diff --git a/cmd/garm/main.go b/cmd/garm/main.go
index 838c5072..f5665958 100644
--- a/cmd/garm/main.go
+++ b/cmd/garm/main.go
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	runner, err := runner.NewRunner(ctx, *cfg)
+	runner, err := runner.NewRunner(ctx, *cfg, db)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("failed to create controller: %+v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/database/sql/sql.go b/database/sql/sql.go
index 31cbf2b1..4cdb2619 100644
--- a/database/sql/sql.go
+++ b/database/sql/sql.go
@@ -45,11 +45,6 @@ func newDBConn(dbCfg config.Database) (conn *gorm.DB, err error) {
 		conn, err = gorm.Open(mysql.Open(connURI), gormConfig)
 	case config.SQLiteBackend:
 		conn, err = gorm.Open(sqlite.Open(connURI), gormConfig)
-		sqlDB, err := conn.DB()
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "getting DB")
-		}
-		sqlDB.SetMaxOpenConns(1)
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "connecting to database")
diff --git a/runner/runner.go b/runner/runner.go
index b537ae70..618c0c22 100644
--- a/runner/runner.go
+++ b/runner/runner.go
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/cloudbase/garm/auth"
 	"github.com/cloudbase/garm/config"
-	"github.com/cloudbase/garm/database"
 	dbCommon "github.com/cloudbase/garm/database/common"
 	runnerErrors "github.com/cloudbase/garm/errors"
 	"github.com/cloudbase/garm/params"
@@ -48,12 +47,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
-func NewRunner(ctx context.Context, cfg config.Config) (*Runner, error) {
-	db, err := database.NewDatabase(ctx, cfg.Database)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "creating db connection")
-	}
-
+func NewRunner(ctx context.Context, cfg config.Config, db dbCommon.Store) (*Runner, error) {
 	ctrlId, err := db.ControllerInfo()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "fetching controller info")