diff --git a/pkg/artifactcache/handler.go b/pkg/artifactcache/handler.go
index f11def6..ac4755e 100644
--- a/pkg/artifactcache/handler.go
+++ b/pkg/artifactcache/handler.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 type Handler struct {
-	db       *bolthold.Store
+	dir      string
 	storage  *Storage
 	router   *httprouter.Router
 	listener net.Listener
@@ -62,19 +62,7 @@ func StartHandler(dir, outboundIP string, port uint16, logger logrus.FieldLogger
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	db, err := bolthold.Open(filepath.Join(dir, "bolt.db"), 0o644, &bolthold.Options{
-		Encoder: json.Marshal,
-		Decoder: json.Unmarshal,
-		Options: &bbolt.Options{
-			Timeout:      5 * time.Second,
-			NoGrowSync:   bbolt.DefaultOptions.NoGrowSync,
-			FreelistType: bbolt.DefaultOptions.FreelistType,
-		},
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	h.db = db
+	h.dir = dir
 
 	storage, err := NewStorage(filepath.Join(dir, "cache"))
 	if err != nil {
@@ -150,16 +138,21 @@ func (h *Handler) Close() error {
 		}
 		h.listener = nil
 	}
-	if h.db != nil {
-		err := h.db.Close()
-		if err != nil {
-			retErr = err
-		}
-		h.db = nil
-	}
 	return retErr
 }
 
+func (h *Handler) openDB() (*bolthold.Store, error) {
+	return bolthold.Open(filepath.Join(h.dir, "bolt.db"), 0o644, &bolthold.Options{
+		Encoder: json.Marshal,
+		Decoder: json.Unmarshal,
+		Options: &bbolt.Options{
+			Timeout:      5 * time.Second,
+			NoGrowSync:   bbolt.DefaultOptions.NoGrowSync,
+			FreelistType: bbolt.DefaultOptions.FreelistType,
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 // GET /_apis/artifactcache/cache
 func (h *Handler) find(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, _ httprouter.Params) {
 	keys := strings.Split(r.URL.Query().Get("keys"), ",")
@@ -169,7 +162,14 @@ func (h *Handler) find(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, _ httprouter.Para
 	}
 	version := r.URL.Query().Get("version")
 
-	cache, err := h.findCache(keys, version)
+	db, err := h.openDB()
+	if err != nil {
+		h.responseJSON(w, r, 500, err)
+		return
+	}
+	defer db.Close()
+
+	cache, err := h.findCache(db, keys, version)
 	if err != nil {
 		h.responseJSON(w, r, 500, err)
 		return
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ func (h *Handler) find(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, _ httprouter.Para
 		h.responseJSON(w, r, 500, err)
 		return
 	} else if !ok {
-		_ = h.db.Delete(cache.ID, cache)
+		_ = db.Delete(cache.ID, cache)
 		h.responseJSON(w, r, 204)
 		return
 	}
@@ -206,7 +206,13 @@ func (h *Handler) reserve(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, _ httprouter.P
 
 	cache := api.ToCache()
 	cache.FillKeyVersionHash()
-	if err := h.db.FindOne(cache, bolthold.Where("KeyVersionHash").Eq(cache.KeyVersionHash)); err != nil {
+	db, err := h.openDB()
+	if err != nil {
+		h.responseJSON(w, r, 500, err)
+		return
+	}
+	defer db.Close()
+	if err := db.FindOne(cache, bolthold.Where("KeyVersionHash").Eq(cache.KeyVersionHash)); err != nil {
 		if !errors.Is(err, bolthold.ErrNotFound) {
 			h.responseJSON(w, r, 500, err)
 			return
@@ -219,12 +225,12 @@ func (h *Handler) reserve(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, _ httprouter.P
 	now := time.Now().Unix()
 	cache.CreatedAt = now
 	cache.UsedAt = now
-	if err := h.db.Insert(bolthold.NextSequence(), cache); err != nil {
+	if err := db.Insert(bolthold.NextSequence(), cache); err != nil {
 		h.responseJSON(w, r, 500, err)
 		return
 	}
 	// write back id to db
-	if err := h.db.Update(cache.ID, cache); err != nil {
+	if err := db.Update(cache.ID, cache); err != nil {
 		h.responseJSON(w, r, 500, err)
 		return
 	}
@@ -242,7 +248,13 @@ func (h *Handler) upload(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, params httprout
 	}
 
