diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index d2b48ae..dab3a8e 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 {
   "name": "youagent",
-  "version": "0.1.0",
+  "version": "0.0.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "youagent",
-      "version": "0.1.0",
+      "version": "0.0.1",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
-        "better-sqlite3": "^11.0.0",
+        "better-sqlite3": "^12.4.1",
         "chalk": "^5.3.0",
         "commander": "^12.1.0",
         "node-cron": "^3.0.3",
@@ -1480,14 +1480,17 @@
       "license": "MIT"
     },
     "node_modules/better-sqlite3": {
-      "version": "11.10.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/better-sqlite3/-/better-sqlite3-11.10.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-EwhOpyXiOEL/lKzHz9AW1msWFNzGc/z+LzeB3/jnFJpxu+th2yqvzsSWas1v9jgs9+xiXJcD5A8CJxAG2TaghQ==",
+      "version": "12.11.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/better-sqlite3/-/better-sqlite3-12.11.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-dq9AtApgg5PGFtBzPFSBl3HZQjHok5gaQCM6zh2Yk0aSmDCs1CbnVI8/HgASQkNKsWFpseIO9beg5xxpYhbIfA==",
       "hasInstallScript": true,
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "bindings": "^1.5.0",
         "prebuild-install": "^7.1.1"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": "20.x || 22.x || 23.x || 24.x || 25.x || 26.x"
       }
     },
     "node_modules/bindings": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a94e698..f98221b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
     "prepublishOnly": "npm run build && npm test"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "better-sqlite3": "^11.0.0",
+    "better-sqlite3": "^12.4.1",
     "chalk": "^5.3.0",
     "commander": "^12.1.0",
     "node-cron": "^3.0.3",
diff --git a/src/storage/database.ts b/src/storage/database.ts
index 014ed07..6d957df 100644
--- a/src/storage/database.ts
+++ b/src/storage/database.ts
@@ -9,13 +9,39 @@ import { homedir } from 'node:os';
 
 const DEFAULT_DB_PATH = join(homedir(), '.youagent', 'youagent.db');
 
+/**
+ * Detect failures caused by a missing or incompatible better-sqlite3
+ * native binding, as opposed to ordinary database errors.
+ */
+function isNativeModuleError(err: unknown): boolean {
+  if (!(err instanceof Error)) return false;
+  const code = (err as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code;
+  if (code === 'ERR_DLOPEN_FAILED' || code === 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND') return true;
+  return /better_sqlite3\.node|Could not locate the bindings file|NODE_MODULE_VERSION/i.test(
+    err.message
+  );
+}
+
 export class AgentDatabase {
   private db: Database.Database;
 
   constructor(dbPath?: string) {
     const resolvedPath = dbPath ?? DEFAULT_DB_PATH;
     mkdirSync(dirname(resolvedPath), { recursive: true });
-    this.db = new Database(resolvedPath);
+    try {
+      this.db = new Database(resolvedPath);
+    } catch (err) {
+      if (isNativeModuleError(err)) {
+        throw new Error(
+          'youagent could not load its SQLite engine (better-sqlite3). ' +
+            'The native module is missing or was built for a different Node.js version.\n' +
+            'To fix, run: npm rebuild better-sqlite3\n' +
+            'Or reinstall youagent on Node.js 20 or newer so a prebuilt binary can be used.\n' +
+            `Original error: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`
+        );
+      }
+      throw err;
+    }
 
     // Enable WAL mode for better concurrent read performance.
     this.db.pragma('journal_mode = WAL');