diff --git a/examples/loadable_extension.rs b/examples/loadable_extension.rs
index 5a197d3..6d623b5 100644
--- a/examples/loadable_extension.rs
+++ b/examples/loadable_extension.rs
@@ -20,21 +20,15 @@ use rusqlite::{to_sqlite_error, Connection, Result};
 /// ```
 #[allow(clippy::not_unsafe_ptr_arg_deref)]
 #[no_mangle]
-pub extern "C" fn sqlite3_extension_init(
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn sqlite3_extension_init(
     db: *mut ffi::sqlite3,
     pz_err_msg: *mut *mut c_char,
     p_api: *mut ffi::sqlite3_api_routines,
 ) -> c_int {
-    if p_api.is_null() {
-        return ffi::SQLITE_ERROR;
-    } else if let Err(err) = extension_init(db, p_api) {
-        return unsafe { to_sqlite_error(&err, pz_err_msg) };
-    }
-    ffi::SQLITE_OK
+    Connection::extension_init2(db, pz_err_msg, p_api, extension_init)
 }
 
-fn extension_init(db: *mut ffi::sqlite3, p_api: *mut ffi::sqlite3_api_routines) -> Result<()> {
-    let db = unsafe { Connection::extension_init2(db, p_api)? };
+fn extension_init(db: Connection) -> Result<bool> {
     db.create_scalar_function(
         "rusqlite_test_function",
         0,
@@ -46,5 +40,5 @@ fn extension_init(db: *mut ffi::sqlite3, p_api: *mut ffi::sqlite3_api_routines)
         },
     )?;
     rusqlite::trace::log(ffi::SQLITE_WARNING, "Rusqlite extension initialized");
-    Ok(())
+    Ok(false)
 }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 1df6e2b..d9c3ee6 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -952,15 +952,31 @@ impl Connection {
         })
     }
 
-    /// Like SQLITE_EXTENSION_INIT2 macro
+    /// Helper to register an SQLite extension written in Rust.
+    /// For [persistent](https://sqlite.org/loadext.html#persistent_loadable_extensions) extension,
+    /// `init` should returns `Ok(true)`.
+    /// # Safety
+    /// * Results are undefined if `init` does not just register features.
     #[cfg(feature = "loadable_extension")]
     #[cfg_attr(docsrs, doc(cfg(feature = "loadable_extension")))]
     pub unsafe fn extension_init2(
         db: *mut ffi::sqlite3,
+        pz_err_msg: *mut *mut c_char,
         p_api: *mut ffi::sqlite3_api_routines,
-    ) -> Result<Connection> {
-        ffi::rusqlite_extension_init2(p_api)?;
-        Connection::from_handle(db)
+        init: fn(Connection) -> Result<bool>,
+    ) -> c_int {
+        if p_api.is_null() {
+            return ffi::SQLITE_ERROR;
+        }
+        match ffi::rusqlite_extension_init2(p_api)
+            .map_err(Error::from)
+            .and(Connection::from_handle(db))
+            .and_then(init)
+        {
+            Err(err) => to_sqlite_error(&err, pz_err_msg),
+            Ok(true) => ffi::SQLITE_OK_LOAD_PERMANENTLY,
+            _ => ffi::SQLITE_OK,
+        }
     }
 
     /// Create a `Connection` from a raw owned handle.