diff --git a/sqlite3.go b/sqlite3.go
index f4de3fd..c7a87b7 100644
--- a/sqlite3.go
+++ b/sqlite3.go
@@ -117,8 +117,9 @@ type SQLiteDriver struct {
 
 // Conn struct.
 type SQLiteConn struct {
-	db  *C.sqlite3
-	loc *time.Location
+	db     *C.sqlite3
+	loc    *time.Location
+	txlock string
 }
 
 // Tx struct.
@@ -252,7 +253,7 @@ func (c *SQLiteConn) exec(cmd string) (driver.Result, error) {
 
 // Begin transaction.
 func (c *SQLiteConn) Begin() (driver.Tx, error) {
-	if _, err := c.exec("BEGIN"); err != nil {
+	if _, err := c.exec(c.txlock); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	return &SQLiteTx{c}, nil
@@ -273,12 +274,16 @@ func errorString(err Error) string {
 //     Specify location of time format. It's possible to specify "auto".
 //   _busy_timeout=XXX
 //     Specify value for sqlite3_busy_timeout.
+//   _txlock=XXX
+//     Specify locking behavior for transactions.  XXX can be "immediate",
+//     "deferred", "exclusive".
 func (d *SQLiteDriver) Open(dsn string) (driver.Conn, error) {
 	if C.sqlite3_threadsafe() == 0 {
 		return nil, errors.New("sqlite library was not compiled for thread-safe operation")
 	}
 
 	var loc *time.Location
+	txlock := "BEGIN"
 	busy_timeout := 5000
 	pos := strings.IndexRune(dsn, '?')
 	if pos >= 1 {
@@ -308,6 +313,20 @@ func (d *SQLiteDriver) Open(dsn string) (driver.Conn, error) {
 			busy_timeout = int(iv)
 		}
 
+		// _txlock
+		if val := params.Get("_txlock"); val != "" {
+			switch val {
+			case "immediate":
+				txlock = "BEGIN IMMEDIATE"
+			case "exclusive":
+				txlock = "BEGIN EXCLUSIVE"
+			case "deferred":
+				txlock = "BEGIN"
+			default:
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("Invalid _txlock: %v", val)
+			}
+		}
+
 		if !strings.HasPrefix(dsn, "file:") {
 			dsn = dsn[:pos]
 		}
@@ -333,7 +352,7 @@ func (d *SQLiteDriver) Open(dsn string) (driver.Conn, error) {
 		return nil, Error{Code: ErrNo(rv)}
 	}
 
-	conn := &SQLiteConn{db: db, loc: loc}
+	conn := &SQLiteConn{db: db, loc: loc, txlock: txlock}
 
 	if len(d.Extensions) > 0 {
 		rv = C.sqlite3_enable_load_extension(db, 1)
diff --git a/sqlite3_test.go b/sqlite3_test.go
index aa86011..deb9706 100644
--- a/sqlite3_test.go
+++ b/sqlite3_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"database/sql"
 	"encoding/hex"
+	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -25,11 +26,17 @@ func TempFilename() string {
 	return filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "foo"+hex.EncodeToString(randBytes)+".db")
 }
 
-func TestOpen(t *testing.T) {
+func doTestOpen(t *testing.T, option string) (string, error) {
+	var url string
 	tempFilename := TempFilename()
-	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", tempFilename)
+	if option != "" {
+		url = tempFilename + option
+	} else {
+		url = tempFilename
+	}
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", url)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal("Failed to open database:", err)
+		return "Failed to open database:", err
 	}
 	defer os.Remove(tempFilename)
 	defer db.Close()
@@ -37,11 +44,38 @@ func TestOpen(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err = db.Exec("drop table foo")
 	_, err = db.Exec("create table foo (id integer)")
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal("Failed to create table:", err)
+		return "Failed to create table:", err
 	}
 
 	if stat, err := os.Stat(tempFilename); err != nil || stat.IsDir() {
-		t.Error("Failed to create ./foo.db")
+		return "Failed to create ./foo.db", nil
+	}
+
+	return "", nil
+}
+
+func TestOpen(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := map[string]bool{
+		"":                   true,
+		"?_txlock=immediate": true,
+		"?_txlock=deferred":  true,
+		"?_txlock=exclusive": true,
+		"?_txlock=bogus":     false,
+	}
+	for option, expectedPass := range cases {
+		result, err := doTestOpen(t, option)
+		if result == "" {
+			if ! expectedPass {
+				errmsg := fmt.Sprintf("_txlock error not caught at dbOpen with option: %s", option)
+				t.Fatal(errmsg)
+			}
+		} else if expectedPass {
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Fatal(result)
+			} else {
+				t.Fatal(result, err)
+			}
+		}
 	}
 }