diff --git a/src/modules/content-sqlite/content-sqlite.c b/src/modules/content-sqlite/content-sqlite.c
index 3674159846bc..cb9a3ade95f3 100644
--- a/src/modules/content-sqlite/content-sqlite.c
+++ b/src/modules/content-sqlite/content-sqlite.c
@@ -640,6 +640,14 @@ static int content_sqlite_opendb (struct content_sqlite *ctx, bool truncate)
         log_sqlite_error (ctx, "setting sqlite 'locking_mode' pragma");
         goto error;
     }
+    if (sqlite3_exec (ctx->db,
+                      "PRAGMA quick_check",
+                      NULL,
+                      NULL,
+                      NULL) != SQLITE_OK) {
+        log_sqlite_error (ctx, "setting sqlite 'quick_check' pragma");
+        goto error;
+    }
     if (sqlite3_exec (ctx->db,
                       sql_create_table,
                       NULL,
@@ -832,16 +840,16 @@ int mod_main (flux_t *h, int argc, char **argv)
     if (content_register_backing_store (h, "content-sqlite") < 0)
         goto done;
     if (content_register_service (h, "content-backing") < 0)
-        goto done;
+        goto done_unreg;
     if (content_register_service (h, "kvs-checkpoint") < 0)
-        goto done;
+        goto done_unreg;
     if (flux_reactor_run (flux_get_reactor (h), 0) < 0) {
         flux_log_error (h, "flux_reactor_run");
-        goto done;
+        goto done_unreg;
     }
-    if (content_unregister_backing_store (h) < 0)
-        goto done;
     rc = 0;
+done_unreg:
+    (void)content_unregister_backing_store (h);
 done:
     content_sqlite_closedb (ctx);
     content_sqlite_destroy (ctx);
diff --git a/t/t0012-content-sqlite.t b/t/t0012-content-sqlite.t
index 89d17f940018..16b6e5502bd8 100755
--- a/t/t0012-content-sqlite.t
+++ b/t/t0012-content-sqlite.t
@@ -271,6 +271,39 @@ test_expect_success 'run flux with statedir and verify modes' '
 	grep "journal_mode=WAL synchronous=NORMAL" logs4
 '
 
+# Will create in WAL mode since statedir is set
+recreate_database()
+{
+	flux start -o,-Sbroker.rc1_path=,-Sbroker.rc3_path= \
+	    -o,-Sstatedir=$(pwd) bash -c \
+	    "flux module load content-sqlite truncate; \
+	    flux module remove content-sqlite"
+}
+load_module_xfail()
+{
+	flux start -o,-Sbroker.rc1_path=,-Sbroker.rc3_path= \
+	    -o,-Sstatedir=$(pwd) flux module load content-sqlite
+}
+
+# FWIW https://www.sqlite.org/fileformat.html
+test_expect_success 'create database with bad header magic' '
+	recreate_database &&
+	echo "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" | dd obs=1 count=16 seek=0 of=content.sqlite
+'
+test_expect_success 'module load fails with corrupt database' '
+	test_must_fail load_module_xfail
+'
+test_expect_success 'create database with bad schema format number' '
+	recreate_database &&
+	echo "\001\001\001\001" | dd obs=1 count=4 seek=44 of=content.sqlite
+'
+test_expect_success 'module load fails with corrupt database' '
+	test_must_fail load_module_xfail
+'
+test_expect_success 'full instance start fails corrupt database' '
+	test_must_fail flux start -o,-Sstatedir=$(pwd) /bin/true
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'remove content-sqlite module on rank 0' '
 	flux module remove content-sqlite
 '