diff --git a/manifest b/manifest
index b8a242e0e5..c241e31be5 100644
--- a/manifest
+++ b/manifest
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-C Add\ssome\ssimple\stest\scases\sfor\sthe\sOR\sand\sNOT\slogic\sof\sthe\sfts1\smodule.\nFix\slots\sof\sbugs\sdiscovered\swhile\sdeveloping\sthese\stest\scases.\s(CVS\s3400)
-D 2006-09-10T03:34:06
+C Add\sa\snew\szErrMsg\sfield\sto\sthe\ssqlite3_vtab\sstructure\sto\ssupport\sreturning\nerror\smessages\sfrom\svirtual\stable\sconstructors.\s\sThis\schange\smeans\sthat\nvirtual\stable\simplementations\scompiled\sas\sloadable\sextensions\sfor\sversion\n3.3.7\swill\sneed\sto\sbe\srecompile\sfor\sversion\s3.3.8\sand\swill\snot\sbe\susable\nby\sboth\sversions\sat\sone.\s\sThe\svirtual\stable\smechanism\sis\sstill\sconsidered\nexperimental\sso\swe\sfeel\sjustified\sin\sbreaking\sbackwards\scompatibility\nin\sthis\sway.\s\sAdditional\sinterface\schanges\smight\soccurs\sin\sthe\sfuture.\s(CVS\s3401)
+D 2006-09-10T17:08:30
 F Makefile.in cabd42d34340f49260bc2a7668c38eba8d4cfd99
 F Makefile.linux-gcc 2d8574d1ba75f129aba2019f0b959db380a90935
 F README 9c4e2d6706bdcc3efdd773ce752a8cdab4f90028
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ F src/random.c d40f8d356cecbd351ccfab6eaedd7ec1b54f5261
 F src/select.c 0d4724930a1f34c747105ed1802fa4af0d8eb519
 F src/server.c 087b92a39d883e3fa113cae259d64e4c7438bc96
 F src/shell.c 233f7766e532a204bed465249ffc584424ed1757
-F src/sqlite.h.in 84ac26ca94a84dd603fb57a27d862f51bfd9f687
+F src/sqlite.h.in 364f2aac46a3f2435ff30ccae1f34b53d667b0af
 F src/sqlite3ext.h 11a046b3519c4b9b7709e6d6a95c3a36366f684a
 F src/sqliteInt.h 259adce944cc3b28da1fa3df9beb9ba86017a45d
 F src/table.c d8817f43a6c6bf139487db161760b9e1e02da3f1
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ F src/vdbeapi.c 81f531d7dc5c898131b02ef85f6c6144ab2892cf
 F src/vdbeaux.c 9fab61427a0741c9c123e8ff16e349b1f90397be
 F src/vdbefifo.c 9efb94c8c3f4c979ebd0028219483f88e57584f5
 F src/vdbemem.c 26623176bf1c616aa478da958fac49502491a921
-F src/vtab.c 7fc0624c2bb6156c3d99e2ce706f2a5b54094e36
+F src/vtab.c c68946eda1e9259582836d3fec39272fd3647b4d
 F src/where.c 75a89957fcb8c068bec55caa4e9d2ed5fa0b0724
 F tclinstaller.tcl 046e3624671962dc50f0481d7c25b38ef803eb42
 F test/aggerror.test a867e273ef9e3d7919f03ef4f0e8c0d2767944f2
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ F www/tclsqlite.tcl bb0d1357328a42b1993d78573e587c6dcbc964b9
 F www/vdbe.tcl 87a31ace769f20d3627a64fa1fade7fed47b90d0
 F www/version3.tcl 890248cf7b70e60c383b0e84d77d5132b3ead42b
 F www/whentouse.tcl 97e2b5cd296f7d8057e11f44427dea8a4c2db513
-P ae50265791d1a7500aa3c405a78a9bca8ff0cc08
-R 102c1a21ff09d0f20e46f405978da02e
+P 70bcff024b44d1b40afac6eba959fa89fb993147
+R 49ee6571b74bcd7a8b8e06a293fd1796
 U drh
-Z f515ac19d2cdc367f4c6838848ae4bb1
+Z e7e707b3d9d576052a0534936bdcea9b
diff --git a/manifest.uuid b/manifest.uuid
index d8f8de95b4..948d54bf70 100644
--- a/manifest.uuid
+++ b/manifest.uuid
@@ -1 +1 @@
-70bcff024b44d1b40afac6eba959fa89fb993147
\ No newline at end of file
+36693a5cb72b4363010f9ab0866e1f7865f65275
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/sqlite.h.in b/src/sqlite.h.in
index a1fbf7e825..1d559db5ac 100644
--- a/src/sqlite.h.in
+++ b/src/sqlite.h.in
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 ** This header file defines the interface that the SQLite library
