diff --git a/system/database/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_driver.php b/system/database/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_driver.php
index 3e4b373..3eaec94 100644
--- a/system/database/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_driver.php
+++ b/system/database/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_driver.php
@@ -141,14 +141,15 @@
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 	/**
-	 * Version number query string
+	 * Database version number
 	 *
-	 * @access	public
 	 * @return	string
 	 */
-	function _version()
+	public function version()
 	{
-		return sqlite_libversion();
+		return isset($this->data_cache['version'])
+			? $this->data_cache['version']
+			: $this->data_cache['version'] = sqlite_libversion();
 	}
 
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/system/database/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_forge.php b/system/database/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_forge.php
index 2b723be..fd0f3eb 100644
--- a/system/database/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_forge.php
+++ b/system/database/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_forge.php
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
 		$sql = 'CREATE TABLE ';
 
 		// IF NOT EXISTS added to SQLite in 3.3.0
-		if ($if_not_exists === TRUE && version_compare($this->db->_version(), '3.3.0', '>=') === TRUE)
+		if ($if_not_exists === TRUE && version_compare($this->db->version(), '3.3.0', '>=') === TRUE)
 		{
 			$sql .= 'IF NOT EXISTS ';
 		}
@@ -274,4 +274,4 @@
 }
 
 /* End of file sqlite_forge.php */
-/* Location: ./system/database/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_forge.php */
\ No newline at end of file
+/* Location: ./system/database/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_forge.php */