diff --git a/.changeset/tough-years-fry.md b/.changeset/tough-years-fry.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..102edd8a0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/tough-years-fry.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@astrojs/db": patch
+---
+
+Make ASTRO_DATABASE_FILE work with file paths
diff --git a/packages/db/src/core/integration/vite-plugin-db.ts b/packages/db/src/core/integration/vite-plugin-db.ts
index 511c1454b6..769070976b 100644
--- a/packages/db/src/core/integration/vite-plugin-db.ts
+++ b/packages/db/src/core/integration/vite-plugin-db.ts
@@ -114,12 +114,11 @@ export function getLocalVirtualModContents({
 
 	const dbUrl = new URL(DB_PATH, root);
 	return `
-import { asDrizzleTable, createLocalDatabaseClient } from ${RUNTIME_IMPORT};
+import { asDrizzleTable, createLocalDatabaseClient, normalizeDatabaseUrl } from ${RUNTIME_IMPORT};
 ${shouldSeed ? `import { seedLocal } from ${RUNTIME_IMPORT};` : ''}
 ${shouldSeed ? integrationSeedImportStatements.join('\n') : ''}
 
-const dbUrl = import.meta.env.ASTRO_DATABASE_FILE ?? ${JSON.stringify(dbUrl)};
-
+const dbUrl = normalizeDatabaseUrl(import.meta.env.ASTRO_DATABASE_FILE, ${JSON.stringify(dbUrl)});
 export const db = createLocalDatabaseClient({ dbUrl });
 
 ${
diff --git a/packages/db/src/runtime/index.ts b/packages/db/src/runtime/index.ts
index 4688f250e3..a703a5c938 100644
--- a/packages/db/src/runtime/index.ts
+++ b/packages/db/src/runtime/index.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
 } from 'drizzle-orm/sqlite-core';
 import { type DBColumn, type DBTable } from '../core/types.js';
 import { type SerializedSQL, isSerializedSQL } from './types.js';
+import { pathToFileURL } from 'url';
 
 export type { Table } from './types.js';
 export { createRemoteDatabaseClient, createLocalDatabaseClient } from './db-client.js';
@@ -130,3 +131,17 @@ function handleSerializedSQL<T>(def: T | SerializedSQL) {
 	}
 	return def;
 }
+
+export function normalizeDatabaseUrl(envDbUrl: string | undefined, defaultDbUrl: string): string {
+	if(envDbUrl) {
+		// This could be a file URL, or more likely a root-relative file path.
+		// Convert it to a file URL.
+		if(envDbUrl.startsWith('file://')) {
+			return envDbUrl;
+		}
+		return new URL(envDbUrl, pathToFileURL(process.cwd())).toString();
+	} else {
+		// This is going to be a file URL always,
+		return defaultDbUrl;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/packages/db/test/local-prod.test.js b/packages/db/test/local-prod.test.js
index 150c2383f9..7090fe6bff 100644
--- a/packages/db/test/local-prod.test.js
+++ b/packages/db/test/local-prod.test.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { expect } from 'chai';
 import testAdapter from '../../astro/test/test-adapter.js';
 import { loadFixture } from '../../astro/test/test-utils.js';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
 
 describe('astro:db local database', () => {
 	let fixture;
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ describe('astro:db local database', () => {
 		});
 	});
 
-	describe('build (not remote) with DATABASE_FILE env', () => {
+	describe('build (not remote) with DATABASE_FILE env (file URL)', () => {
 		const prodDbPath = new URL('./fixtures/basics/dist/astro.db', import.meta.url).toString();
 		before(async () => {
 			process.env.ASTRO_DATABASE_FILE = prodDbPath;
@@ -31,6 +32,25 @@ describe('astro:db local database', () => {
 		});
 	});
 
+	describe('build (not remote) with DATABASE_FILE env (file path)', () => {
+		const prodDbPath = fileURLToPath(new URL('./fixtures/basics/dist/astro.db', import.meta.url));
+		before(async () => {
+			process.env.ASTRO_DATABASE_FILE = prodDbPath;
+			await fixture.build();
+		});
+
+		after(async () => {
+			delete process.env.ASTRO_DATABASE_FILE;
+		});
+
+		it('Can render page', async () => {
+			const app = await fixture.loadTestAdapterApp();
+			const request = new Request('http://example.com/');
+			const response = await app.render(request);
+			expect(response.status).to.equal(200);
+		});
+	});
+
 	describe('build (not remote)', () => {
 		it('should throw during the build for server output', async () => {
 			delete process.env.ASTRO_DATABASE_FILE;