diff --git a/pkg/drivers/generic/generic.go b/pkg/drivers/generic/generic.go
index 367c15fee..d921222f1 100644
--- a/pkg/drivers/generic/generic.go
+++ b/pkg/drivers/generic/generic.go
@@ -122,16 +122,13 @@ func q(sql, param string, numbered bool) string {
 }
 
 func (d *Generic) Migrate(ctx context.Context) {
-	var (
-		count     = 0
-		countKV   = d.queryRow(ctx, "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM key_value")
-		countKine = d.queryRow(ctx, "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM kine")
-	)
+	var count int
 
+	countKV := d.queryRow(ctx, "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM key_value")
 	if err := countKV.Scan(&count); err != nil || count == 0 {
 		return
 	}
-
+	countKine := d.queryRow(ctx, "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM kine")
 	if err := countKine.Scan(&count); err != nil || count != 0 {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_test.go b/pkg/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7bcf9f5ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/drivers/sqlite/sqlite_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+//go:build cgo
+// +build cgo
+
+package sqlite
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/k3s-io/kine/pkg/drivers"
+	"github.com/k3s-io/kine/pkg/drivers/generic"
+)
+
+func TestMigrateReleasesItsConnections(t *testing.T) {
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	_, dialect, err := NewVariant(t.Context(), &wg, "sqlite3", &drivers.Config{
+		DataSourceName: filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "test.db") + "?_journal=WAL&cache=shared&_busy_timeout=30000&_txlock=immediate",
+		// Use a single connection to catch any connection leaks in Migrate
+		ConnectionPoolConfig: generic.ConnectionPoolConfig{
+			MaxOpen: 1,
+			MaxIdle: 1,
+		},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create dialect: %v", err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(wg.Wait)
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(t.Context(), 5*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+	if _, err := dialect.DB.ExecContext(ctx, `SELECT 1`); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("database unusable after Migrate: %v", err)
+	}
+}