diff --git a/blob.go b/blob.go
index 742b833..5a0ee61 100644
--- a/blob.go
+++ b/blob.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ var _ io.ReadWriteSeeker = &Blob{}
 //
 // https://www.sqlite.org/c3ref/blob_open.html
 func (c *Conn) OpenBlob(db, table, column string, row int64, write bool) (*Blob, error) {
+	c.checkInterrupt()
 	defer c.arena.reset()
 	blobPtr := c.arena.new(ptrlen)
 	dbPtr := c.arena.string(db)
diff --git a/conn.go b/conn.go
index 01cc1a3..60b1ec6 100644
--- a/conn.go
+++ b/conn.go
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ func (c *Conn) openDB(filename string, flags OpenFlag) (uint32, error) {
 			}
 		}
 
+		c.arena.reset()
 		pragmaPtr := c.arena.string(pragmas.String())
 		r := c.call(c.api.exec, uint64(handle), uint64(pragmaPtr), 0, 0, 0)
 		if err := c.module.error(r[0], handle, pragmas.String()); err != nil {
@@ -145,23 +146,6 @@ func (c *Conn) Exec(sql string) error {
 	return c.error(r[0])
 }
 
-// MustPrepare calls [Conn.Prepare] and panics on error,
-// a nil Stmt, or a non-empty tail.
-func (c *Conn) MustPrepare(sql string) *Stmt {
-	s, tail, err := c.PrepareFlags(sql, 0)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	if s == nil {
-		panic(emptyErr)
-	}
-	if !emptyStatement(tail) {
-		s.Close()
-		panic(tailErr)
-	}
-	return s
-}
-
 // Prepare calls [Conn.PrepareFlags] with no flags.
 func (c *Conn) Prepare(sql string) (stmt *Stmt, tail string, err error) {
 	return c.PrepareFlags(sql, 0)
@@ -263,7 +247,7 @@ func (c *Conn) SetInterrupt(ctx context.Context) (old context.Context) {
 	// Creating an uncompleted SQL statement prevents SQLite from ignoring
 	// an interrupt that comes before any other statements are started.
 	if c.pending == nil {
-		c.pending = c.MustPrepare(`SELECT 1 UNION ALL SELECT 2`)
+		c.pending, _, _ = c.Prepare(`SELECT 1 UNION ALL SELECT 2`)
 	}
 	c.pending.Step()
 
@@ -305,15 +289,18 @@ func (c *Conn) checkInterrupt() bool {
 // Pragma executes a PRAGMA statement and returns any results.
 //
 // https://www.sqlite.org/pragma.html
-func (c *Conn) Pragma(str string) []string {
-	stmt := c.MustPrepare(`PRAGMA ` + str)
+func (c *Conn) Pragma(str string) ([]string, error) {
+	stmt, _, err := c.Prepare(`PRAGMA ` + str)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	defer stmt.Close()
 
 	var pragmas []string
 	for stmt.Step() {
 		pragmas = append(pragmas, stmt.ColumnText(0))
 	}
-	return pragmas
+	return pragmas, stmt.Close()
 }
 
 func (c *Conn) error(rc uint64, sql ...string) error {
diff --git a/driver/driver.go b/driver/driver.go
index b97e30c..a3ee072 100644
--- a/driver/driver.go
+++ b/driver/driver.go
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ func (c conn) Begin() (driver.Tx, error) {
 	return c.BeginTx(context.Background(), driver.TxOptions{})
 }
 
-func (c conn) BeginTx(ctx context.Context, opts driver.TxOptions) (driver.Tx, error) {
+func (c conn) BeginTx(_ context.Context, opts driver.TxOptions) (driver.Tx, error) {
 	switch opts.Isolation {
 	default:
 		return nil, isolationErr
@@ -117,9 +117,13 @@ func (c conn) BeginTx(ctx context.Context, opts driver.TxOptions) (driver.Tx, er
 	txBegin := c.txBegin
 	c.txCommit = `COMMIT`
 	if opts.ReadOnly {
+		query_only, err := c.conn.Pragma("query_only")
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 		c.txCommit = `
 			ROLLBACK;
-			PRAGMA query_only=` + c.conn.Pragma("query_only")[0]
+			PRAGMA query_only=` + query_only[0]
 		txBegin = `
 			BEGIN deferred;
 			PRAGMA query_only=on`
diff --git a/error.go b/error.go
index 8203f36..4dd3c14 100644
--- a/error.go
+++ b/error.go
@@ -202,8 +202,6 @@ const (
 	noFuncErr   = errorString("sqlite3: could not find function: ")
 	binaryErr   = errorString("sqlite3: no SQLite binary embed/set/loaded")
 	timeErr     = errorString("sqlite3: invalid time value")
-	emptyErr    = errorString("sqlite3: empty statement")
-	tailErr     = errorString("sqlite3: non-empty tail")
 	notImplErr  = errorString("sqlite3: not implemented")
 	whenceErr   = errorString("sqlite3: invalid whence")
 	offsetErr   = errorString("sqlite3: invalid offset")
diff --git a/example_test.go b/example_test.go
index 3753597..c0fa9fa 100644
--- a/example_test.go
+++ b/example_test.go
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@ func Example() {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	stmt := db.MustPrepare(`SELECT id, name FROM users`)
+	stmt, _, err := db.Prepare(`SELECT id, name FROM users`)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer stmt.Close()
 
 	for stmt.Step() {
 		fmt.Println(stmt.ColumnInt(0), stmt.ColumnText(1))
diff --git a/tests/conn_test.go b/tests/conn_test.go
index 714d3e0..57ed67b 100644
--- a/tests/conn_test.go
+++ b/tests/conn_test.go
@@ -202,59 +202,3 @@ func TestConn_Prepare_invalid(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("got message:", got)
 	}
 }
-
-func TestConn_MustPrepare_empty(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	db, err := sqlite3.Open(":memory:")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer db.Close()
-
-	defer func() { _ = recover() }()
-	_ = db.MustPrepare(``)
-	t.Error("want panic")
-}
-
-func TestConn_MustPrepare_tail(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	db, err := sqlite3.Open(":memory:")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer db.Close()
-
-	defer func() { _ = recover() }()
-	_ = db.MustPrepare(`SELECT 1; -- HERE`)
-	t.Error("want panic")
-}
-
-func TestConn_MustPrepare_invalid(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	db, err := sqlite3.Open(":memory:")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer db.Close()
-
-	defer func() { _ = recover() }()
-	_ = db.MustPrepare(`SELECT`)
-	t.Error("want panic")
-}
-
-func TestConn_Pragma(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	db, err := sqlite3.Open(":memory:")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer db.Close()
-
-	defer func() { _ = recover() }()
-	_ = db.Pragma("encoding=''")
-	t.Error("want panic")
-}