Index: src/main.c
==================================================================
--- src/main.c
+++ src/main.c
@@ -1504,13 +1504,17 @@
 ** If this routine returns non-zero, the lock is retried.  If it
 ** returns 0, the operation aborts with an SQLITE_BUSY error.
 */
 int sqlite3InvokeBusyHandler(BusyHandler *p){
   int rc;
-  if( NEVER(p==0) || p->xFunc==0 || p->nBusy<0 ) return 0;
+  if( p->xFunc==0 || p->nBusy<0 ){
+    p->nTimeout++;
+    return 0;
+  }
   rc = p->xFunc(p->pArg, p->nBusy);
   if( rc==0 ){
+    p->nTimeout++;
     p->nBusy = -1;
   }else{
     p->nBusy++;
   }
   return rc; 

Index: src/shell.c
==================================================================
--- src/shell.c
+++ src/shell.c
@@ -3615,11 +3615,11 @@
   ShellState *pArg,                         /* Pointer to ShellState */
   char **pzErrMsg                           /* Error msg written here */
 ){
   sqlite3_stmt *pStmt = NULL;     /* Statement to execute. */
   int rc = SQLITE_OK;             /* Return Code */
-  int rc2;
+  int rc2, rc3;
   const char *zLeftover;          /* Tail of unprocessed SQL */
 
   if( pzErrMsg ){
     *pzErrMsg = NULL;
   }
@@ -3716,17 +3716,27 @@
       }
 
       /* Finalize the statement just executed. If this fails, save a
       ** copy of the error message. Otherwise, set zSql to point to the
       ** next statement to execute. */
+      rc3 = sqlite3_stmt_retryable(pStmt);
       rc2 = sqlite3_finalize(pStmt);
       if( rc!=SQLITE_NOMEM ) rc = rc2;
       if( rc==SQLITE_OK ){
         zSql = zLeftover;
         while( IsSpace(zSql[0]) ) zSql++;
-      }else if( pzErrMsg ){
-        *pzErrMsg = save_err_msg(db);
+      }else{
+        if( rc==SQLITE_BUSY ){
+          if( rc3 ){
+            raw_printf(pArg->out, "Busy: might succeed on retry\n");
+          }else{
+            raw_printf(pArg->out, "Busy: cannot succeed - rollback required\n");
+          }
+        }
+        if( pzErrMsg ){
+          *pzErrMsg = save_err_msg(db);
+        }
       }
 
       /* clear saved stmt handle */
       if( pArg ){
         pArg->pStmt = NULL;

Index: src/shell.c.in
==================================================================
--- src/shell.c.in
+++ src/shell.c.in
@@ -2255,11 +2255,11 @@
   ShellState *pArg,                         /* Pointer to ShellState */
   char **pzErrMsg                           /* Error msg written here */
 ){
   sqlite3_stmt *pStmt = NULL;     /* Statement to execute. */
   int rc = SQLITE_OK;             /* Return Code */
-  int rc2;
+  int rc2, rc3;
   const char *zLeftover;          /* Tail of unprocessed SQL */
 
   if( pzErrMsg ){
     *pzErrMsg = NULL;
   }
@@ -2356,17 +2356,27 @@
       }
 
       /* Finalize the statement just executed. If this fails, save a
       ** copy of the error message. Otherwise, set zSql to point to the
       ** next statement to execute. */
+      rc3 = sqlite3_stmt_retryable(pStmt);
       rc2 = sqlite3_finalize(pStmt);
       if( rc!=SQLITE_NOMEM ) rc = rc2;
       if( rc==SQLITE_OK ){
         zSql = zLeftover;
         while( IsSpace(zSql[0]) ) zSql++;
-      }else if( pzErrMsg ){
-        *pzErrMsg = save_err_msg(db);
+      }else{
+        if( rc==SQLITE_BUSY ){
+          if( rc3 ){
+            raw_printf(pArg->out, "Busy: might succeed on retry\n");
+          }else{
+            raw_printf(pArg->out, "Busy: cannot succeed - rollback required\n");
+          }
+        }
+        if( pzErrMsg ){
+          *pzErrMsg = save_err_msg(db);
+        }
       }
 
       /* clear saved stmt handle */
       if( pArg ){
         pArg->pStmt = NULL;

