diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 53ba6d6..0ecaf9a 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -170,6 +170,10 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
         .with_graceful_shutdown(shutdown_signal())
         .await?;
     info!("shutdown complete; closing database");
+    // Explicitly close the pool so SQLite can checkpoint and remove the
+    // WAL/SHM sidecar files. Without this, the pool's background close task
+    // races with process exit and the sidecars can be left behind.
+    db.close().await;
     Ok(())
 }
 
diff --git a/src/sqlite.rs b/src/sqlite.rs
index 867d641..d4b791f 100644
--- a/src/sqlite.rs
+++ b/src/sqlite.rs
@@ -74,6 +74,14 @@ impl SqliteDatabase {
 }
 
 impl SqliteDatabase {
+    /// Closes the connection pool, waiting for all connections to be released
+    /// and closed. This lets SQLite checkpoint and remove the WAL/SHM sidecar
+    /// files on a clean shutdown; without it, the pool's background close task
+    /// races with process exit and the sidecars may be left behind.
+    pub async fn close(&self) {
+        self.pool.close().await;
+    }
+
     /// Runs `operation` inside a single transaction, committing on success and
     /// rolling back on error. Multiple repositories can participate in the same
     /// transaction so their writes commit together atomically.