 ** presents to client programs.
 **
-** @(#) $Id: sqlite.h.in,v 1.189 2006/08/24 14:59:46 drh Exp $
+** @(#) $Id: sqlite.h.in,v 1.190 2006/09/10 17:08:30 drh Exp $
 */
 #ifndef _SQLITE3_H_
 #define _SQLITE3_H_
@@ -1705,10 +1705,21 @@ int sqlite3_create_module(
 ** be taylored to the specific needs of the module implementation.   The
 ** purpose of this superclass is to define certain fields that are common
 ** to all module implementations.
+**
+** Virtual tables methods can set an error message by assigning a
+** string obtained from sqlite3_mprintf() to zErrMsg.  The method should
+** take care that any prior string is freed by a call to sqlite3_free()
+** prior to assigning a new string to zErrMsg.  After the error message
+** is delivered up to the client application, the string will be automatically
+** freed by sqlite3_free() and the zErrMsg field will be zeroed.  Note
+** that sqlite3_mprintf() and sqlite3_free() are used on the zErrMsg field
+** since virtual tables are commonly implemented in loadable extensions which
+** do not have access to sqlite3MPrintf() or sqlite3Free().
 */
 struct sqlite3_vtab {
   const sqlite3_module *pModule;  /* The module for this virtual table */
   int nRef;                       /* Used internally */
+  char *zErrMsg;                  /* Error message text */
   /* Virtual table implementations will typically add additional fields */
 };
 
diff --git a/src/vtab.c b/src/vtab.c
index 9207fc485b..bb4634a46a 100644
--- a/src/vtab.c
+++ b/src/vtab.c
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 *************************************************************************
 ** This file contains code used to help implement virtual tables.
 **
-** $Id: vtab.c,v 1.31 2006/09/02 20:57:52 drh Exp $
+** $Id: vtab.c,v 1.32 2006/09/10 17:08:30 drh Exp $
 */
 #ifndef SQLITE_OMIT_VIRTUALTABLE
 #include "sqliteInt.h"
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ void sqlite3VtabLock(sqlite3_vtab *pVtab){
 void sqlite3VtabUnlock(sqlite3_vtab *pVtab){
   pVtab->nRef--;
   if( pVtab->nRef==0 ){
+    sqlite3_free(pVtab->zErrMsg);
+    pVtab->zErrMsg = 0;
     pVtab->pModule->xDisconnect(pVtab);
   }
 }
@@ -291,6 +293,7 @@ static int vtabCallConstructor(
 ){
   int rc;
   int rc2;
+  sqlite3_vtab *pVtab;
   char **azArg = pTab->azModuleArg;
   int nArg = pTab->nModuleArg;
   char *zErr = sqlite3MPrintf("vtable constructor failed: %s", pTab->zName);
@@ -303,15 +306,22 @@ static int vtabCallConstructor(
   assert( rc==SQLITE_OK );
   rc = xConstruct(db, pMod->pAux, nArg, azArg, &pTab->pVtab);
   rc2 = sqlite3SafetyOn(db);
-  if( rc==SQLITE_OK && pTab->pVtab ){
-    pTab->pVtab->pModule = pMod->pModule;
-    pTab->pVtab->nRef = 1;
+  pVtab = pTab->pVtab;
+  if( rc==SQLITE_OK && pVtab ){
+    pVtab->pModule = pMod->pModule;
+    pVtab->nRef = 1;
   }
 
   if( SQLITE_OK!=rc ){
-    *pzErr = zErr;
-    zErr = 0;
-  } else if( db->pVTab ){
+    if( pVtab && pVtab->zErrMsg ){
+      *pzErr = sqlite3MPrintf("%s", pVtab->zErrMsg);
+      sqlite3_free(pVtab->zErrMsg);
+      pVtab->zErrMsg = 0;
+    }else{
+      *pzErr = zErr;
+      zErr = 0;
+    }
+  }else if( db->pVTab ){
     const char *zFormat = "vtable constructor did not declare schema: %s";
     *pzErr = sqlite3MPrintf(zFormat, pTab->zName);
     rc = SQLITE_ERROR;