diff --git a/libsql-jdbc/src/main/java/com/github/magnusp/libsql/jdbc/LibsqlDatabaseMetaData.java b/libsql-jdbc/src/main/java/com/github/magnusp/libsql/jdbc/LibsqlDatabaseMetaData.java
index 0488771..76bd3ff 100644
--- a/libsql-jdbc/src/main/java/com/github/magnusp/libsql/jdbc/LibsqlDatabaseMetaData.java
+++ b/libsql-jdbc/src/main/java/com/github/magnusp/libsql/jdbc/LibsqlDatabaseMetaData.java
@@ -34,12 +34,14 @@ public LibsqlDatabaseMetaData(LibsqlConnection connection) {
     }
 
     private String resolveDatabaseProductVersion() throws SQLException {
+        connection.checkClosed();
         if (cachedDatabaseProductVersion == null) {
             try (var statement = connection.createStatement();
                     var rs = statement.executeQuery("SELECT sqlite_version()")) {
-                cachedDatabaseProductVersion = rs.next() ? rs.getString(1) : "3.0";
-            } catch (SQLException e) {
-                cachedDatabaseProductVersion = "3.0";
+                if (!rs.next()) {
+                    throw new SQLException("SELECT sqlite_version() returned no row");
+                }
+                cachedDatabaseProductVersion = rs.getString(1);
             }
         }
         return cachedDatabaseProductVersion;
diff --git a/libsql-jdbc/src/test/java/com/github/magnusp/libsql/jdbc/LibsqlDatabaseMetaDataTest.java b/libsql-jdbc/src/test/java/com/github/magnusp/libsql/jdbc/LibsqlDatabaseMetaDataTest.java
index e870792..1d2c8cf 100644
--- a/libsql-jdbc/src/test/java/com/github/magnusp/libsql/jdbc/LibsqlDatabaseMetaDataTest.java
+++ b/libsql-jdbc/src/test/java/com/github/magnusp/libsql/jdbc/LibsqlDatabaseMetaDataTest.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatThrownBy;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.Arguments.arguments;
 
 class LibsqlDatabaseMetaDataTest {
@@ -64,6 +65,37 @@ void getDatabaseProductVersionOpensOneStatementAcrossTwoCalls() throws SQLExcept
                 .hasSize(1);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void getDatabaseProductVersionRetriesAfterAFailedLookup() throws SQLException {
+        RecordingConnection connection = new RecordingConnection(versionResult("3.45.1"));
+        connection.failuresRemaining = 1;
+        LibsqlDatabaseMetaData metadata = new LibsqlDatabaseMetaData(connection);
+
+        assertThatThrownBy(metadata::getDatabaseProductVersion)
+                .as("the first lookup must surface the failure instead of caching a fallback")
+                .isInstanceOf(SQLException.class);
+        assertThat(metadata.getDatabaseProductVersion())
+                .as("the second lookup must retry and return the server version")
+                .isEqualTo("3.45.1");
+        assertThat(metadata.getDatabaseMajorVersion()).isEqualTo(3);
+        assertThat(metadata.getDatabaseMinorVersion()).isEqualTo(45);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void getDatabaseProductVersionThrowsOnClosedConnection() throws SQLException {
+        RecordingConnection connection = new RecordingConnection(versionResult("3.45.1"));
+        LibsqlDatabaseMetaData metadata = new LibsqlDatabaseMetaData(connection);
+        assertThat(metadata.getDatabaseProductVersion()).isEqualTo("3.45.1");
+        connection.close();
+
+        assertThatThrownBy(metadata::getDatabaseProductVersion)
+                .as("an already cached version must not outlive the connection")
+                .isInstanceOf(SQLException.class);
+        assertThatThrownBy(() -> new LibsqlDatabaseMetaData(connection).getDatabaseProductVersion())
+                .as("an uncached lookup on a closed connection must not return a fallback")
+                .isInstanceOf(SQLException.class);
+    }
+
     @Test
     void escapesSingleQuoteInTableNamePattern() throws SQLException {
         RecordingConnection connection = new RecordingConnection(emptyResult());
@@ -429,6 +461,7 @@ private static final class RecordingConnection extends LibsqlConnection {
         private final StmtResult result;
         private final List<LibsqlStatement> statements = new ArrayList<>();
         private String lastSql;
+        private int failuresRemaining;
 
         private RecordingConnection(StmtResult result) {
             super(null, null);
@@ -445,6 +478,10 @@ public Statement createStatement() throws SQLException {
         @Override
         public StmtResult executeStatement(Stmt stmt) throws SQLException {
             lastSql = stmt.sql();
+            if (failuresRemaining > 0) {
+                failuresRemaining--;
+                throw new SQLException("simulated product-version lookup failure");
+            }
             return result;
         }
     }