diff --git a/src/ssb.c b/src/ssb.c
index 425c7363..7d7c79fe 100644
--- a/src/ssb.c
+++ b/src/ssb.c
@@ -234,6 +234,8 @@ typedef struct _tf_ssb_t
 
 	tf_ssb_store_queue_t store_queue;
 	int ref_count;
+
+	uv_thread_t thread_self;
 } tf_ssb_t;
 
 typedef struct _tf_ssb_connection_message_request_t
@@ -2155,9 +2157,20 @@ tf_ssb_t* tf_ssb_create(uv_loop_t* loop, JSContext* context, const char* db_path
 	return ssb;
 }
 
+static void _tf_ssb_assert_not_main_thread(tf_ssb_t* ssb)
+{
+	if (uv_thread_self() == ssb->thread_self)
+	{
+		const char* bt = tf_util_backtrace_string();
+		tf_printf("Acquiring DB from the main thread:\n%s\n", bt);
+		tf_free((void*)bt);
+	}
+}
+
 sqlite3* tf_ssb_acquire_db_reader(tf_ssb_t* ssb)
 {
 	tf_trace_begin(ssb->trace, "db_reader");
+	_tf_ssb_assert_not_main_thread(ssb);
 	sqlite3* db = NULL;
 	uv_mutex_lock(&ssb->db_readers_lock);
 	if (ssb->db_readers_count)
@@ -2194,6 +2207,7 @@ void tf_ssb_release_db_reader(tf_ssb_t* ssb, sqlite3* db)
 sqlite3* tf_ssb_acquire_db_writer(tf_ssb_t* ssb)
 {
 	tf_trace_begin(ssb->trace, "db_writer");
+	_tf_ssb_assert_not_main_thread(ssb);
 	uv_mutex_lock(&ssb->db_writer_lock);
 	sqlite3* writer = ssb->db_writer;
 	assert(writer);
@@ -3627,3 +3641,8 @@ void tf_ssb_unref(tf_ssb_t* ssb)
 {
 	ssb->ref_count--;
 }
+
+void tf_ssb_set_main_thread(tf_ssb_t* ssb)
+{
+	ssb->thread_self = uv_thread_self();
+}
diff --git a/src/ssb.h b/src/ssb.h
index ef2d6631..87603ad2 100644
--- a/src/ssb.h
+++ b/src/ssb.h
@@ -210,3 +210,5 @@ tf_ssb_store_queue_t* tf_ssb_get_store_queue(tf_ssb_t* ssb);
 
 void tf_ssb_ref(tf_ssb_t* ssb);
 void tf_ssb_unref(tf_ssb_t* ssb);
+
+void tf_ssb_set_main_thread(tf_ssb_t* ssb);
diff --git a/src/ssb.tests.c b/src/ssb.tests.c
index 5aaab141..d5b3b07e 100644
--- a/src/ssb.tests.c
+++ b/src/ssb.tests.c
@@ -638,6 +638,9 @@ void tf_ssb_test_bench(const tf_test_options_t* options)
 	uint8_t id0bin[k_id_bin_len];
 	tf_ssb_id_str_to_bin(id0bin, id0);
 
+	tf_ssb_set_main_thread(ssb0);
+	tf_ssb_set_main_thread(ssb1);
+
 	uv_idle_t idle0 = { .data = ssb0 };
 	uv_idle_init(&loop, &idle0);
 	uv_idle_start(&idle0, _ssb_test_idle);