 	cache := &Cache{}
-	if err := h.db.Get(id, cache); err != nil {
+	db, err := h.openDB()
+	if err != nil {
+		h.responseJSON(w, r, 500, err)
+		return
+	}
+	defer db.Close()
+	if err := db.Get(id, cache); err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, bolthold.ErrNotFound) {
 			h.responseJSON(w, r, 400, fmt.Errorf("cache %d: not reserved", id))
 			return
@@ -255,6 +267,7 @@ func (h *Handler) upload(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, params httprout
 		h.responseJSON(w, r, 400, fmt.Errorf("cache %v %q: already complete", cache.ID, cache.Key))
 		return
 	}
+	db.Close()
 	start, _, err := parseContentRange(r.Header.Get("Content-Range"))
 	if err != nil {
 		h.responseJSON(w, r, 400, err)
@@ -276,7 +289,13 @@ func (h *Handler) commit(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, params httprout
 	}
 
 	cache := &Cache{}
-	if err := h.db.Get(id, cache); err != nil {
+	db, err := h.openDB()
+	if err != nil {
+		h.responseJSON(w, r, 500, err)
+		return
+	}
+	defer db.Close()
+	if err := db.Get(id, cache); err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, bolthold.ErrNotFound) {
 			h.responseJSON(w, r, 400, fmt.Errorf("cache %d: not reserved", id))
 			return
@@ -290,13 +309,22 @@ func (h *Handler) commit(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, params httprout
 		return
 	}
 
+	db.Close()
+
 	if err := h.storage.Commit(cache.ID, cache.Size); err != nil {
 		h.responseJSON(w, r, 500, err)
 		return
 	}
 
+	db, err = h.openDB()
+	if err != nil {
+		h.responseJSON(w, r, 500, err)
+		return
+	}
+	defer db.Close()
+
 	cache.Complete = true
-	if err := h.db.Update(cache.ID, cache); err != nil {
+	if err := db.Update(cache.ID, cache); err != nil {
 		h.responseJSON(w, r, 500, err)
 		return
 	}
@@ -332,7 +360,7 @@ func (h *Handler) middleware(handler httprouter.Handle) httprouter.Handle {
 }
 
 // if not found, return (nil, nil) instead of an error.
-func (h *Handler) findCache(keys []string, version string) (*Cache, error) {
+func (h *Handler) findCache(db *bolthold.Store, keys []string, version string) (*Cache, error) {
 	if len(keys) == 0 {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
@@ -344,7 +372,7 @@ func (h *Handler) findCache(keys []string, version string) (*Cache, error) {
 	}
 	cache.FillKeyVersionHash()
 
-	if err := h.db.FindOne(cache, bolthold.Where("KeyVersionHash").Eq(cache.KeyVersionHash)); err != nil {
+	if err := db.FindOne(cache, bolthold.Where("KeyVersionHash").Eq(cache.KeyVersionHash)); err != nil {
 		if !errors.Is(err, bolthold.ErrNotFound) {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -355,7 +383,7 @@ func (h *Handler) findCache(keys []string, version string) (*Cache, error) {
 
 	for _, prefix := range keys[1:] {
 		found := false
-		if err := h.db.ForEach(bolthold.Where("Key").Ge(prefix).And("Version").Eq(version).SortBy("Key"), func(v *Cache) error {
+		if err := db.ForEach(bolthold.Where("Key").Ge(prefix).And("Version").Eq(version).SortBy("Key"), func(v *Cache) error {
 			if !strings.HasPrefix(v.Key, prefix) {
 				return stop
 			}
@@ -378,12 +406,17 @@ func (h *Handler) findCache(keys []string, version string) (*Cache, error) {
 }
 
 func (h *Handler) useCache(id int64) {
+	db, err := h.openDB()
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	defer db.Close()
 	cache := &Cache{}
-	if err := h.db.Get(id, cache); err != nil {
+	if err := db.Get(id, cache); err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 	cache.UsedAt = time.Now().Unix()
-	_ = h.db.Update(cache.ID, cache)
+	_ = db.Update(cache.ID, cache)
 }
 
 func (h *Handler) gcCache() {
@@ -408,8 +441,14 @@ func (h *Handler) gcCache() {
 		keepTemp   = 5 * time.Minute
 	)
 
