Index: src/db.c
==================================================================
--- src/db.c
+++ src/db.c
@@ -1635,19 +1635,26 @@
 ** connection.  An error results in process abort.
 */
 LOCAL sqlite3 *db_open(const char *zDbName){
   int rc;
   sqlite3 *db;
+  Blob bNameCheck = BLOB_INITIALIZER;
 
   if( g.fSqlTrace ) fossil_trace("-- sqlite3_open: [%s]\n", zDbName);
-  if( strcmp(zDbName, g.nameOfExe)==0 ){
+  file_canonical_name(zDbName, &bNameCheck, 0)
+    /* For purposes of the apndvfs check, g.nameOfExe and zDbName must
+    ** both be canonicalized, else chances are very good that they
+    ** will not match even if they're the same file. Details:
+    ** https://fossil-scm.org/forum/forumpost/16880a28aad1a868 */;
+  if( strcmp(blob_str(&bNameCheck), g.nameOfExe)==0 ){
     extern int sqlite3_appendvfs_init(
       sqlite3 *, char **, const sqlite3_api_routines *
     );
     sqlite3_appendvfs_init(0,0,0);
     g.zVfsName = "apndvfs";
   }
+  blob_zero(&bNameCheck);
   rc = sqlite3_open_v2(
        zDbName, &db,
        SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE | SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE,
        g.zVfsName
   );

Index: src/main.c
==================================================================
--- src/main.c
+++ src/main.c
@@ -420,28 +420,20 @@
   unsigned int nArg;        /* Number of new arguments */
   char *z;                  /* General use string pointer */
   char **newArgv;           /* New expanded g.argv under construction */
   const char *zFileName;    /* input file name */
   FILE *inFile;             /* input FILE */
-#if defined(_WIN32)
-  wchar_t buf[MAX_PATH];
-#endif
 
   g.argc = argc;
   g.argv = argv;
   sqlite3_initialize();
 #if defined(_WIN32) && defined(BROKEN_MINGW_CMDLINE)
   for(i=0; i<g.argc; i++) g.argv[i] = fossil_mbcs_to_utf8(g.argv[i]);
 #else
   for(i=0; i<g.argc; i++) g.argv[i] = fossil_path_to_utf8(g.argv[i]);
 #endif
-#if defined(_WIN32)
-  GetModuleFileNameW(NULL, buf, MAX_PATH);
-  g.nameOfExe = fossil_path_to_utf8(buf);
-#else
-  g.nameOfExe = g.argv[0];
-#endif
+  g.nameOfExe = file_fullexename(g.argv[0]);
   for(i=1; i<g.argc-1; i++){
     z = g.argv[i];
     if( z[0]!='-' ) continue;
     z++;
     if( z[0]=='-' ) z++;