fix(rivetkit): gate node:sqlite behind RIVETKIT_NODE_SQLITE env var

[NathanFlurry]

Description

Please include a summary of the changes and the related issue. Please also include relevant motivation and context.

Type of change

• Bug fix (non-breaking change which fixes an issue)
• New feature (non-breaking change which adds functionality)
• Breaking change (fix or feature that would cause existing functionality to not work as expected)
• This change requires a documentation update

How Has This Been Tested?

Please describe the tests that you ran to verify your changes.

Checklist:

• My code follows the style guidelines of this project
• I have performed a self-review of my code
• I have commented my code, particularly in hard-to-understand areas
• I have made corresponding changes to the documentation
• My changes generate no new warnings
• I have added tests that prove my fix is effective or that my feature works
• New and existing unit tests pass locally with my changes

[railway-app]

🚅 Deployed to the rivet-pr-4487 environment in rivet-frontend

Service	Status	Web	Updated (UTC)
website	😴 Sleeping (View Logs)	Web	Mar 24, 2026 at 2:07 am
frontend-cloud	😴 Sleeping (View Logs)	Web	Mar 24, 2026 at 2:07 am
frontend-inspector	😴 Sleeping (View Logs)	Web	Mar 24, 2026 at 2:03 am
ladle	❌ Build Failed (View Logs)	Web	Mar 24, 2026 at 1:57 am
kitchen-sink	❌ Build Failed (View Logs)	Web	Mar 24, 2026 at 1:57 am
mcp-hub	✅ Success (View Logs)	Web	Mar 24, 2026 at 1:54 am

[NathanFlurry]

• fix(rivetkit): remove drizzle-orm peer dep and add runtime version check #4492
• chore(skill): add version check to rivetkit skill #4491
• fix(rivetkit): prevent Turbopack from tracing sqlite-vfs dynamic import #4490
• fix(rivetkit): warn when manager port falls back to a different port #4489
• fix(rivetkit): clear connectableTs on actor sleep #4488
• fix(rivetkit): gate node:sqlite behind RIVETKIT_NODE_SQLITE env var #4487 👈 (View in Graphite)
• main

This stack of pull requests is managed by Graphite. Learn more about stacking.

[claude]

PR Review: Gate node:sqlite behind RIVETKIT_NODE_SQLITE env var

The core idea is sound. The experimental Node.js node:sqlite module emits a noisy warning that is not user-friendly, so gating it behind an env var and falling back to better-sqlite3 is a reasonable approach. The comment block explaining the intent and future plan is clear and well-written.

A few things worth addressing:

Misleading error message

Lines 187-189 in sqlite-runtime.ts still tell the user to run pnpm add better-sqlite3, but it is now a direct production dependency. If loading fails, the real issue is likely a failed native build (missing compiler or headers), not a missing package. The message should reflect that.

Consider optionalDependencies

better-sqlite3 is a native addon that must be compiled or have a prebuilt binary available. Making it a hard production dependency means every user, including Bun users who will never need it, is forced to install and compile it. The rivetkit-typescript CLAUDE.md also notes that core drivers must remain SQLite-agnostic.

Using optionalDependencies instead of dependencies would be more appropriate because the try/catch around the require already handles load failures gracefully, and it would restore the previous behavior: the lock file shows better-sqlite3 was previously marked optional: true, along with its transitive deps (bindings, prebuild-install, decompress-response, etc.).

Node version constraint tightened

better-sqlite3@12.8.0 requires node 20.x or 22.x or 23.x or 24.x or 25.x, which is stricter than v11. Worth confirming this aligns with the project minimum Node version.

Unrelated lock file changes

The lock file includes a vite version change for the rivetkit package (vite@7.3.1 to vite@5.4.21 in one vite-tsconfig-paths snapshot). This looks like a side effect of running pnpm install. Worth confirming whether it is intentional.