diff --git a/blob.go b/blob.go
index bf3a275a..ea7caf9d 100644
--- a/blob.go
+++ b/blob.go
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ var _ io.ReadWriteSeeker = &Blob{}
 //
 // https://sqlite.org/c3ref/blob_open.html
 func (c *Conn) OpenBlob(db, table, column string, row int64, write bool) (*Blob, error) {
+	if c.interrupt.Err() != nil {
+		return nil, INTERRUPT
+	}
+
 	defer c.arena.mark()()
 	blobPtr := c.arena.new(ptrlen)
 	dbPtr := c.arena.string(db)
@@ -42,7 +46,6 @@ func (c *Conn) OpenBlob(db, table, column string, row int64, write bool) (*Blob,
 		flags = 1
 	}
 
-	c.checkInterrupt()
 	rc := res_t(c.call("sqlite3_blob_open", stk_t(c.handle),
 		stk_t(dbPtr), stk_t(tablePtr), stk_t(columnPtr),
 		stk_t(row), stk_t(flags), stk_t(blobPtr)))
@@ -253,7 +256,9 @@ func (b *Blob) Seek(offset int64, whence int) (int64, error) {
 //
 // https://sqlite.org/c3ref/blob_reopen.html
 func (b *Blob) Reopen(row int64) error {
-	b.c.checkInterrupt()
+	if b.c.interrupt.Err() != nil {
+		return INTERRUPT
+	}
 	err := b.c.error(res_t(b.c.call("sqlite3_blob_reopen", stk_t(b.handle), stk_t(row))))
 	b.bytes = int64(int32(b.c.call("sqlite3_blob_bytes", stk_t(b.handle))))
 	b.offset = 0
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index decea181..3921fe98 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -275,12 +275,14 @@ func traceCallback(ctx context.Context, mod api.Module, evt TraceEvent, pDB, pAr
 //
 // https://sqlite.org/c3ref/wal_checkpoint_v2.html
 func (c *Conn) WALCheckpoint(schema string, mode CheckpointMode) (nLog, nCkpt int, err error) {
+	if c.interrupt.Err() != nil {
+		return 0, 0, INTERRUPT
+	}
+
 	defer c.arena.mark()()
 	nLogPtr := c.arena.new(ptrlen)
 	nCkptPtr := c.arena.new(ptrlen)
 	schemaPtr := c.arena.string(schema)
-
-	c.checkInterrupt()
 	rc := res_t(c.call("sqlite3_wal_checkpoint_v2",
 		stk_t(c.handle), stk_t(schemaPtr), stk_t(mode),
 		stk_t(nLogPtr), stk_t(nCkptPtr)))
diff --git a/conn.go b/conn.go
index 06b6637e..10d3cd27 100644
--- a/conn.go
+++ b/conn.go
@@ -40,8 +40,6 @@ type Conn struct {
 	busylst time.Time
 	arena   arena
 	handle  ptr_t
-	pending ptr_t
-	stepped bool
 	gosched uint8
 }
 
@@ -167,9 +165,6 @@ func (c *Conn) Close() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	c.call("sqlite3_finalize", stk_t(c.pending))
-	c.pending = 0
-
 	rc := res_t(c.call("sqlite3_close", stk_t(c.handle)))
 	if err := c.error(rc); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -184,10 +179,15 @@ func (c *Conn) Close() error {
 //
 // https://sqlite.org/c3ref/exec.html
 func (c *Conn) Exec(sql string) error {
+	if c.interrupt.Err() != nil {
+		return INTERRUPT
+	}
+	return c.exec(sql)
+}
+
+func (c *Conn) exec(sql string) error {
 	defer c.arena.mark()()
 	textPtr := c.arena.string(sql)
-
-	c.checkInterrupt()
 	rc := res_t(c.call("sqlite3_exec", stk_t(c.handle), stk_t(textPtr), 0, 0, 0))
 	return c.error(rc, sql)
 }
@@ -207,13 +207,15 @@ func (c *Conn) PrepareFlags(sql string, flags PrepareFlag) (stmt *Stmt, tail str
 	if len(sql) > _MAX_SQL_LENGTH {
 		return nil, "", TOOBIG
 	}
+	if c.interrupt.Err() != nil {
+		return nil, "", INTERRUPT
+	}
 
 	defer c.arena.mark()()
 	stmtPtr := c.arena.new(ptrlen)
 	tailPtr := c.arena.new(ptrlen)
 	textPtr := c.arena.string(sql)
 
-	c.checkInterrupt()
 	rc := res_t(c.call("sqlite3_prepare_v3", stk_t(c.handle),
 		stk_t(textPtr), stk_t(len(sql)+1), stk_t(flags),
 		stk_t(stmtPtr), stk_t(tailPtr)))
@@ -343,42 +345,9 @@ func (c *Conn) GetInterrupt() context.Context {
 func (c *Conn) SetInterrupt(ctx context.Context) (old context.Context) {
 	old = c.interrupt
 	c.interrupt = ctx
-
-	if ctx == old {
-		return old
-	}
-
-	// An active SQL statement prevents SQLite from ignoring an interrupt
-	// that comes before any other statements are started.
-	if c.pending == 0 {
-		defer c.arena.mark()()
-		stmtPtr := c.arena.new(ptrlen)
-		textPtr := c.arena.string(`SELECT 0 UNION ALL SELECT 0`)
-		c.call("sqlite3_prepare_v3", stk_t(c.handle), stk_t(textPtr), math.MaxUint64,
-			stk_t(PREPARE_PERSISTENT), stk_t(stmtPtr), 0)
-		c.pending = util.Read32[ptr_t](c.mod, stmtPtr)
-	}
-
-	if c.stepped && ctx.Err() == nil {
-		c.call("sqlite3_reset", stk_t(c.pending))
-		c.stepped = false
-	} else {
-		c.checkInterrupt()
-	}
 	return old
 }
 
