diff --git a/include/sqlite3db.h b/include/sqlite3db.h
index 234bbdfec..0414a2c0d 100644
--- a/include/sqlite3db.h
+++ b/include/sqlite3db.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #define __CLASS_SQLITE3DB_H
 #include "proxysql.h"
 #include "cpp.h"
-
+#define PROXYSQL_SQLITE3DB_PTHREAD_MUTEX
 
 class SQLite3_row {
 	public:
@@ -166,7 +166,11 @@ class SQLite3DB {
 	private:
 	char *url;
 	sqlite3 *db;
+#ifdef PROXYSQL_SQLITE3DB_PTHREAD_MUTEX
+	pthread_rwlock_t rwlock;
+#else
 	rwlock_t rwlock;
+#endif
 	public:
 	char *get_url() const { return url; }
 	sqlite3 *get_db() const { return db; }
diff --git a/lib/sqlite3db.cpp b/lib/sqlite3db.cpp
index 2bf522604..a0acf366b 100644
--- a/lib/sqlite3db.cpp
+++ b/lib/sqlite3db.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,11 @@ SQLite3DB::SQLite3DB() {
 	db=NULL;
 	url=NULL;
 	assert_on_error=0;
+#ifdef PROXYSQL_SQLITE3DB_PTHREAD_MUTEX
+	pthread_rwlock_init(&rwlock, NULL);
+#else
 	spinlock_rwlock_init(&rwlock);
+#endif
 }
 
 SQLite3DB::~SQLite3DB() {
@@ -217,19 +221,35 @@ bool SQLite3DB::check_and_build_table(char *table_name, char *table_def) {
 }
 
 void SQLite3DB::rdlock() {
+#ifdef PROXYSQL_SQLITE3DB_PTHREAD_MUTEX
+	pthread_rwlock_rdlock(&rwlock);
+#else
 	spin_wrlock(&rwlock);
+#endif
 }
 
 void SQLite3DB::rdunlock() {
+#ifdef PROXYSQL_SQLITE3DB_PTHREAD_MUTEX
+	pthread_rwlock_unlock(&rwlock);
+#else
 	spin_wrunlock(&rwlock);
+#endif
 }
 
 void SQLite3DB::wrlock() {
+#ifdef PROXYSQL_SQLITE3DB_PTHREAD_MUTEX
+	pthread_rwlock_wrlock(&rwlock);
+#else
 	spin_wrlock(&rwlock);
+#endif
 }
 
 void SQLite3DB::wrunlock() {
+#ifdef PROXYSQL_SQLITE3DB_PTHREAD_MUTEX
+	pthread_rwlock_unlock(&rwlock);
+#else
 	spin_wrunlock(&rwlock);
+#endif
 }
 
 int64_t SQLite3_result::raw_checksum() {