diff --git a/include/SQLiteCpp/Database.h b/include/SQLiteCpp/Database.h
index 65a2c96..190446b 100644
--- a/include/SQLiteCpp/Database.h
+++ b/include/SQLiteCpp/Database.h
@@ -55,11 +55,15 @@ public:
      *
      * @param[in] apFilename    UTF-8 path/uri to the database file ("filename" sqlite3 parameter)
      * @param[in] aFlags        SQLITE_OPEN_READONLY/SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE/SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE...
+     * @param[in] aTimeoutMs    Amount of milliseconds to wait before returning SQLITE_BUSY (see setBusyTimeout())
      * @param[in] apVfs         UTF-8 name of custom VFS to use, or nullptr for sqlite3 default
      *
      * @throw SQLite::Exception in case of error
      */
-    Database(const char* apFilename, const int aFlags = SQLITE_OPEN_READONLY, const char* apVfs = NULL);
+    Database(const char* apFilename,
+             const int   aFlags     = SQLITE_OPEN_READONLY,
+             const int   aTimeoutMs = 0,
+             const char* apVfs      = NULL);
 
     /**
      * @brief Open the provided database UTF-8 filename.
@@ -73,11 +77,15 @@ public:
      *
      * @param[in] aFilename     UTF-8 path/uri to the database file ("filename" sqlite3 parameter)
      * @param[in] aFlags        SQLITE_OPEN_READONLY/SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE/SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE...
+     * @param[in] aTimeoutMs    Amount of milliseconds to wait before returning SQLITE_BUSY (see setBusyTimeout())
      * @param[in] aVfs          UTF-8 name of custom VFS to use, or empty string for sqlite3 default
      *
      * @throw SQLite::Exception in case of error
      */
-    Database(const std::string& aFilename, const int aFlags = SQLITE_OPEN_READONLY, const std::string& aVfs = "");
+    Database(const std::string& aFilename,
+             const int          aFlags      = SQLITE_OPEN_READONLY,
+             const int          aTimeoutMs  = 0,
+             const std::string& aVfs        = "");
 
     /**
      * @brief Close the SQLite database connection.
diff --git a/src/Database.cpp b/src/Database.cpp
index 649d49e..bf94675 100644
--- a/src/Database.cpp
+++ b/src/Database.cpp
@@ -26,7 +26,10 @@ namespace SQLite
 
 
 // Open the provided database UTF-8 filename with SQLITE_OPEN_xxx provided flags.
-Database::Database(const char* apFilename, const int aFlags /*= SQLITE_OPEN_READONLY*/, const char* apVfs /*= NULL*/) :
+Database::Database(const char* apFilename,
+                   const int   aFlags     /* = SQLITE_OPEN_READONLY*/,
+                   const int   aTimeoutMs /* = 0 */,
+                   const char* apVfs      /* = NULL*/) :
     mpSQLite(NULL),
     mFilename(apFilename)
 {
@@ -37,10 +40,18 @@ Database::Database(const char* apFilename, const int aFlags /*= SQLITE_OPEN_READ
         sqlite3_close(mpSQLite); // close is required even in case of error on opening
         throw SQLite::Exception(strerr);
     }
+
+    if (aTimeoutMs > 0)
+    {
+        setBusyTimeout(aTimeoutMs);
+    }
 }
 
 // Open the provided database UTF-8 filename with SQLITE_OPEN_xxx provided flags.
-Database::Database(const std::string& aFilename, const int aFlags /*= SQLITE_OPEN_READONLY*/, const std::string& aVfs) :
+Database::Database(const std::string& aFilename,
+                   const int          aFlags     /* = SQLITE_OPEN_READONLY*/,
+                   const int          aTimeoutMs /* = 0 */,
+                   const std::string& aVfs       /* = "" */) :
     mpSQLite(NULL),
     mFilename(aFilename)
 {
@@ -51,6 +62,11 @@ Database::Database(const std::string& aFilename, const int aFlags /*= SQLITE_OPE
         sqlite3_close(mpSQLite); // close is required even in case of error on opening
         throw SQLite::Exception(strerr);
     }
+
+    if (aTimeoutMs > 0)
+    {
+        setBusyTimeout(aTimeoutMs);
+    }
 }
 
 // Close the SQLite database connection.
diff --git a/tests/Database_test.cpp b/tests/Database_test.cpp
index 5414ef1..57a8cd2 100644
--- a/tests/Database_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/Database_test.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ TEST(Database, ctorExecCreateDropExist) {
     remove("test.db3");
     {
         // Try to open an unexisting database
-        EXPECT_THROW(SQLite::Database not_found("test.db3"), SQLite::Exception);
+        std::string filename = "test.db3";
+        EXPECT_THROW(SQLite::Database not_found(filename), SQLite::Exception);
 
         // Create a new database
         SQLite::Database db("test.db3", SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE|SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE);
@@ -92,20 +93,31 @@ TEST(Database, inMemory) {
     } // Close an destroy DB
 }
 
-#if SQLITE_VERSION_NUMBER >= 3007015 // first version with PRAGMA busy_timeout
+#if SQLITE_VERSION_NUMBER >= 3007015 // SQLite v3.7.15 is first version with PRAGMA busy_timeout
 TEST(Database, busyTimeout) {
-    // Create a new database
-    SQLite::Database db(":memory:");
-    // Busy timeout default to 0ms: any contention between threads or process leads to SQLITE_BUSY error
-    EXPECT_EQ(0, db.execAndGet("PRAGMA busy_timeout").getInt());
+    {
+        // Create a new database with default timeout of 0ms
+        SQLite::Database db(":memory:");
+        // Busy timeout default to 0ms: any contention between threads or process leads to SQLITE_BUSY error
+        EXPECT_EQ(0, db.execAndGet("PRAGMA busy_timeout").getInt());
 
-    // Set a non null busy timeout: any contention between threads will leads to as much retry as possible during the time
-    db.setBusyTimeout(5000);
-    EXPECT_EQ(5000, db.execAndGet("PRAGMA busy_timeout").getInt());
+        // Set a non null busy timeout: any contention between threads will leads to as much retry as possible during the time
+        db.setBusyTimeout(5000);
+        EXPECT_EQ(5000, db.execAndGet("PRAGMA busy_timeout").getInt());
 
-    // Reset timeout to null
-    db.setBusyTimeout(0);
-    EXPECT_EQ(0, db.execAndGet("PRAGMA busy_timeout").getInt());
+        // Reset timeout to 0
+        db.setBusyTimeout(0);
+        EXPECT_EQ(0, db.execAndGet("PRAGMA busy_timeout").getInt());
+    }
+    {
+        // Create a new database with a non null busy timeout
+        SQLite::Database db(":memory:", SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE, 5000);
+        EXPECT_EQ(5000, db.execAndGet("PRAGMA busy_timeout").getInt());
+
+        // Reset timeout to null
+        db.setBusyTimeout(0);
+        EXPECT_EQ(0, db.execAndGet("PRAGMA busy_timeout").getInt());
+    }
 }
 #endif // SQLITE_VERSION_NUMBER >= 3007015