diff --git a/system/database/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_driver.php b/system/database/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_driver.php
index 9928aed..dd9e1e8 100644
--- a/system/database/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_driver.php
+++ b/system/database/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_driver.php
@@ -62,45 +62,17 @@
 	/**
 	 * Non-persistent database connection
 	 *
+	 * @param	bool	$persistent
 	 * @return	resource
 	 */
-	public function db_connect()
+	public function db_connect($persistent = FALSE)
 	{
-		if ( ! $conn_id = @sqlite_open($this->database, FILE_WRITE_MODE, $error))
-		{
-			log_message('error', $error);
+		$error = NULL;
+		$conn_id = ($persistent === TRUE)
+			? sqlite_popen($this->database, 0666, $error)
+			: sqlite_open($this->database, 0666, $error);
 
-			if ($this->db_debug)
-			{
-				$this->display_error($error, '', TRUE);
-			}
-
-			return FALSE;
-		}
-
-		return $conn_id;
-	}
-
-	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-	/**
-	 * Persistent database connection
-	 *
-	 * @return	resource
-	 */
-	public function db_pconnect()
-	{
-		if ( ! $conn_id = @sqlite_popen($this->database, FILE_WRITE_MODE, $error))
-		{
-			log_message('error', $error);
-
-			if ($this->db_debug)
-			{
-				$this->display_error($error, '', TRUE);
-			}
-
-			return FALSE;
-		}
+		isset($error) && log_message('error', $error);
 
 		return $conn_id;
 	}