Index: src/sqlite.h.in
==================================================================
--- src/sqlite.h.in
+++ src/sqlite.h.in
@@ -3762,10 +3762,22 @@
 ** [BEGIN|BEGIN EXCLUSIVE] commands do touch the database and so
 ** sqlite3_stmt_readonly() returns false for those commands.
 */
 int sqlite3_stmt_readonly(sqlite3_stmt *pStmt);
 
+/*
+** CAPI3REF: Determine If An SQL Statement Can Be Retried After SQLITE_BUSY
+** METHOD: sqlite3_stmt
+**
+** ^The sqlite3_stmt_retryable(X) interface returns true (non-zero) if
+** the previous run of [prepared statement] X failed with an
+** [SQLITE_BUSY] error but might succeed if run again.  If X has not been
+** previously run or if the previous run of X did not return SQLITE_BUSY,
+** then the result of this function is a meaningless boolean.
+*/
+int sqlite3_stmt_retryable(sqlite3_stmt *pStmt);
+
 /*
 ** CAPI3REF: Determine If A Prepared Statement Has Been Reset
 ** METHOD: sqlite3_stmt
 **
 ** ^The sqlite3_stmt_busy(S) interface returns true (non-zero) if the

Index: src/sqliteInt.h
==================================================================
--- src/sqliteInt.h
+++ src/sqliteInt.h
@@ -947,10 +947,11 @@
 typedef struct BusyHandler BusyHandler;
 struct BusyHandler {
   int (*xFunc)(void *,int);  /* The busy callback */
   void *pArg;                /* First arg to busy callback */
   int nBusy;                 /* Incremented with each busy call */
+  u32 nTimeout;              /* Number of timeouts */
 };
 
 /*
 ** Name of the master database table.  The master database table
 ** is a special table that holds the names and attributes of all

Index: src/vdbeInt.h
==================================================================
--- src/vdbeInt.h
+++ src/vdbeInt.h
@@ -391,10 +391,11 @@
   bft changeCntOn:1;      /* True to update the change-counter */
   bft runOnlyOnce:1;      /* Automatically expire on reset */
   bft usesStmtJournal:1;  /* True if uses a statement journal */
   bft readOnly:1;         /* True for statements that do not write */
   bft bIsReader:1;        /* True for statements that read */
+  bft retryable:1;        /* True if the statement might succeed next time */
   yDbMask btreeMask;      /* Bitmask of db->aDb[] entries referenced */
   yDbMask lockMask;       /* Subset of btreeMask that requires a lock */
   u32 aCounter[7];        /* Counters used by sqlite3_stmt_status() */
   char *zSql;             /* Text of the SQL statement that generated this */
   void *pFree;            /* Free this when deleting the vdbe */

Index: src/vdbeapi.c
==================================================================
--- src/vdbeapi.c
+++ src/vdbeapi.c
@@ -1610,10 +1610,18 @@
 ** database.
 */
 int sqlite3_stmt_readonly(sqlite3_stmt *pStmt){
   return pStmt ? ((Vdbe*)pStmt)->readOnly : 1;
 }
+
+/*
+** Return true if the prepared statement failed with SQLITE_BUSY on its
+** previous run but might succeed if tried again.
+*/
+int sqlite3_stmt_retryable(sqlite3_stmt *pStmt){
+  return pStmt ? ((Vdbe*)pStmt)->retryable : 0;
+}
 
 /*
 ** Return true if the prepared statement is in need of being reset.
 */
 int sqlite3_stmt_busy(sqlite3_stmt *pStmt){

Index: src/vdbeaux.c
==================================================================
--- src/vdbeaux.c
+++ src/vdbeaux.c
@@ -2700,11 +2700,13 @@
         }else{ 
           /* The auto-commit flag is true, the vdbe program was successful 
           ** or hit an 'OR FAIL' constraint and there are no deferred foreign
           ** key constraints to hold up the transaction. This means a commit 
           ** is required. */
+          db->busyHandler.nTimeout = 0;
           rc = vdbeCommit(db, p);
+          p->retryable = db->busyHandler.nTimeout>0;
         }
         if( rc==SQLITE_BUSY && p->readOnly ){
           sqlite3VdbeLeave(p);
           return SQLITE_BUSY;
         }else if( rc!=SQLITE_OK ){