diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 679ef61..df0b154 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ DB_CONNECTION=sqlite
 # DB_USERNAME=root
 # DB_PASSWORD=
 
-SESSION_DRIVER=database
+SESSION_DRIVER=file
 SESSION_LIFETIME=120
 SESSION_ENCRYPT=false
 SESSION_PATH=/
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ BROADCAST_CONNECTION=reverb
 FILESYSTEM_DISK=local
 QUEUE_CONNECTION=database
 
-CACHE_STORE=database
+CACHE_STORE=file
 # CACHE_PREFIX=
 
 MEMCACHED_HOST=127.0.0.1
diff --git a/config/database.php b/config/database.php
index c90b026..55069fb 100644
--- a/config/database.php
+++ b/config/database.php
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ return [
             'database' => env('DB_DATABASE', database_path('database.sqlite')),
             'prefix' => '',
             'foreign_key_constraints' => env('DB_FOREIGN_KEYS', true),
-            'busy_timeout' => 5000,
+            // Wait longer under concurrent writers (queue + web on one SQLite file).
+            'busy_timeout' => (int) env('DB_BUSY_TIMEOUT', 30000),
             'journal_mode' => 'WAL',
             'synchronous' => 'NORMAL',
             'transaction_mode' => 'DEFERRED',
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index c13139e..6010828 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -14,9 +14,11 @@ x-app-env: &app-env
   LOG_CHANNEL: stderr
   DB_CONNECTION: sqlite
   DB_DATABASE: /app/database/database.sqlite
-  SESSION_DRIVER: database
+  # File drivers avoid SQLite lock storms: Livewire polls + database queue +
+  # session/cache all writing the same sqlite file caused "database is locked".
+  SESSION_DRIVER: file
   QUEUE_CONNECTION: database
-  CACHE_STORE: database
+  CACHE_STORE: file
   BROADCAST_CONNECTION: reverb
   FILESYSTEM_DISK: local
   REVERB_APP_ID: ${REVERB_APP_ID:-andytranscribe}