diff --git a/lolbot.conf.sample b/lolbot.conf.sample
index 1181e42..79f1c90 100644
--- a/lolbot.conf.sample
+++ b/lolbot.conf.sample
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 irc.server  = irc.freenode.net
 irc.channel = #lolbottest
 
-# db.url can be any URL that works with SQLAlchemy
-db.url = sqlite:///lolbot.db
+# sqlite database filename
+db.url = lolbot.db
 
diff --git a/lolbot.py b/lolbot.py
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index b2c8e12..65d840b
--- a/lolbot.py
+++ b/lolbot.py
@@ -16,12 +16,13 @@ try:
     import random
     import time
     import getopt
+    import sqlite3
     from twisted.words.protocols import irc
     from twisted.internet import protocol
     from twisted.internet import reactor
     from datetime import datetime
     from mechanize import Browser
-    from sqlalchemy import MetaData, Table, Column, String, Text, Integer, DateTime, engine_from_config
+    from sqlalchemy import MetaData, Table, Column, String, Text, Integer, DateTime, create_engine
     from sqlalchemy.orm import sessionmaker
     from sqlalchemy.ext.declarative import declarative_base
 except ImportError:
@@ -116,9 +117,14 @@ class LolBot(irc.IRCClient):
     The Lolbot itself.
     """
 
+    def _get_connection(self):
+        connection = sqlite3.Connection(self.config['db.file'])
+        connection.text_factory = str
+        return connection
+
     def created(self, when):
         # connect to the database
-        self.dbengine = engine_from_config(self.config, prefix="db.")
+        self.dbengine = create_engine('sqlite+pysqlite://', creator=self._get_connection)
         SqlBase.metadata.bind = self.dbengine
         SqlBase.metadata.create_all()
         self.get_session = sessionmaker(bind=self.dbengine)