diff --git a/library/src/androidTest/java/org/xmtp/android/library/ClientTest.kt b/library/src/androidTest/java/org/xmtp/android/library/ClientTest.kt
index 7433b2156..0fed1cadb 100644
--- a/library/src/androidTest/java/org/xmtp/android/library/ClientTest.kt
+++ b/library/src/androidTest/java/org/xmtp/android/library/ClientTest.kt
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ package org.xmtp.android.library
 import androidx.test.ext.junit.runners.AndroidJUnit4
 import androidx.test.platform.app.InstrumentationRegistry
 import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
-import org.junit.Assert
 import org.junit.Assert.assertEquals
+import org.junit.Assert.assertThrows
 import org.junit.Assert.fail
 import org.junit.Test
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import org.xmtp.android.library.messages.PrivateKeyBuilder
 import org.xmtp.android.library.messages.PrivateKeyBundleV1Builder
 import org.xmtp.android.library.messages.generate
 import org.xmtp.proto.message.contents.PrivateKeyOuterClass
+import uniffi.xmtpv3.GenericException
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
 
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ class ClientTest {
     fun testDoesNotCreateAV3Client() {
         val fakeWallet = PrivateKeyBuilder()
         val client = Client().create(account = fakeWallet)
-        Assert.assertThrows("Error no V3 client initialized", XMTPException::class.java) {
+        assertThrows("Error no V3 client initialized", XMTPException::class.java) {
             runBlocking {
                 client.canMessageV3(listOf(client.address))[client.address]?.let { assert(!it) }
             }
@@ -279,4 +280,51 @@ class ClientTest {
             fail("Error: $e")
         }
     }
+
+    @Test
+    fun testCanDropReconnectDatabase() {
+        val context = InstrumentationRegistry.getInstrumentation().targetContext
+        val fakeWallet = PrivateKeyBuilder()
+        val fakeWallet2 = PrivateKeyBuilder()
+        val boClient =
+            Client().create(
+                account = fakeWallet,
+                options = ClientOptions(
+                    ClientOptions.Api(XMTPEnvironment.LOCAL, false),
+                    enableAlphaMls = true,
+                    appContext = context
+                )
+            )
+        val alixClient =
+            Client().create(
+                account = fakeWallet2,
+                options = ClientOptions(
+                    ClientOptions.Api(XMTPEnvironment.LOCAL, false),
+                    enableAlphaMls = true,
+                    appContext = context
+                )
+            )
+
+        runBlocking {
+            boClient.conversations.newGroup(listOf(alixClient.address))
+            boClient.conversations.syncGroups()
+        }
+
+        runBlocking {
+            assertEquals(boClient.conversations.listGroups().size, 1)
+        }
+
+        boClient.dropLocalDatabaseConnection()
+
+        assertThrows(
+            "Client error: storage error: Pool needs to  reconnect before use",
+            GenericException::class.java
+        ) { runBlocking { boClient.conversations.listGroups() } }
+
+        runBlocking { boClient.reconnectLocalDatabase() }
+
+        runBlocking {
+            assertEquals(boClient.conversations.listGroups().size, 1)
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/library/src/main/java/org/xmtp/android/library/Client.kt b/library/src/main/java/org/xmtp/android/library/Client.kt
index 42abd14b7..71fca3f27 100644
--- a/library/src/main/java/org/xmtp/android/library/Client.kt
+++ b/library/src/main/java/org/xmtp/android/library/Client.kt
@@ -613,6 +613,17 @@ class Client() {
         File(dbPath).delete()
     }
 
+    @Deprecated(
+        message = "This function is delicate and should be used with caution. App will error if database not properly reconnected. See: reconnectLocalDatabase()",
+    )
+    fun dropLocalDatabaseConnection() {
+        libXMTPClient?.releaseDbConnection()
+    }
+
+    suspend fun reconnectLocalDatabase() {
+        libXMTPClient?.dbReconnect() ?: throw XMTPException("Error no V3 client initialized")
+    }
+
     val privateKeyBundle: PrivateKeyBundle
         get() = PrivateKeyBundleBuilder.buildFromV1Key(privateKeyBundleV1)