: Rc<RefCell<DatabaseHeader>>,
+<<<<<<< HEAD
     _db: Weak<Database>, // backpointer to the database holding this connection
+=======
+>>>>>>> 680b321 (core: Don't use Weak reference for connection database)
     transaction_state: RefCell<TransactionState>,
     last_insert_rowid: Cell<u64>,
 }