diff --git a/src/driver/sqlite/SqliteDriver.ts b/src/driver/sqlite/SqliteDriver.ts
index cdd6226127..db350b13ec 100644
--- a/src/driver/sqlite/SqliteDriver.ts
+++ b/src/driver/sqlite/SqliteDriver.ts
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ export class SqliteDriver extends AbstractSqliteDriver {
             });
         }
 
+        if (this.options.enableWAL) {
+            await run(`PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL;`);
+        }
+
         // we need to enable foreign keys in sqlite to make sure all foreign key related features
         // working properly. this also makes onDelete to work with sqlite.
         await run(`PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON;`);
diff --git a/src/driver/sqlite/SqliteQueryRunner.ts b/src/driver/sqlite/SqliteQueryRunner.ts
index bc6280595c..308bb72855 100644
--- a/src/driver/sqlite/SqliteQueryRunner.ts
+++ b/src/driver/sqlite/SqliteQueryRunner.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import {AbstractSqliteQueryRunner} from "../sqlite-abstract/AbstractSqliteQueryR
 import {SqliteConnectionOptions} from "./SqliteConnectionOptions";
 import {SqliteDriver} from "./SqliteDriver";
 import {Broadcaster} from "../../subscriber/Broadcaster";
-import {IsolationLevel} from "../types/IsolationLevel";
 
 /**
  * Runs queries on a single sqlite database connection.
@@ -81,12 +80,4 @@ export class SqliteQueryRunner extends AbstractSqliteQueryRunner {
             await execute();
         });
     }
-
-    async startTransaction(isolationLevel?: IsolationLevel): Promise<void> {
-        if ((this.connection.options as SqliteConnectionOptions).enableWAL === true) {
-            await this.query("PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL");
-        }
-
-        return super.startTransaction(isolationLevel);
-    }
 }