diff --git a/README b/README
index 1a3d717..e320ba4 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ SilverStripe 2.4 or newer
 Installation
 ------------
 copy the sqlite3 folder to your project root so that it becomes a sibling of cms, sapphire and co
-add this to your _config.php
+add this to your _config.php (right after "require_once("conf/ConfigureFromEnv.php");" if you are using _ss_environment.php)
 
-	define('SS_DATABASE_CLASS','SQLiteDatabase');
+	$databaseConfig['type'] = 'SQLiteDatabase';
 
 you are done!
 
diff --git a/_config.php b/_config.php
index 6cb1368..1d9f4b7 100644
--- a/_config.php
+++ b/_config.php
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 <?php
 
-if(defined('SS_DATABASE_CLASS') && (SS_DATABASE_CLASS == 'SQLiteDatabase' || SS_DATABASE_CLASS == 'SQLite3Database' || SS_DATABASE_CLASS == 'SQLitePDODatabase')) {
+global $databaseConfig;
+if(defined('SS_DATABASE_CLASS')) $databaseConfig['type'] = SS_DATABASE_CLASS;
+
+if(array_search($databaseConfig['type'], array('SQLiteDatabase', 'SQLite3Database', 'SQLitePDODatabase')) !== false) {
 
-	global $databaseConfig;
 	$databaseConfig = array(
+		'type' => $databaseConfig['type'],
 		'database' => (defined('SS_DATABASE_PREFIX') ? SS_DATABASE_PREFIX : '') . $database . (defined('SS_DATABASE_SUFFIX') ? SS_DATABASE_SUFFIX : ''),
-		'path' => defined('SS_SQLITE_DATABASE_PATH') && SS_SQLITE_DATABASE_PATH ? SS_SQLITE_DATABASE_PATH : ASSETS_PATH,   // where to put the database file
+		'path' => defined('SS_SQLITE_DATABASE_PATH') && SS_SQLITE_DATABASE_PATH ? SS_SQLITE_DATABASE_PATH : ASSETS_PATH . '/.sqlitedb/',   // where to put the database file
 		'memory' => true,    // run tests in memory
 	);
 	
@@ -17,10 +20,9 @@ if(defined('SS_DATABASE_CLASS') && (SS_DATABASE_CLASS == 'SQLiteDatabase' || SS_
 		'encoding' => '"UTF-8"',
 		'locking_mode' => 'NORMAL',
 	);
-	
 
 	// The SQLite3 class is available in PHP 5.3 and newer
-	if(SS_DATABASE_CLASS == 'SQLitePDODatabase' || version_compare(phpversion(), '5.3.0', '<')) {
+	if($databaseConfig['type'] == 'SQLitePDODatabase' || version_compare(phpversion(), '5.3.0', '<')) {
 		$databaseConfig['type'] = 'SQLitePDODatabase';
 	} else {
 		$databaseConfig['type'] = 'SQLite3Database';
diff --git a/code/SQLite3Database.php b/code/SQLite3Database.php
index ab431cb..b9b91ed 100644
--- a/code/SQLite3Database.php
+++ b/code/SQLite3Database.php
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ class SQLite3Database extends SS_Database {
 		} else {
 			$this->lives_in_memory = false;
 		}
+		
+		self::safe_dir($parameters['path']);
 
 		$this->dbConn = new SQLite3($file, SQLITE3_OPEN_READWRITE | SQLITE3_OPEN_CREATE, $parameters['key']);
 
@@ -115,6 +117,13 @@ class SQLite3Database extends SS_Database {
 		return null;
 	}
 
+	public static function safe_dir($path) {
+		if($path == ASSETS_PATH . '/.sqlitedb/' && !file_exists($path)) {
+			mkdir($path);
+			file_put_contents($path . '.htaccess', 'deny from all');
+		}
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Returns true if this database supports collations
 	 * TODO: get rid of this?
@@ -338,7 +347,7 @@ class SQLite3Database extends SS_Database {
     
 	public function renameTable($oldTableName, $newTableName) {
 
-		$this->query("ALTER TABLE \"$oldTableName\" RENAME \"$newTableName\"");
+		$this->query("ALTER TABLE \"$oldTableName\" RENAME TO \"$newTableName\"");
 
 	}
 
diff --git a/code/SQLitePDODatabase.php b/code/SQLitePDODatabase.php
index 9cc2fc6..3de80d3 100644
--- a/code/SQLitePDODatabase.php
+++ b/code/SQLitePDODatabase.php
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ class SQLitePDODatabase extends SQLite3Database {
 			$this->lives_in_memory = false;
 		}
 
+		self::safe_dir($parameters['path']);
+
 		$this->dbConn = new PDO("sqlite:$file");
 
 		//By virtue of getting here, the connection is active: