diff --git a/example/extension/extension.go b/example/extension/extension.go
index d4b8fdb7..f58ea3ad 100644
--- a/example/extension/extension.go
+++ b/example/extension/extension.go
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@ import (
 func main() {
 	sql.Register("sqlite3_with_extensions",
 		&sqlite3.SQLiteDriver{
-			EnableLoadExtension: true,
-			ConnectHook: nil,
+			Extensions: []string{
+				"sqlite3_mod_regexp.dll",
+			},
 		})
 
 	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3_with_extensions", ":memory:")
@@ -20,11 +21,15 @@ func main() {
 	}
 	defer db.Close()
 
-	_, err = db.Exec("select load_extension('sqlite3_mod_regexp.dll')")
+	// Force db to make a new connection in pool
+	// by putting the original in a transaction
+	tx, err := db.Begin()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	defer tx.Commit()
 
+	// New connection works (hopefully!)
 	rows, err := db.Query("select 'hello world' where 'hello world' regexp '^hello.*d$'")
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/sqlite3.go b/sqlite3.go
index 692306d0..e7417ec4 100644
--- a/sqlite3.go
+++ b/sqlite3.go
@@ -72,13 +72,13 @@ var SQLiteTimestampFormats = []string{
 }
 
 func init() {
-	sql.Register("sqlite3", &SQLiteDriver{false, nil})
+	sql.Register("sqlite3", &SQLiteDriver{})
 }
 
 // Driver struct.
 type SQLiteDriver struct {
-	EnableLoadExtension bool
-	ConnectHook func(*SQLiteConn)
+	Extensions  []string
+	ConnectHook func(*SQLiteConn) error
 }
 
 // Conn struct.
@@ -182,19 +182,39 @@ func (d *SQLiteDriver) Open(dsn string) (driver.Conn, error) {
 		return nil, errors.New(C.GoString(C.sqlite3_errmsg(db)))
 	}
 
-	enableLoadExtension := 0
-	if d.EnableLoadExtension {
-		enableLoadExtension = 1
-	}
-	rv = C.sqlite3_enable_load_extension(db, C.int(enableLoadExtension))
-	if rv != C.SQLITE_OK {
-		return nil, errors.New(C.GoString(C.sqlite3_errmsg(db)))
-	}
-
 	conn := &SQLiteConn{db}
 
+	if len(d.Extensions) > 0 {
+		rv = C.sqlite3_enable_load_extension(db, 1)
+		if rv != C.SQLITE_OK {
+			return nil, errors.New(C.GoString(C.sqlite3_errmsg(db)))
+		}
+
+		stmt, err := conn.Prepare("SELECT load_extension(?);")
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		for _, extension := range d.Extensions {
+			if _, err = stmt.Exec([]driver.Value{extension}); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		}
+
+		if err = stmt.Close(); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		rv = C.sqlite3_enable_load_extension(db, 0)
+		if rv != C.SQLITE_OK {
+			return nil, errors.New(C.GoString(C.sqlite3_errmsg(db)))
+		}
+	}
+
 	if d.ConnectHook != nil {
-		d.ConnectHook(conn)
+		if err := d.ConnectHook(conn); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	return conn, nil