diff --git a/OpenNest.Server.Tests/ServerFactory.cs b/OpenNest.Server.Tests/ServerFactory.cs
index 31d81c0..b114d11 100644
--- a/OpenNest.Server.Tests/ServerFactory.cs
+++ b/OpenNest.Server.Tests/ServerFactory.cs
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Testing;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.TestHost;
-using Microsoft.Data.Sqlite;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.Extensions;
 
@@ -34,7 +33,7 @@ public sealed class ServerFactory : WebApplicationFactory<global::Program>
         builder.ConfigureTestServices(services =>
         {
             services.RemoveAll<NestDatabase>();
-            services.AddSingleton(_ => new NestDatabase(DatabasePath));
+            services.AddSingleton(_ => new NestDatabase(DatabasePath, pooling: false));
         });
     }
 
@@ -45,8 +44,6 @@ public sealed class ServerFactory : WebApplicationFactory<global::Program>
             return;
 
         _cleanedUp = true;
-        // Pooled connections would keep the file open on Windows after the host disposed it.
-        SqliteConnection.ClearAllPools();
         if (Directory.Exists(DirectoryPath))
             Directory.Delete(DirectoryPath, recursive: true);
     }
diff --git a/OpenNest.Server/NestDatabase.cs b/OpenNest.Server/NestDatabase.cs
index a7e67a0..1aaad3f 100644
--- a/OpenNest.Server/NestDatabase.cs
+++ b/OpenNest.Server/NestDatabase.cs
@@ -16,13 +16,18 @@ public sealed class NestDatabase : IDisposable
     private readonly object _sync = new();
     private readonly SqliteConnection _connection;
 
-    public NestDatabase(string databasePath)
+    public NestDatabase(string databasePath, bool pooling = true)
     {
         var directory = Path.GetDirectoryName(Path.GetFullPath(databasePath));
         if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(directory))
             Directory.CreateDirectory(directory);
 
-        _connection = new SqliteConnection($"Data Source={databasePath}");
+        // Test databases are short-lived files: disabling pooling releases Windows file handles on dispose.
+        _connection = new SqliteConnection(new SqliteConnectionStringBuilder
+        {
+            DataSource = databasePath,
+            Pooling = pooling,
+        }.ToString());
         _connection.Open();
         Execute("""
             PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL;