diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.docker.yml b/.github/workflows/release.docker.yml
index e8889e1..d0fc89e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.docker.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ jobs:
   docker:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
-      PLATFORMS: "linux/amd64,linux/arm64,linux/arm/v7"
+      # CGO cross-compilation supported platforms
+      PLATFORMS: "linux/amd64,linux/arm64"
       VERSION: "${{ github.event_name == 'release' && github.event.release.name || github.sha }}"
 
     steps:
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index ac9a882..7d4b736 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,16 +1,41 @@
 FROM golang:1.24 AS builder
 
+# Install build dependencies for VFS extension
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y gcc libc6-dev && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
 WORKDIR /src/litestream
 COPY . .
 
 ARG LITESTREAM_VERSION=latest
 
+# Build litestream binary
 RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.cache/go-build \
 	--mount=type=cache,target=/go/pkg \
 	go build -ldflags "-s -w -X 'main.Version=${LITESTREAM_VERSION}' -extldflags '-static'" -tags osusergo,netgo,sqlite_omit_load_extension -o /usr/local/bin/litestream ./cmd/litestream
 
+# Build VFS loadable extension
+RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.cache/go-build \
+	--mount=type=cache,target=/go/pkg \
+	mkdir -p dist && \
+	CGO_ENABLED=1 go build \
+	-tags "vfs,SQLITE3VFS_LOADABLE_EXT" \
+	-buildmode=c-archive \
+	-o dist/litestream-vfs.a ./cmd/litestream-vfs && \
+	mv dist/litestream-vfs.h src/litestream-vfs.h && \
+	gcc -DSQLITE3VFS_LOADABLE_EXT -g -fPIC -shared \
+	-o dist/litestream-vfs.so \
+	src/litestream-vfs.c \
+	dist/litestream-vfs.a \
+	-lpthread -ldl -lm
+
+FROM debian:bookworm-slim
+
+RUN apt-get update && \
+	apt-get install -y ca-certificates sqlite3 && \
+	rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
-FROM alpine:3.20
 COPY --from=builder /usr/local/bin/litestream /usr/local/bin/litestream
+COPY --from=builder /src/litestream/dist/litestream-vfs.so /usr/local/lib/litestream-vfs.so
+
 ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/local/bin/litestream"]
 CMD []
diff --git a/cmd/litestream-vfs/main.go b/cmd/litestream-vfs/main.go
index 2d9501f..fd4f3cf 100644
--- a/cmd/litestream-vfs/main.go
+++ b/cmd/litestream-vfs/main.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import "C"
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"log"
+	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
@@ -38,19 +38,23 @@ import (
 func main() {}
 
 //export LitestreamVFSRegister
-func LitestreamVFSRegister() {
+func LitestreamVFSRegister() *C.char {
 	var client litestream.ReplicaClient
 	var err error
 
 	replicaURL := os.Getenv("LITESTREAM_REPLICA_URL")
+	if replicaURL == "" {
+		return C.CString("LITESTREAM_REPLICA_URL environment variable required")
+	}
+
 	client, err = litestream.NewReplicaClientFromURL(replicaURL)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("failed to create replica client from URL: %s", err)
+		return C.CString(fmt.Sprintf("failed to create replica client: %s", err))
 	}
 
 	// Initialize the client.
 	if err := client.Init(context.Background()); err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("failed to initialize litestream replica client: %s", err)
+		return C.CString(fmt.Sprintf("failed to initialize replica client: %s", err))
 	}
 
 	var level slog.Level
@@ -71,7 +75,7 @@ func LitestreamVFSRegister() {
 		if s := os.Getenv("LITESTREAM_SYNC_INTERVAL"); s != "" {
 			d, err := time.ParseDuration(s)
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Fatalf("invalid LITESTREAM_SYNC_INTERVAL: %s", err)
+				return C.CString(fmt.Sprintf("invalid LITESTREAM_SYNC_INTERVAL: %s", err))
 			}
 			vfs.WriteSyncInterval = d
 		}
@@ -82,8 +86,10 @@ func LitestreamVFSRegister() {
 	}
 
 	if err := sqlite3vfs.RegisterVFS("litestream", vfs); err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("failed to register litestream vfs: %s", err)
+		return C.CString(fmt.Sprintf("failed to register VFS: %s", err))
 	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 //export GoLitestreamRegisterConnection
diff --git a/src/litestream-vfs.c b/src/litestream-vfs.c
index 911ee98..6438d0d 100644
--- a/src/litestream-vfs.c
+++ b/src/litestream-vfs.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 extern const sqlite3_api_routines *sqlite3_api;
 
 /* Go function declarations */
+extern char* LitestreamVFSRegister(void);
 extern char* GoLitestreamRegisterConnection(void* db, sqlite3_uint64 file_id);
 extern char* GoLitestreamUnregisterConnection(void* db);
 extern char* GoLitestreamSetTime(void* db, char* timestamp);
@@ -31,8 +32,13 @@ int sqlite3_litestreamvfs_init(sqlite3 *db, char **pzErrMsg, const sqlite3_api_r
   int rc = SQLITE_OK;
   SQLITE_EXTENSION_INIT2(pApi);
 
-  /* call into Go to register the VFS */
-  LitestreamVFSRegister();
+  /* Call into Go to register the VFS and check for errors. */
+  char* err = LitestreamVFSRegister();
+  if (err != NULL) {
+    *pzErrMsg = sqlite3_mprintf("%s", err);
+    free(err);
+    return SQLITE_ERROR;
+  }
 
   /* Register SQL functions for new connections. */
   rc = sqlite3_auto_extension((void (*)(void))litestream_auto_extension);