diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 61f690d..b27fe2a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
   `crawshaw.io/sqlite` API, but they can all be migrated automatically with the
   migration tool. ([#16](https://github.com/zombiezen/go-sqlite/issues/16))
 
+### Changed
+
+- Method calls to a `nil` `*sqlite.Conn` will return an error rather than panic.
+  ([#17](https://github.com/zombiezen/go-sqlite/issues/17))
+
 ### Removed
 
 - Removed `OpenFlags` that are only used for VFS.
diff --git a/auth.go b/auth.go
index 7a6d530..734d33d 100644
--- a/auth.go
+++ b/auth.go
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ type Authorizer interface {
 // SetAuthorizer registers an authorizer for the database connection.
 // SetAuthorizer(nil) clears any authorizer previously set.
 func (c *Conn) SetAuthorizer(auth Authorizer) error {
+	if c == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("sqlite: set authorizer: nil connection")
+	}
 	if auth == nil {
 		c.releaseAuthorizer()
 		res := ResultCode(lib.Xsqlite3_set_authorizer(c.tls, c.conn, 0, 0))
diff --git a/blob.go b/blob.go
index c0990b3..5600a8e 100644
--- a/blob.go
+++ b/blob.go
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ var (
 //
 // https://www.sqlite.org/c3ref/blob_open.html
 func (c *Conn) OpenBlob(dbn, table, column string, row int64, write bool) (*Blob, error) {
+	if c == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q: nil connection", table, column)
+	}
 	return c.openBlob(dbn, table, column, row, write)
 }
 
@@ -52,7 +55,7 @@ func (c *Conn) openBlob(dbn, table, column string, row int64, write bool) (_ *Bl
 		var err error
 		cdb, err = libc.CString(dbn)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q blob: %w", table, column, err)
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q: %w", table, column, err)
 		}
 		defer libc.Xfree(c.tls, cdb)
 	}
@@ -62,7 +65,7 @@ func (c *Conn) openBlob(dbn, table, column string, row int64, write bool) (_ *Bl
 	}
 	buf, err := malloc(c.tls, blobBufSize)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q blob: %w", table, column, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q: %w", table, column, err)
 	}
 	defer func() {
 		if err != nil {
@@ -72,23 +75,23 @@ func (c *Conn) openBlob(dbn, table, column string, row int64, write bool) (_ *Bl
 
 	ctable, err := libc.CString(table)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q blob: %w", table, column, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q: %w", table, column, err)
 	}
 	defer libc.Xfree(c.tls, ctable)
 	ccolumn, err := libc.CString(column)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q blob: %w", table, column, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q: %w", table, column, err)
 	}
 	defer libc.Xfree(c.tls, ccolumn)
 
 	blobPtrPtr, err := malloc(c.tls, ptrSize)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q blob: %w", table, column, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q: %w", table, column, err)
 	}
 	defer libc.Xfree(c.tls, blobPtrPtr)
 	for {
 		if err := c.interrupted(); err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q blob: %w", table, column, err)
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q: %w", table, column, err)
 		}
 		res := ResultCode(lib.Xsqlite3_blob_open(
 			c.tls,
@@ -103,7 +106,7 @@ func (c *Conn) openBlob(dbn, table, column string, row int64, write bool) (_ *Bl
 		switch res {
 		case ResultLockedSharedCache:
 			if err := reserr(waitForUnlockNotify(c.tls, c.conn, c.unlockNote)); err != nil {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open %q.%q blob: %w", table, column, err)
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q: %w", table, column, err)
 			}
 			// loop
 		case ResultOK:
@@ -115,7 +118,7 @@ func (c *Conn) openBlob(dbn, table, column string, row int64, write bool) (_ *Bl
 				size: lib.Xsqlite3_blob_bytes(c.tls, blobPtr),
 			}, nil
 		default:
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open %q.%q blob: %w", table, column, c.extreserr(res))
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: open blob %q.%q: %w", table, column, c.extreserr(res))
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/func.go b/func.go
index b7b97b9..b9b66fe 100644
--- a/func.go
+++ b/func.go
@@ -433,6 +433,9 @@ type FunctionImpl struct {
 //
 // https://sqlite.org/appfunc.html
 func (c *Conn) CreateFunction(name string, impl *FunctionImpl) error {
+	if c == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("sqlite: create function: nil connection")
+	}
 	if name == "" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("sqlite: create function: no name provided")
 	}
diff --git a/session.go b/session.go
index b663123..bb4c88f 100644
--- a/session.go
+++ b/session.go
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ type Session struct {
 //
 // https://www.sqlite.org/session/sqlite3session_create.html
 func (c *Conn) CreateSession(db string) (*Session, error) {
+	if c == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: create session: nil connection")
+	}
 	var cdb uintptr
 	if db == "" || db == "main" {
 		cdb = mainCString
@@ -210,6 +213,9 @@ func (s *Session) WritePatchset(w io.Writer) error {
 // resolve the conflict. See https://www.sqlite.org/session/sqlite3changeset_apply.html
 // for more details.
 func (c *Conn) ApplyChangeset(r io.Reader, filterFn func(tableName string) bool, conflictFn ConflictHandler) error {
+	if c == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("sqlite: apply changeset: nil connection")
+	}
 	if conflictFn == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("sqlite: apply changeset: no conflict handler provided")
 	}
@@ -293,6 +299,9 @@ func changesetApplyConflict(tls *libc.TLS, pCtx uintptr, eConflict int32, p uint
 // ApplyInverseChangeset applies the inverse of a changeset to the database.
 // See ApplyChangeset and InvertChangeset for more details.
 func (c *Conn) ApplyInverseChangeset(r io.Reader, filterFn func(tableName string) bool, conflictFn ConflictHandler) error {
+	if c == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("sqlite: apply changeset: nil connection")
+	}
 	pr, pw := io.Pipe()
 	go func() {
 		err := InvertChangeset(pw, pr)
diff --git a/sqlite.go b/sqlite.go
index 6d0b66b..e51b0ee 100644
--- a/sqlite.go
+++ b/sqlite.go
@@ -168,6 +168,9 @@ func openConn(path string, openFlags OpenFlags) (_ *Conn, err error) {
 // Close closes the database connection using sqlite3_close and finalizes
 // persistent prepared statements. https://www.sqlite.org/c3ref/close.html
 func (c *Conn) Close() error {
+	if c == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("sqlite: close: nil connection")
+	}
 	c.cancelInterrupt()
 	c.closed = true
 	for _, stmt := range c.stmts {
@@ -191,15 +194,20 @@ func (c *Conn) Close() error {
 // AutocommitEnabled reports whether conn is in autocommit mode.
 // https://sqlite.org/c3ref/get_autocommit.html
 func (c *Conn) AutocommitEnabled() bool {
+	if c == nil {
+		return false
+	}
 	return lib.Xsqlite3_get_autocommit(c.tls, c.conn) != 0
 }
 
