diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 68f15d5e..56b12276 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
 
 - Vendored sqlite is update to [v3.44.2](https://sqlite.org/releaselog/3_44_2.html). @flavorjones
 
+### Added
+
+- `Database.new` now accepts a `:default_transaction_mode` option (defaulting to `:deferred`), and `Database#transaction` no longer requires a transaction mode to be specified. This should allow higher-level adapters to more easily choose a transaction mode for a database connection. [#426] @masamitsu-murase
+
 
 ## 1.6.8 / 2023-11-01
 
diff --git a/lib/sqlite3/database.rb b/lib/sqlite3/database.rb
index c50ca8cf..5d004a23 100644
--- a/lib/sqlite3/database.rb
+++ b/lib/sqlite3/database.rb
@@ -71,12 +71,23 @@ def quote( string )
 
     # call-seq: SQLite3::Database.new(file, options = {})
     #
-    # Create a new Database object that opens the given file. If utf16
-    # is +true+, the filename is interpreted as a UTF-16 encoded string.
+    # Create a new Database object that opens the given file.
+    #
+    # Supported permissions +options+:
+    # - the default mode is <tt>READWRITE | CREATE</tt>
+    # - +:readonly+: boolean (default false), true to set the mode to +READONLY+
+    # - +:readwrite+: boolean (default false), true to set the mode to +READWRITE+
+    # - +:flags+: set the mode to a combination of SQLite3::Constants::Open flags.
+    #
+    # Supported encoding +options+:
+    # - +:utf16+: boolean (default false), is the filename's encoding UTF-16 (only needed if the filename encoding is not UTF_16LE or BE)
+    #
+    # Other supported +options+:
+    # - +:strict+: boolean (default false), disallow the use of double-quoted string literals (see https://www.sqlite.org/quirks.html#double_quoted_string_literals_are_accepted)
+    # - +:results_as_hash+: boolean (default false), return rows as hashes instead of arrays
+    # - +:type_translation+: boolean (default false), enable type translation
+    # - +:default_transaction_mode+: one of +:deferred+ (default), +:immediate+, or +:exclusive+. If a mode is not specified in a call to #transaction, this will be the default transaction mode.
     #
-    # By default, the new database will return result rows as arrays
-    # (#results_as_hash) and has type translation disabled (#type_translation=).
-
     def initialize file, options = {}, zvfs = nil
       mode = Constants::Open::READWRITE | Constants::Open::CREATE
 
@@ -119,6 +130,7 @@ def initialize file, options = {}, zvfs = nil
       @type_translation = options[:type_translation]
       @type_translator  = make_type_translator @type_translation
       @readonly         = mode & Constants::Open::READONLY != 0
+      @default_transaction_mode = options[:default_transaction_mode] || :deferred
 
       if block_given?
         begin
@@ -622,8 +634,10 @@ def finalize
     # by SQLite, so attempting to nest a transaction will result in a runtime
     # exception.
     #
-    # The +mode+ parameter may be either <tt>:deferred</tt> (the default),
+    # The +mode+ parameter may be either <tt>:deferred</tt>,
     # <tt>:immediate</tt>, or <tt>:exclusive</tt>.
+    # If `nil` is specified, the default transaction mode, which was
+    # passed to #initialize, is used.
     #
     # If a block is given, the database instance is yielded to it, and the
     # transaction is committed when the block terminates. If the block
@@ -634,7 +648,8 @@ def finalize
     # If a block is not given, it is the caller's responsibility to end the
     # transaction explicitly, either by calling #commit, or by calling
     # #rollback.
-    def transaction( mode = :deferred )
+    def transaction( mode = nil )
+      mode = @default_transaction_mode if mode.nil?
       execute "begin #{mode.to_s} transaction"
 
       if block_given?
diff --git a/test/test_database.rb b/test/test_database.rb
index 81b10716..c6581b8c 100644
--- a/test/test_database.rb
+++ b/test/test_database.rb
@@ -624,5 +624,45 @@ def test_raw_float_infinity
       db.execute("insert into foo values (?)", Float::INFINITY)
       assert_equal Float::INFINITY, db.execute("select avg(temperature) from foo").first.first
     end
+
+    def test_default_transaction_mode
+      tf = Tempfile.new 'database_default_transaction_mode'
+      SQLite3::Database.new(tf.path) do |db|
+        db.execute("create table foo (score int)")
+        db.execute("insert into foo values (?)", 1)
+      end
+
+      test_cases = [
+        {mode: nil, read: true, write: true},
+        {mode: :deferred, read: true, write: true},
+        {mode: :immediate, read: true, write: false},
+        {mode: :exclusive, read: false, write: false},
+      ]
+
+      test_cases.each do |item|
+        db = SQLite3::Database.new tf.path, default_transaction_mode: item[:mode]
+        db2 = SQLite3::Database.new tf.path
+        db.transaction do
+          sql_for_read_test = "select * from foo"
+          if item[:read]
+            assert_nothing_raised{ db2.execute(sql_for_read_test) }
+          else
+            assert_raises(SQLite3::BusyException){ db2.execute(sql_for_read_test) }
+          end
+
+          sql_for_write_test = "insert into foo values (2)"
+          if item[:write]
+            assert_nothing_raised{ db2.execute(sql_for_write_test) }
+          else
+            assert_raises(SQLite3::BusyException){ db2.execute(sql_for_write_test) }
+          end
+        end
+      ensure
+        db.close if db && !db.closed?
+        db2.close if db2 && !db2.closed?
+      end
+    ensure
+      tf.unlink if tf
+    end
   end
 end