diff --git a/ext/stats/stats_test.go b/ext/stats/stats_test.go
index f2b4280..34e19c1 100644
--- a/ext/stats/stats_test.go
+++ b/ext/stats/stats_test.go
@@ -180,6 +180,9 @@ func TestRegister_covariance(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func Benchmark_average(b *testing.B) {
+	sqlite3.Initialize()
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
 	db, err := sqlite3.Open(":memory:")
 	if err != nil {
 		b.Fatal(err)
@@ -211,6 +214,9 @@ func Benchmark_average(b *testing.B) {
 }
 
 func Benchmark_variance(b *testing.B) {
+	sqlite3.Initialize()
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
 	db, err := sqlite3.Open(":memory:")
 	if err != nil {
 		b.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/sqlite.go b/sqlite.go
index a446ec0..593ba33 100644
--- a/sqlite.go
+++ b/sqlite.go
@@ -28,6 +28,14 @@ var (
 	RuntimeConfig wazero.RuntimeConfig
 )
 
+// Initialize decodes and compiles the SQLite Wasm binary.
+// This is called implicitly when the first connection is openned,
+// but is potentially slow, so you may want to call it at a more convenient time.
+func Initialize() error {
+	instance.once.Do(compileSQLite)
+	return instance.err
+}
+
 var instance struct {
 	runtime  wazero.Runtime
 	compiled wazero.CompiledModule
@@ -79,9 +87,8 @@ type sqlite struct {
 }
 
 func instantiateSQLite() (sqlt *sqlite, err error) {
-	instance.once.Do(compileSQLite)
-	if instance.err != nil {
-		return nil, instance.err
+	if err := Initialize(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	sqlt = new(sqlite)
diff --git a/tests/parallel/parallel_test.go b/tests/parallel/parallel_test.go
index 094c812..c285b78 100644
--- a/tests/parallel/parallel_test.go
+++ b/tests/parallel/parallel_test.go
@@ -141,6 +141,9 @@ func TestChildProcess(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func Benchmark_memdb(b *testing.B) {
+	sqlite3.Initialize()
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
 	memdb.Delete("test.db")
 	name := "file:/test.db?vfs=memdb"
 	testParallel(b, name, b.N)