-func (c *Conn) checkInterrupt() {
-	if c.interrupt.Err() == nil {
-		return
-	}
-	if !c.stepped {
-		c.call("sqlite3_step", stk_t(c.pending))
-		c.stepped = true
-	}
-	c.call("sqlite3_interrupt", stk_t(c.handle))
-}
-
 func progressCallback(ctx context.Context, mod api.Module, _ ptr_t) (interrupt int32) {
 	if c, ok := ctx.Value(connKey{}).(*Conn); ok {
 		if c.gosched++; c.gosched%16 == 0 {
diff --git a/driver/driver_test.go b/driver/driver_test.go
index 4ed030f4..fb839b87 100644
--- a/driver/driver_test.go
+++ b/driver/driver_test.go
@@ -199,6 +199,62 @@ func Test_BeginTx(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func Test_nested_context(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	tmp := memdb.TestDB(t)
+
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", tmp)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer db.Close()
+
+	tx, err := db.Begin()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer tx.Rollback()
+
+	outer, err := tx.Query(`SELECT value FROM generate_series(0)`)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer outer.Close()
+
+	want := func(rows *sql.Rows, want int) {
+		t.Helper()
+
+		var got int
+		rows.Next()
+		if err := rows.Scan(&got); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if got != want {
+			t.Errorf("got %d, want %d", got, want)
+		}
+	}
+
+	want(outer, 0)
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+
+	inner, err := tx.QueryContext(ctx, `SELECT value FROM generate_series(0)`)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer inner.Close()
+
+	want(inner, 0)
+	cancel()
+
+	if inner.Next() || !errors.Is(inner.Err(), sqlite3.INTERRUPT) {
+		t.Fatal(inner.Err())
+	}
+
+	want(outer, 1)
+}
+
 func Test_Prepare(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	tmp := memdb.TestDB(t)
diff --git a/stmt.go b/stmt.go
index 5314595a..50dd5e32 100644
--- a/stmt.go
+++ b/stmt.go
@@ -106,7 +106,11 @@ func (s *Stmt) Busy() bool {
 //
 // https://sqlite.org/c3ref/step.html
 func (s *Stmt) Step() bool {
-	s.c.checkInterrupt()
+	if s.c.interrupt.Err() != nil {
+		s.err = INTERRUPT
+		return false
+	}
+
 	rc := res_t(s.c.call("sqlite3_step", stk_t(s.handle)))
 	switch rc {
 	case _ROW:
diff --git a/txn.go b/txn.go
index b24789f8..a21b99ac 100644
--- a/txn.go
+++ b/txn.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package sqlite3
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"errors"
 	"math/rand"
 	"runtime"
 	"strconv"
@@ -25,7 +24,7 @@ type Txn struct {
 // https://sqlite.org/lang_transaction.html
 func (c *Conn) Begin() Txn {
 	// BEGIN even if interrupted.
-	err := c.txnExecInterrupted(`BEGIN DEFERRED`)
+	err := c.exec(`BEGIN DEFERRED`)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
@@ -120,7 +119,7 @@ func (tx Txn) Commit() error {
 //
 // https://sqlite.org/lang_transaction.html
 func (tx Txn) Rollback() error {
-	return tx.c.txnExecInterrupted(`ROLLBACK`)
+	return tx.c.exec(`ROLLBACK`)
 }
 
 // Savepoint is a marker within a transaction
@@ -143,7 +142,7 @@ func (c *Conn) Savepoint() Savepoint {
 	// Names can be reused, but this makes catching bugs more likely.
 	name = QuoteIdentifier(name + "_" + strconv.Itoa(int(rand.Int31())))
 
-	err := c.txnExecInterrupted(`SAVEPOINT ` + name)
+	err := c.exec(`SAVEPOINT ` + name)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
@@ -199,7 +198,7 @@ func (s Savepoint) Release(errp *error) {
 		return
 	}
 	// ROLLBACK and RELEASE even if interrupted.
-	err := s.c.txnExecInterrupted(`ROLLBACK TO ` + s.name + `; RELEASE ` + s.name)
+	err := s.c.exec(`ROLLBACK TO ` + s.name + `; RELEASE ` + s.name)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
@@ -212,17 +211,7 @@ func (s Savepoint) Release(errp *error) {
 // https://sqlite.org/lang_transaction.html
 func (s Savepoint) Rollback() error {
 	// ROLLBACK even if interrupted.
-	return s.c.txnExecInterrupted(`ROLLBACK TO ` + s.name)
-}
-
-func (c *Conn) txnExecInterrupted(sql string) error {
-	err := c.Exec(sql)
-	if errors.Is(err, INTERRUPT) {
-		old := c.SetInterrupt(context.Background())
-		defer c.SetInterrupt(old)
-		err = c.Exec(sql)
-	}
-	return err
+	return s.c.exec(`ROLLBACK TO ` + s.name)
 }
 
 // TxnState determines the transaction state of a database.
diff --git a/vtab.go b/vtab.go
index 1db142c4..16ff2806 100644
--- a/vtab.go
+++ b/vtab.go
@@ -79,10 +79,11 @@ func implements[T any](typ reflect.Type) bool {
 //
 // https://sqlite.org/c3ref/declare_vtab.html
 func (c *Conn) DeclareVTab(sql string) error {
+	if c.interrupt.Err() != nil {
+		return INTERRUPT
+	}
 	defer c.arena.mark()()
 	textPtr := c.arena.string(sql)
-
-	c.checkInterrupt()
 	rc := res_t(c.call("sqlite3_declare_vtab", stk_t(c.handle), stk_t(textPtr)))
 	return c.error(rc)
 }