diff --git a/src/smarttools/registry/db.py b/src/smarttools/registry/db.py
index 1a1ace5..71956d7 100644
--- a/src/smarttools/registry/db.py
+++ b/src/smarttools/registry/db.py
@@ -245,7 +245,13 @@ def connect_db(path: Path | None = None) -> sqlite3.Connection:
     ensure_db_directory(db_path)
     conn = sqlite3.connect(db_path)
     conn.row_factory = sqlite3.Row
-    conn.execute("PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL;")
+    # WAL mode provides better concurrency but may not work on all filesystems
+    # (e.g., some FUSE filesystems like mergerfs). Fall back gracefully.
+    try:
+        conn.execute("PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL;")
+    except sqlite3.OperationalError:
+        # Fall back to DELETE journal mode which works everywhere
+        conn.execute("PRAGMA journal_mode=DELETE;")
     conn.execute("PRAGMA foreign_keys=ON;")
     return conn