diff --git a/src/auto_extension.rs b/src/auto_extension.rs
index acb7523..b996006 100644
--- a/src/auto_extension.rs
+++ b/src/auto_extension.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 //! Automatic axtension loading
 use super::ffi;
 use crate::error::{check, to_sqlite_error};
-use crate::{Connection, Result};
+use crate::{Connection, Error, Result};
 use std::os::raw::{c_char, c_int};
+use std::panic::catch_unwind;
 
 /// Automatic extension initialization routine
 pub type AutoExtension = fn(Connection) -> Result<()>;
@@ -27,8 +28,12 @@ pub unsafe fn init_auto_extension(
     pz_err_msg: *mut *mut c_char,
     ax: AutoExtension,
 ) -> c_int {
-    let c = Connection::from_handle(db);
-    match c.and_then(ax) {
+    let r = catch_unwind(|| {
+        let c = Connection::from_handle(db);
+        c.and_then(ax)
+    })
+    .unwrap_or_else(|_| Err(Error::UnwindingPanic));
+    match r {
         Err(e) => to_sqlite_error(&e, pz_err_msg),
         _ => ffi::SQLITE_OK,
     }
diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index a9d557c..2946382 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -102,8 +102,6 @@ pub enum Error {
     ModuleError(String),
 
     /// An unwinding panic occurs in an UDF (user-defined function).
-    #[cfg(feature = "functions")]
-    #[cfg_attr(docsrs, doc(cfg(feature = "functions")))]
     UnwindingPanic,
 
     /// An error returned when
@@ -185,7 +183,6 @@ impl PartialEq for Error {
             (Error::InvalidQuery, Error::InvalidQuery) => true,
             #[cfg(feature = "vtab")]
             (Error::ModuleError(s1), Error::ModuleError(s2)) => s1 == s2,
-            #[cfg(feature = "functions")]
             (Error::UnwindingPanic, Error::UnwindingPanic) => true,
             #[cfg(feature = "functions")]
             (Error::GetAuxWrongType, Error::GetAuxWrongType) => true,
@@ -318,7 +315,6 @@ impl fmt::Display for Error {
             Error::InvalidQuery => write!(f, "Query is not read-only"),
             #[cfg(feature = "vtab")]
             Error::ModuleError(ref desc) => write!(f, "{desc}"),
-            #[cfg(feature = "functions")]
             Error::UnwindingPanic => write!(f, "unwinding panic"),
             #[cfg(feature = "functions")]
             Error::GetAuxWrongType => write!(f, "get_aux called with wrong type"),
@@ -375,7 +371,6 @@ impl error::Error for Error {
             #[cfg(feature = "vtab")]
             Error::ModuleError(_) => None,
 
-            #[cfg(feature = "functions")]
             Error::UnwindingPanic => None,
 
             #[cfg(feature = "functions")]