+	db, err := h.openDB()
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	defer db.Close()
+
 	var caches []*Cache
-	if err := h.db.Find(&caches, bolthold.Where("UsedAt").Lt(time.Now().Add(-keepTemp).Unix())); err != nil {
+	if err := db.Find(&caches, bolthold.Where("UsedAt").Lt(time.Now().Add(-keepTemp).Unix())); err != nil {
 		h.logger.Warnf("find caches: %v", err)
 	} else {
 		for _, cache := range caches {
@@ -417,7 +456,7 @@ func (h *Handler) gcCache() {
 				continue
 			}
 			h.storage.Remove(cache.ID)
-			if err := h.db.Delete(cache.ID, cache); err != nil {
+			if err := db.Delete(cache.ID, cache); err != nil {
 				h.logger.Warnf("delete cache: %v", err)
 				continue
 			}
@@ -426,12 +465,12 @@ func (h *Handler) gcCache() {
 	}
 
 	caches = caches[:0]
-	if err := h.db.Find(&caches, bolthold.Where("UsedAt").Lt(time.Now().Add(-keepUnused).Unix())); err != nil {
+	if err := db.Find(&caches, bolthold.Where("UsedAt").Lt(time.Now().Add(-keepUnused).Unix())); err != nil {
 		h.logger.Warnf("find caches: %v", err)
 	} else {
 		for _, cache := range caches {
 			h.storage.Remove(cache.ID)
-			if err := h.db.Delete(cache.ID, cache); err != nil {
+			if err := db.Delete(cache.ID, cache); err != nil {
 				h.logger.Warnf("delete cache: %v", err)
 				continue
 			}
@@ -440,12 +479,12 @@ func (h *Handler) gcCache() {
 	}
 
 	caches = caches[:0]
-	if err := h.db.Find(&caches, bolthold.Where("CreatedAt").Lt(time.Now().Add(-keepUsed).Unix())); err != nil {
+	if err := db.Find(&caches, bolthold.Where("CreatedAt").Lt(time.Now().Add(-keepUsed).Unix())); err != nil {
 		h.logger.Warnf("find caches: %v", err)
 	} else {
 		for _, cache := range caches {
 			h.storage.Remove(cache.ID)
-			if err := h.db.Delete(cache.ID, cache); err != nil {
+			if err := db.Delete(cache.ID, cache); err != nil {
 				h.logger.Warnf("delete cache: %v", err)
 				continue
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/artifactcache/handler_test.go b/pkg/artifactcache/handler_test.go
index 7c6840a..35ec753 100644
--- a/pkg/artifactcache/handler_test.go
+++ b/pkg/artifactcache/handler_test.go
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@ func TestHandler(t *testing.T) {
 
 	defer func() {
 		t.Run("inpect db", func(t *testing.T) {
-			require.NoError(t, handler.db.Bolt().View(func(tx *bbolt.Tx) error {
+			db, err := handler.openDB()
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			defer db.Close()
+			require.NoError(t, db.Bolt().View(func(tx *bbolt.Tx) error {
 				return tx.Bucket([]byte("Cache")).ForEach(func(k, v []byte) error {
 					t.Logf("%s: %s", k, v)
 					return nil
@@ -36,7 +39,6 @@ func TestHandler(t *testing.T) {
 			require.NoError(t, handler.Close())
 			assert.Nil(t, handler.server)
 			assert.Nil(t, handler.listener)
-			assert.Nil(t, handler.db)
 			_, err := http.Post(fmt.Sprintf("%s/caches/%d", base, 1), "", nil)
 			assert.Error(t, err)
 		})