diff --git a/c_src/esqlite3_nif.c b/c_src/esqlite3_nif.c
index 932c5e0..d34f5f0 100644
--- a/c_src/esqlite3_nif.c
+++ b/c_src/esqlite3_nif.c
@@ -1712,6 +1712,9 @@ on_load(ErlNifEnv* env, void** priv, ERL_NIF_TERM info)
 
     atom_esqlite3 = make_atom(env, "esqlite3");
 
+    if(SQLITE_OK != sqlite3_initialize())
+        return -1;
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/rebar.config.script b/rebar.config.script
index fea2229..99060c8 100644
--- a/rebar.config.script
+++ b/rebar.config.script
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 
 NifSharedSources = ["c_src/esqlite3_nif.c", "c_src/queue.c"].
 NifStaticSources = NifSharedSources ++ ["c_src/sqlite3/sqlite3.c"].
-CFlagsDefault = "$CFLAGS -DSQLITE_DQS=0 -DSQLITE_THREADSAFE=1 -DSQLITE_USE_URI -DSQLITE_ENABLE_FTS3 -DSQLITE_ENABLE_FTS3_PARENTHESIS".
+CFlagsDefault = "$CFLAGS -DSQLITE_DQS=0 -DSQLITE_THREADSAFE=1 -DSQLITE_DEFAULT_MEMSTATUS=0 -DSQLITE_DEFAULT_WAL_SYNCHRONOUS=1 -DSQLITE_LIKE_DOESNT_MATCH_BLOBS -DSQLITE_MAX_EXPR_DEPTH=0 -DSQLITE_OMIT_DEPRECATED -DSQLITE_OMIT_PROGRESS_CALLBACK -DSQLITE_OMIT_AUTOINIT -DSQLITE_USE_URI -DSQLITE_ENABLE_FTS3 -DSQLITE_ENABLE_FTS3_PARENTHESIS".
 DrvLdFlagsDefault = "-shared -lsqlite3".
 
 DrvLdFlags =