diff --git a/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/sync.py b/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/sync.py
index 05d95dacd..df83e6374 100644
--- a/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/sync.py
+++ b/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/sync.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import os
 from collections import namedtuple
 from multiprocessing import Process
 
-import apsw
+import sqlite3
 from elasticsearch import AsyncElasticsearch
 from elasticsearch.helpers import async_bulk
 from lbry.wallet.server.env import Env
@@ -15,12 +15,11 @@ from lbry.wallet.server.db.elasticsearch.search import extract_doc, SearchIndex,
 
 async def get_all(db, shard_num, shards_total, limit=0, index_name='claims'):
     logging.info("shard %d starting", shard_num)
-    def exec_factory(cursor, statement, bindings):
-        tpl = namedtuple('row', (d[0] for d in cursor.getdescription()))
-        cursor.setrowtrace(lambda cursor, row: tpl(*row))
-        return True
 
-    db.setexectrace(exec_factory)
+    def namedtuple_factory(cursor, row):
+        Row = namedtuple('Row', (d[0] for d in cursor.description))
+        return Row(*row)
+    db.row_factory = namedtuple_factory
     total = db.execute(f"select count(*) as total from claim where height % {shards_total} = {shard_num};").fetchone()[0]
     for num, claim in enumerate(db.execute(f"""
 SELECT claimtrie.claim_hash as is_controlling,
@@ -77,15 +76,10 @@ async def make_es_index(index=None):
 
 
 async def run(db_path, clients, blocks, shard, index_name='claims'):
-    def itsbusy(*_):
-        logging.info("shard %d: db is busy, retry", shard)
-        return True
-    db = apsw.Connection(db_path, flags=apsw.SQLITE_OPEN_READONLY | apsw.SQLITE_OPEN_URI)
-    db.setbusyhandler(itsbusy)
-    db.cursor().execute('pragma journal_mode=wal;')
-    db.cursor().execute('pragma temp_store=memory;')
-
-    producer = get_all(db.cursor(), shard, clients, limit=blocks, index_name=index_name)
+    db = sqlite3.connect(db_path, isolation_level=None, uri=True)
+    db.execute('pragma journal_mode=wal;')
+    db.execute('pragma temp_store=memory;')
+    producer = get_all(db, shard, clients, limit=blocks, index_name=index_name)
     await asyncio.gather(*(consume(producer, index_name=index_name) for _ in range(min(8, clients))))