diff --git a/docs/examples/contrib/sqlalchemy/sqlalchemy_declarative_models.py b/docs/examples/contrib/sqlalchemy/sqlalchemy_declarative_models.py
index 984181dc3a..cae8ff5ab1 100644
--- a/docs/examples/contrib/sqlalchemy/sqlalchemy_declarative_models.py
+++ b/docs/examples/contrib/sqlalchemy/sqlalchemy_declarative_models.py
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import uuid
 from datetime import date
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+from typing import List
 from uuid import UUID
 
-from sqlalchemy import ForeignKey, select
+from sqlalchemy import ForeignKey, func, select
+from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncEngine, AsyncSession
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Mapped, mapped_column, relationship
 
 from litestar import Litestar, get
 from litestar.contrib.sqlalchemy.base import UUIDAuditBase, UUIDBase
-from litestar.contrib.sqlalchemy.plugins import AsyncSessionConfig, SQLAlchemyAsyncConfig, SQLAlchemyInitPlugin
-
-if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncEngine, AsyncSession
+from litestar.contrib.sqlalchemy.plugins import AsyncSessionConfig, SQLAlchemyAsyncConfig, SQLAlchemyPlugin
 
 
 # the SQLAlchemy base includes a declarative model for you to use in your models.
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@
 class Author(UUIDBase):
     name: Mapped[str]
     dob: Mapped[date]
-    books: Mapped[list["Book"]] = relationship(back_populates="author", lazy="selectin")
+    books: Mapped[List[Book]] = relationship(back_populates="author", lazy="selectin")
 
 
 # The `AuditBase` class includes the same UUID` based primary key (`id`) and 2
@@ -32,19 +33,24 @@ class Book(UUIDAuditBase):
 
 session_config = AsyncSessionConfig(expire_on_commit=False)
 sqlalchemy_config = SQLAlchemyAsyncConfig(
-    connection_string="sqlite+aiosqlite:///test.sqlite", session_config=session_config
+    connection_string="sqlite+aiosqlite:///test.sqlite", session_config=session_config, create_all=True
 )  # Create 'async_session' dependency.
-sqlalchemy_plugin = SQLAlchemyInitPlugin(config=sqlalchemy_config)
 
 
 async def on_startup() -> None:
-    """Initializes the database."""
-    async with sqlalchemy_config.get_engine().begin() as conn:
-        await conn.run_sync(UUIDBase.metadata.create_all)
+    """Adds some dummy data if no data is present."""
+    async with sqlalchemy_config.get_session() as session:
+        statement = select(func.count()).select_from(Author)
+        count = await session.execute(statement)
+        if not count.scalar():
+            author_id = uuid.uuid4()
+            session.add(Author(name="Stephen King", dob=date(1954, 9, 21), id=author_id))
+            session.add(Book(title="It", author_id=author_id))
+            await session.commit()
 
 
 @get(path="/authors")
-async def get_authors(db_session: "AsyncSession", db_engine: "AsyncEngine") -> list[Author]:
+async def get_authors(db_session: AsyncSession, db_engine: AsyncEngine) -> List[Author]:
     """Interact with SQLAlchemy engine and session."""
     return list(await db_session.scalars(select(Author)))
 
@@ -52,5 +58,6 @@ async def get_authors(db_session: "AsyncSession", db_engine: "AsyncEngine") -> l
 app = Litestar(
     route_handlers=[get_authors],
     on_startup=[on_startup],
-    plugins=[SQLAlchemyInitPlugin(config=sqlalchemy_config)],
+    debug=True,
+    plugins=[SQLAlchemyPlugin(config=sqlalchemy_config)],
 )
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 5e113632fe..881b4d291a 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -395,6 +395,7 @@ known-first-party = ["litestar", "tests", "examples"]
 "docs/examples/application_hooks/before_send_hook.py" = ["UP006"]
 "docs/examples/contrib/sqlalchemy/plugins/**/*.*" = ["UP006"]
 "docs/examples/data_transfer_objects**/*.*" = ["UP006"]
+"docs/examples/contrib/sqlalchemy/sqlalchemy_declarative_models.py" = ["UP006"]
 "litestar/_openapi/schema_generation/schema.py" = ["C901"]
 "litestar/exceptions/*.*" = ["N818"]
 "litestar/handlers/**/*.*" = ["N801"]
diff --git a/tests/examples/test_contrib/test_sqlalchemy/test_sqlalchemy_examples.py b/tests/examples/test_contrib/test_sqlalchemy/test_sqlalchemy_examples.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0aa531bd33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/examples/test_contrib/test_sqlalchemy/test_sqlalchemy_examples.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import pytest
+
+from litestar.testing import TestClient
+
+pytestmark = pytest.mark.xdist_group("sqlalchemy_examples")
+
+
+def test_sqlalchemy_declarative_models() -> None:
+    from docs.examples.contrib.sqlalchemy.sqlalchemy_declarative_models import app
+
+    with TestClient(app) as client:
+        response = client.get("/authors")
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+        assert len(response.json()) > 0