diff --git a/src/core-init-ext.nix b/src/core-init-ext.nix
index b77b613..3112d63 100644
--- a/src/core-init-ext.nix
+++ b/src/core-init-ext.nix
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
   extensions,
   nameSuffix,
   version,
+  headers,
 
   stdenv,
   writeText,
@@ -27,13 +28,14 @@ let
     ${lib.concatMapStringsSep "\n" (sym: "void ${sym}(void);") shutdownSymbols}
   '';
 
+  # TODO: how should shutdown be handled with use of sqlite3_auto_extension? Is there a separate place for registering these?
   coreInitImpl = writeText "sqlite-core-init.c" ''
     #include "${coreInitHeaders}"
+    #include <sqlite3.h>
 
     int core_init(const char *dummy) {
-      int err = 0;
-      ${lib.concatMapStringsSep "\n" (sym: "err += ${sym}(dummy);") initSymbols}
-      return err;
+      ${lib.concatMapStringsSep "\n" (sym: "sqlite3_auto_extension((void(*)(void))${sym});") initSymbols}
+      return SQLITE_OK;
     }
 
     void core_shutdown(void) {
@@ -47,6 +49,8 @@ in stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   src = null;
   dontUnpack = true;
 
+  buildInputs = [ headers ];
+
   buildPhase = ''
     runHook preBuild
     "$CC" -c '${coreInitImpl}' -o sqlite-core-init.o
diff --git a/src/mk-sqlite.nix b/src/mk-sqlite.nix
index 4dea3c0..09795b9 100644
--- a/src/mk-sqlite.nix
+++ b/src/mk-sqlite.nix
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ let
     then null
     else pkgs.callPackage ./core-init-ext.nix ({
       inherit version src;
+      inherit headers;
       inherit extensions;
       inherit extraLibraries;
       nameSuffix = suffix;