diff --git a/tools/shell/shell.cpp b/tools/shell/shell.cpp
index 60aa2368105e..31df60f4fdb2 100644
--- a/tools/shell/shell.cpp
+++ b/tools/shell/shell.cpp
@@ -3626,48 +3626,54 @@ bool ShellState::OpenDatabase(const char **azArg, idx_t nArg) {
 	}
 	char *zNewFilename;   /* Name of the database file to open */
 	idx_t iName = 1;      /* Index in azArg[] of the filename */
-	bool newFlag = false; /* True to delete file before opening */
-	/* Close the existing database */
-	close_db(db);
-	db = nullptr;
-	globalDb = nullptr;
 	zDbFilename = string();
-	openMode = SHELL_OPEN_UNSPEC;
-	openFlags = openFlags & ~(SQLITE_OPEN_NOFOLLOW); // don't overwrite settings loaded in the command line
-	szMax = 0;
-	/* Check for command-line arguments */
-	for (idx_t iName = 1; iName < nArg && azArg[iName][0] == '-'; iName++) {
-		const char *z = azArg[iName];
-		if (optionMatch(z, "new")) {
-			newFlag = true;
-		} else if (optionMatch(z, "readonly")) {
-			openMode = SHELL_OPEN_READONLY;
-		} else if (optionMatch(z, "nofollow")) {
-			openFlags |= SQLITE_OPEN_NOFOLLOW;
-		} else if (z[0] == '-') {
-			utf8_printf(stderr, "unknown option: %s\n", z);
-			return false;
-		}
+	bool read_only = false;
+	// 2 is the first non filename arg
+	for (idx_t iName = 2; iName < nArg && azArg[iName][0] == '-'; iName++) {
+        const char *z = azArg[iName];
+        if (optionMatch(z, "readonly")) {
+                read_only = true;
+        } else if (z[0] == '-') {
+                utf8_printf(stderr, "unknown option: %s\n", z);
+                return false;
+        }
 	}
 	/* If a filename is specified, try to open it first */
 	zNewFilename = nArg > iName ? sqlite3_mprintf("%s", azArg[iName]) : 0;
-	if (zNewFilename || openMode == SHELL_OPEN_HEXDB) {
-		if (newFlag) {
-			shellDeleteFile(zNewFilename);
-		}
+	if (zNewFilename) {
 		zDbFilename = zNewFilename;
 		sqlite3_free(zNewFilename);
-		OpenDB(OPEN_DB_KEEPALIVE);
-		if (!db) {
-			utf8_printf(stderr, "Error: cannot open '%s'\n", zNewFilename);
-		}
-	}
-	if (!db) {
-		/* As a fall-back open a TEMP database */
-		zDbFilename = string();
-		OpenDB(0);
+		idx_t dot_placement = zDbFilename.find(".");
+		bool found_extension = dot_placement >= 0;
+		string zDbDBName;
+		if (!found_extension) {
+			zDbDBName = zDbFilename;
+		} else {
+			zDbDBName = zDbFilename.substr(0, dot_placement);
+		}
+		string attach = "ATTACH '" + zDbFilename + "' as " + zDbDBName;
+		if (read_only) {
+			attach += " (READ_ONLY)";
+		}
+		attach += ";";
+		const char *attach_sql = attach.c_str();
+		string use = " USE " + zDbDBName + ";";
+		const char *use_sql = use.c_str();
+		char *zErrMsg = 0;
+		sqlite3_exec(db, attach_sql, NULL, NULL, &zErrMsg);
+		if (zErrMsg) {
+			utf8_printf(stderr, "%s\n", zErrMsg);
+			return false;
+		};
+		sqlite3_exec(db, use_sql, NULL, NULL, &zErrMsg);
+		if (zErrMsg) {
+			utf8_printf(stderr, "%s\n", zErrMsg);
+			return false;
+		};
+		return true;
 	}
-	return true;
+	utf8_printf(stderr, "Valid Filename not provided\n");
+	return false;
 }
 
 MetadataResult OpenDatabase(ShellState &state, const char **azArg, idx_t nArg) {
diff --git a/tools/shell/tests/test_backwards_compatibility.py b/tools/shell/tests/test_backwards_compatibility.py
index 98d5135d1790..c36f196ed021 100644
--- a/tools/shell/tests/test_backwards_compatibility.py
+++ b/tools/shell/tests/test_backwards_compatibility.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 def test_version_dev(shell):
     test = (
         ShellTest(shell)
-        .statement(".open test/storage/bc/db_dev.db")
+        .statement("Attach 'test/storage/bc/db_dev.db' as db_dev;")
     )
     result = test.run()
     result.check_stderr("older development version")
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ def test_version_dev(shell):
 def test_version_0_3_1(shell):
     test = (
         ShellTest(shell)
-        .statement(".open test/storage/bc/db_031.db")
+        .statement("Attach 'test/storage/bc/db_031.db' as db_031;")
     )
     result = test.run()
     result.check_stderr("v0.3.1")
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ def test_version_0_3_1(shell):
 def test_version_0_3_2(shell):
     test = (
         ShellTest(shell)
-        .statement(".open test/storage/bc/db_032.db")
+        .statement("Attach 'test/storage/bc/db_032.db' as db_032;")
     )
     result = test.run()
     result.check_stderr("v0.3.2")
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def test_version_0_3_2(shell):
 def test_version_0_4(shell):
     test = (
         ShellTest(shell)
-        .statement(".open test/storage/bc/db_04.db")
+        .statement("Attach 'test/storage/bc/db_04.db' as db_04;")
     )
     result = test.run()
     result.check_stderr("v0.4.0")
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ def test_version_0_4(shell):
 def test_version_0_5_1(shell):
     test = (
         ShellTest(shell)
-        .statement(".open test/storage/bc/db_051.db")
+        .statement("Attach 'test/storage/bc/db_051.db' as db_051;")
     )
     result = test.run()
     result.check_stderr("v0.5.1")
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ def test_version_0_5_1(shell):
 def test_version_0_6_0(shell):
     test = (
         ShellTest(shell)
-        .statement(".open test/storage/bc/db_060.db")
+        .statement("Attach 'test/storage/bc/db_060.db' as db_060;")
     )
     result = test.run()
     result.check_stderr("v0.6.0")