diff --git a/electron/src/rt/sqlite-init.ts b/electron/src/rt/sqlite-init.ts
index 6ce1b1d4..eddfe89e 100644
--- a/electron/src/rt/sqlite-init.ts
+++ b/electron/src/rt/sqlite-init.ts
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ interface SQLiteConnectionOptions {
   version?: number;
   readOnly?: boolean;
   readonly?: boolean;
-  encryption?: string;
   mode?: string;
   useNative?: boolean;
   [key: string]: unknown;
@@ -478,12 +477,11 @@ export async function initializeSQLite(): Promise<void> {
       throw new SQLiteError('Plugin state verification failed', 'initializeSQLite');
     }
     
-    // Set up database connection
+    // Set up database connection - simplified to match sacred-sql
     const connectionOptions = {
       database: 'timesafari',
       version: 1,
       readOnly: false,
-      encryption: 'no-encryption',
       useNative: true,
       mode: 'rwc'
     };
@@ -508,16 +506,15 @@ export async function initializeSQLite(): Promise<void> {
       mode: 'rwc'
     });
     
-    // Set PRAGMAs with detailed logging
+    // Set PRAGMAs to match sacred-sql approach
     const pragmaStatements = [
+      'PRAGMA journal_mode = MEMORY;', // Changed to MEMORY mode to match sacred-sql
       'PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON;',
-      'PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL;', // Changed to WAL for better concurrency
       'PRAGMA synchronous = NORMAL;',
       'PRAGMA temp_store = MEMORY;',
       'PRAGMA page_size = 4096;',
-      'PRAGMA cache_size = 2000;',
-      'PRAGMA busy_timeout = 15000;', // Increased to 15 seconds
-      'PRAGMA wal_autocheckpoint = 1000;' // Added WAL checkpoint setting
+      'PRAGMA cache_size = 2000;'
+      // Removed WAL-specific settings
     ];
     
     logger.debug('Setting database PRAGMAs');
diff --git a/electron/src/rt/sqlite-migrations.ts b/electron/src/rt/sqlite-migrations.ts
index 2a7e68c9..c537c8cd 100644
--- a/electron/src/rt/sqlite-migrations.ts
+++ b/electron/src/rt/sqlite-migrations.ts
@@ -432,19 +432,9 @@ const MIGRATIONS: Migration[] = [
   INITIAL_MIGRATION,
   {
     version: 2,
-    name: '002_secret_and_settings',
-    description: 'Add secret, settings, contacts, logs, and temp tables with initial data',
+    name: '002_settings_and_contacts',
+    description: 'Add settings and contacts tables',
     sql: `
-      -- Secret table for storing encryption keys
-      -- Note: This is a temporary solution until better secure storage is implemented
-      CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS secret (
-        id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
-        secretBase64 TEXT NOT NULL
-      );
-
-      -- Insert initial secret only if no secret exists
-      INSERT OR IGNORE INTO secret (id, secretBase64) VALUES (1, '${INITIAL_SECRET}');
-
       -- Settings table for user preferences and app state
       CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS settings (
         id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
@@ -521,7 +511,6 @@ const MIGRATIONS: Migration[] = [
       DROP TABLE IF EXISTS contacts;
       DROP INDEX IF EXISTS idx_settings_accountDid;
       DROP TABLE IF EXISTS settings;
-      DROP TABLE IF EXISTS secret;
     `
   }
 ];