diff --git a/src/utilities/sql/SqlFile_Impl.cpp b/src/utilities/sql/SqlFile_Impl.cpp
index 8c49995a34..d32500e5df 100644
--- a/src/utilities/sql/SqlFile_Impl.cpp
+++ b/src/utilities/sql/SqlFile_Impl.cpp
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ namespace detail {
       initschema = true;
     }
 
-    sqlite3_open_v2(fileName.c_str(), &m_db, SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE | SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE | SQLITE_OPEN_EXCLUSIVE, nullptr);
+    int code = sqlite3_open_v2(fileName.c_str(), &m_db, SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE | SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE | SQLITE_OPEN_EXCLUSIVE, nullptr);
+    m_connectionOpen = (code == 0);
 
     if (initschema) {
       execAndThrowOnError(
diff --git a/src/utilities/sql/SqlFile_Impl.hpp b/src/utilities/sql/SqlFile_Impl.hpp
index dceabf9fad..4b7a7a3693 100644
--- a/src/utilities/sql/SqlFile_Impl.hpp
+++ b/src/utilities/sql/SqlFile_Impl.hpp
@@ -1306,11 +1306,11 @@ namespace detail {
     // Variadic arguments are the bind arguments if any, to replace '?' placeholders in the statement string
     template <typename... Args>
     void execAndThrowOnError(const std::string& bindingStatement, Args&&... args) {
-      if (m_db) {
-        PreparedStatement stmt(bindingStatement, m_db, false, args...);
-        stmt.execAndThrowOnError();
+      if (!m_connectionOpen) {
+        throw std::runtime_error("Error executing SQL statement as database connection is not open.");
       }
-      throw std::runtime_error("Error executing SQL statement as database connection is not open.");
+      PreparedStatement stmt(bindingStatement, m_db, false, args...);
+      stmt.execAndThrowOnError();
     }
 
     void addSimulation(const openstudio::EpwFile& t_epwFile, const openstudio::DateTime& t_simulationTime, const openstudio::Calendar& t_calendar);