diff --git a/packages/sqlite_async/lib/src/common/port_channel_native.dart b/packages/sqlite_async/lib/src/common/port_channel_native.dart
index 8b05feb..bb8318e 100644
--- a/packages/sqlite_async/lib/src/common/port_channel_native.dart
+++ b/packages/sqlite_async/lib/src/common/port_channel_native.dart
@@ -30,12 +30,10 @@ class ParentPortClient implements PortClient {
   ParentPortClient() {
     final initCompleter = Completer<SendPort>.sync();
     sendPortFuture = initCompleter.future;
-    sendPortFuture.then((value) {
-      sendPort = value;
-    });
     _receivePort.listen((message) {
       if (message is _InitMessage) {
         assert(!initCompleter.isCompleted);
+        sendPort = message.port;
         initCompleter.complete(message.port);
       } else if (message is _PortChannelResult) {
         final handler = handlers.remove(message.requestId);
diff --git a/packages/sqlite_async/lib/src/native/database/native_sqlite_connection_impl.dart b/packages/sqlite_async/lib/src/native/database/native_sqlite_connection_impl.dart
index ae3c376..38c184e 100644
--- a/packages/sqlite_async/lib/src/native/database/native_sqlite_connection_impl.dart
+++ b/packages/sqlite_async/lib/src/native/database/native_sqlite_connection_impl.dart
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ class SqliteConnectionImpl
   final bool readOnly;
 
   final bool profileQueries;
+  bool _didOpenSuccessfully = false;
 
   SqliteConnectionImpl({
     required AbstractDefaultSqliteOpenFactory openFactory,
@@ -47,11 +48,11 @@ class SqliteConnectionImpl
     bool primary = false,
   })  : _writeMutex = mutex,
         profileQueries = openFactory.sqliteOptions.profileQueries {
-    isInitialized = _isolateClient.ready;
     this.upstreamPort = upstreamPort ?? listenForEvents();
     // Accept an incoming stream of updates, or expose one if not given.
     this.updates = updates ?? updatesController.stream;
-    _open(openFactory, primary: primary, upstreamPort: this.upstreamPort);
+    isInitialized =
+        _open(openFactory, primary: primary, upstreamPort: this.upstreamPort);
   }
 
   Future<void> get ready async {
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ class SqliteConnectionImpl
       _isolateClient.tieToIsolate(_isolate);
       _isolate.resume(_isolate.pauseCapability!);
       await _isolateClient.ready;
+      _didOpenSuccessfully = true;
     });
   }
 
@@ -107,15 +109,18 @@ class SqliteConnectionImpl
   Future<void> close() async {
     eventsPort?.close();
     await _connectionMutex.lock(() async {
-      if (readOnly) {
-        await _isolateClient.post(const _SqliteIsolateConnectionClose());
-      } else {
-        // In some cases, disposing a write connection lock the database.
-        // We use the lock here to avoid "database is locked" errors.
-        await _writeMutex.lock(() async {
+      if (_didOpenSuccessfully) {
+        if (readOnly) {
           await _isolateClient.post(const _SqliteIsolateConnectionClose());
-        });
+        } else {
+          // In some cases, disposing a write connection lock the database.
+          // We use the lock here to avoid "database is locked" errors.
+          await _writeMutex.lock(() async {
+            await _isolateClient.post(const _SqliteIsolateConnectionClose());
+          });
+        }
       }
+
       _isolate.kill();
     });
   }
diff --git a/packages/sqlite_async/lib/src/native/database/native_sqlite_database.dart b/packages/sqlite_async/lib/src/native/database/native_sqlite_database.dart
index 5cb60f3..7bea111 100644
--- a/packages/sqlite_async/lib/src/native/database/native_sqlite_database.dart
+++ b/packages/sqlite_async/lib/src/native/database/native_sqlite_database.dart
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ class SqliteDatabaseImpl
 
   @override
   @protected
-  // Native doesn't require any asynchronous initialization
-  late Future<void> isInitialized = Future.value();
+  // ignore: invalid_use_of_protected_member
+  late Future<void> isInitialized = _internalConnection.isInitialized;
 
   late final SqliteConnectionImpl _internalConnection;
   late final SqliteConnectionPool _pool;
diff --git a/packages/sqlite_async/test/native/basic_test.dart b/packages/sqlite_async/test/native/basic_test.dart
index eba5493..dec1fed 100644
--- a/packages/sqlite_async/test/native/basic_test.dart
+++ b/packages/sqlite_async/test/native/basic_test.dart
@@ -344,6 +344,22 @@ void main() {
 
       await Future.wait([f1, f2]);
     });
+
+    test('reports open error', () async {
+      // Ensure that a db that fails to open doesn't report any unhandled
+      // exceptions. This could happen when e.g. SQLCipher is used and the open
+      // factory supplies a wrong key pragma (because a subsequent pragma to
+      // change the journal mode then fails with a "not a database" error).
+      final db =
+          SqliteDatabase.withFactory(_InvalidPragmaOnOpenFactory(path: path));
+      await expectLater(
+        db.initialize(),
+        throwsA(
+          isA<Object>().having(
+              (e) => e.toString(), 'toString()', contains('syntax error')),
+        ),
+      );
+    });
   });
 }
 
@@ -351,3 +367,15 @@ void main() {
 void ignore(Future future) {
   future.then((_) {}, onError: (_) {});
 }
+
+class _InvalidPragmaOnOpenFactory extends DefaultSqliteOpenFactory {
+  const _InvalidPragmaOnOpenFactory({required super.path});
+
+  @override
+  List<String> pragmaStatements(SqliteOpenOptions options) {
+    return [
+      'invalid syntax to fail open in test',
+      ...super.pragmaStatements(options),
+    ];
+  }
+}