diff --git a/plugins/in_tail/tail.c b/plugins/in_tail/tail.c
index 8f0a35271cf..67f844bb2f3 100644
--- a/plugins/in_tail/tail.c
+++ b/plugins/in_tail/tail.c
@@ -581,10 +581,16 @@ static struct flb_config_map config_map[] = {
      "set a database file to keep track of monitored files and it offsets."
     },
     {
-     FLB_CONFIG_MAP_STR, "db.sync", "full",
+     FLB_CONFIG_MAP_STR, "db.sync", "normal",
      0, FLB_FALSE, 0,
      "set a database sync method. values: extra, full, normal and off."
     },
+    {
+     FLB_CONFIG_MAP_BOOL, "db.locking", "false",
+     0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_tail_config, db_locking),
+     "set exclusive locking mode, increase performance but don't allow "
+     "external connections to the database file."
+    },
 #endif
 
     /* Multiline Options */
diff --git a/plugins/in_tail/tail_config.c b/plugins/in_tail/tail_config.c
index c32fdbe9a8e..01a3443d04f 100644
--- a/plugins/in_tail/tail_config.c
+++ b/plugins/in_tail/tail_config.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ struct flb_tail_config *flb_tail_config_create(struct flb_input_instance *ins,
     ctx->ignore_older = 0;
     ctx->skip_long_lines = FLB_FALSE;
 #ifdef FLB_HAVE_SQLDB
-    ctx->db_sync = -1;
+    ctx->db_sync = 1;  /* sqlite sync 'normal' */
 #endif
 
     /* Load the config map */
diff --git a/plugins/in_tail/tail_config.h b/plugins/in_tail/tail_config.h
index ae87bbb90d5..385d69a253d 100644
--- a/plugins/in_tail/tail_config.h
+++ b/plugins/in_tail/tail_config.h
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ struct flb_tail_config {
 #ifdef FLB_HAVE_SQLDB
     struct flb_sqldb *db;
     int db_sync;
+    int db_locking;
     sqlite3_stmt *stmt_get_file;
     sqlite3_stmt *stmt_insert_file;
     sqlite3_stmt *stmt_delete_file;
diff --git a/plugins/in_tail/tail_db.c b/plugins/in_tail/tail_db.c
index 0b577767387..d37f8b5fa6c 100644
--- a/plugins/in_tail/tail_db.c
+++ b/plugins/in_tail/tail_db.c
@@ -74,6 +74,15 @@ struct flb_sqldb *flb_tail_db_open(const char *path,
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    if (ctx->db_locking == FLB_TRUE) {
+        ret = flb_sqldb_query(db, SQL_PRAGMA_LOCKING_MODE, NULL, NULL);
+        if (ret != FLB_OK) {
+            flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "db: could not set pragma 'locking_mode'");
+            flb_sqldb_close(db);
+            return NULL;
+        }
+    }
+
     return db;
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/in_tail/tail_sql.h b/plugins/in_tail/tail_sql.h
index 79feb01ea1f..6b7f00b0960 100644
--- a/plugins/in_tail/tail_sql.h
+++ b/plugins/in_tail/tail_sql.h
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@
     "PRAGMA synchronous=%i;"
 
 #define SQL_PRAGMA_JOURNAL_MODE                 \
-    "PRAGMA journal_mode=OFF;"
+    "PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL;"
+
+#define SQL_PRAGMA_LOCKING_MODE                 \
+    "PRAGMA locking_mode=EXCLUSIVE;"
 
 #endif