 // CheckReset reports whether any statement on this connection is in the process
 // of returning results.
 func (c *Conn) CheckReset() string {
-	for _, stmt := range c.stmts {
-		if stmt.lastHasRow {
-			return stmt.query
+	if c != nil {
+		for _, stmt := range c.stmts {
+			if stmt.lastHasRow {
+				return stmt.query
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return ""
@@ -224,6 +232,9 @@ func (c *Conn) CheckReset() string {
 //
 // SetInterrupt returns the old doneCh assigned to the connection.
 func (c *Conn) SetInterrupt(doneCh <-chan struct{}) (oldDoneCh <-chan struct{}) {
+	if c == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
 	if c.closed {
 		panic("sqlite.Conn is closed")
 	}
@@ -261,7 +272,9 @@ func (c *Conn) SetInterrupt(doneCh <-chan struct{}) (oldDoneCh <-chan struct{})
 //
 // https://www.sqlite.org/c3ref/busy_timeout.html
 func (c *Conn) SetBusyTimeout(d time.Duration) {
-	lib.Xsqlite3_busy_timeout(c.tls, c.conn, int32(d/time.Millisecond))
+	if c != nil {
+		lib.Xsqlite3_busy_timeout(c.tls, c.conn, int32(d/time.Millisecond))
+	}
 }
 
 func (c *Conn) interrupted() error {
@@ -317,6 +330,9 @@ func (c *Conn) Prep(query string) *Stmt {
 //
 // https://www.sqlite.org/c3ref/prepare.html
 func (c *Conn) Prepare(query string) (*Stmt, error) {
+	if c == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: prepare %q: nil connection", query)
+	}
 	if stmt := c.stmts[query]; stmt != nil {
 		if err := stmt.Reset(); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
@@ -349,6 +365,9 @@ func (c *Conn) Prepare(query string) (*Stmt, error) {
 //
 // https://www.sqlite.org/c3ref/prepare.html
 func (c *Conn) PrepareTransient(query string) (stmt *Stmt, trailingBytes int, err error) {
+	if c == nil {
+		return nil, 0, fmt.Errorf("sqlite: prepare %q: nil connection", query)
+	}
 	// TODO(soon)
 	// if stmt != nil {
 	// 	runtime.SetFinalizer(stmt, func(stmt *Stmt) {
@@ -416,6 +435,9 @@ func (c *Conn) prepare(query string, flags uint32) (*Stmt, int, error) {
 //
 // https://www.sqlite.org/c3ref/changes.html
 func (c *Conn) Changes() int {
+	if c == nil {
+		return 0
+	}
 	return int(lib.Xsqlite3_changes(c.tls, c.conn))
 }
 
@@ -423,6 +445,9 @@ func (c *Conn) Changes() int {
 //
 // https://www.sqlite.org/c3ref/last_insert_rowid.html
 func (c *Conn) LastInsertRowID() int64 {
+	if c == nil {
+		return 0
+	}
 	return lib.Xsqlite3_last_insert_rowid(c.tls, c.conn)
 }
 
@@ -1163,6 +1188,9 @@ func (limit Limit) String() string {
 //
 // https://sqlite.org/c3ref/limit.html
 func (c *Conn) Limit(id Limit, value int32) int32 {
+	if c == nil {
+		return 0
+	}
 	return lib.Xsqlite3_limit(c.tls, c.conn, int32(id), int32(value))
 }
 
@@ -1176,6 +1204,9 @@ func (c *Conn) Limit(id Limit, value int32) int32 {
 //   Writes to the sqlite_dbpage virtual table.
 //   Direct writes to shadow tables.
 func (c *Conn) SetDefensive(enabled bool) error {
+	if c == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("sqlite: set defensive=%t: nil connection", enabled)
+	}
 	varArgs := libc.Xmalloc(c.tls, ptrSize)
 	if varArgs == 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("sqlite: set defensive=%t: cannot allocate memory", enabled)