diff --git a/src/database.rs b/src/database.rs
index c3ca057..6900088 100644
--- a/src/database.rs
+++ b/src/database.rs
@@ -976,7 +976,9 @@ impl Database {
                 i.tick().await;
 
                 for table in db.read().await._db.tables.read().values() {
-                    table.prune_dead_watchers();
+                    if let Some(table) = table.upgrade() {
+                        table.prune_dead_watchers();
+                    }
                 }
             }
         });
diff --git a/src/database/abstraction/sqlite.rs b/src/database/abstraction/sqlite.rs
index 6433059..6717013 100644
--- a/src/database/abstraction/sqlite.rs
+++ b/src/database/abstraction/sqlite.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use std::{
     future::Future,
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
     pin::Pin,
-    sync::Arc,
+    sync::{Arc, Weak},
 };
 use thread_local::ThreadLocal;
 use tokio::sync::watch;
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ pub struct Engine {
     path: PathBuf,
     cache_size_per_thread: u32,
 
-    pub(in crate::database) tables: RwLock<HashMap<String, Arc<SqliteTable>>>,
+    pub(in crate::database) tables: RwLock<HashMap<String, Weak<SqliteTable>>>,
 }
 
 impl Engine {
@@ -111,18 +111,35 @@ impl DatabaseEngine for Engine {
     }
 
     fn open_tree(self: &Arc<Self>, name: &str) -> Result<Arc<dyn Tree>> {
+        fn create_new(engine: &Arc<Engine>, name: &str) -> Result<SqliteTable> {
+            engine.write_lock().execute(&format!("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS {} ( \"key\" BLOB PRIMARY KEY, \"value\" BLOB NOT NULL )", name), [])?;
+
+            SqliteTable {
+                engine: Arc::clone(engine),
+                name: name.to_owned(),
+                watchers: RwLock::new(HashMap::new()),
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Table mappings are `Weak` to prevent reference cycles, that creates this additional correctness logic.
         Ok(match self.tables.write().entry(name.to_string()) {
-            hash_map::Entry::Occupied(o) => o.get().clone(),
-            hash_map::Entry::Vacant(v) => {
-                self.write_lock().execute(&format!("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS {} ( \"key\" BLOB PRIMARY KEY, \"value\" BLOB NOT NULL )", name), [])?;
+            hash_map::Entry::Occupied(o) => {
+                if let Some(table) = o.get().upgrade() {
+                    table
+                } else {
+                    // On the off-chance that a table was dropped somewhere...
 
-                let table = Arc::new(SqliteTable {
-                    engine: Arc::clone(self),
-                    name: name.to_owned(),
-                    watchers: RwLock::new(HashMap::new()),
-                });
+                    let table = Arc::new(create_new(self, name)?);
+
+                    o.insert(table.downgrade());
+
+                    table
+                }
+            }
+            hash_map::Entry::Vacant(v) => {
+                let table = Arc::new(create_new(self, name)?);
 
-                v.insert(table.clone());
+                v.insert(table.downgrade());
 
                 table
             }