diff --git a/R/Driver.R b/R/Driver.R
index de6125bc6..b2eed12d1 100644
--- a/R/Driver.R
+++ b/R/Driver.R
@@ -29,18 +29,7 @@ driver_registry <- new.env(parent = emptyenv())
 #' @export
 duckdb <- function(dbdir = DBDIR_MEMORY, read_only = FALSE, bigint = "numeric", config = list()) {
   check_flag(read_only)
-
-  switch(bigint,
-    numeric = {
-      # fine
-    },
-    integer64 = {
-      if (!is_installed("bit64")) {
-        stop("bit64 package is required for integer64 support")
-      }
-    },
-    stop(paste("Unsupported bigint configuration", bigint))
-  )
+  check_bigint(bigint)
 
   # R packages are not allowed to write extensions into home directory, so use R_user_dir instead
   if (!("extension_directory" %in% names(config))) {
@@ -165,7 +154,6 @@ check_tz <- function(timezone) {
 
   timezone
 }
-
 path_normalize <- function(path) {
   if (path == "" || path == DBDIR_MEMORY) {
     return(DBDIR_MEMORY)
@@ -181,3 +169,17 @@ path_normalize <- function(path) {
   }
   out
 }
+
+check_bigint <- function(bigint_type) {
+  switch(bigint_type,
+    numeric = {
+      # fine
+    },
+    integer64 = {
+      if (!is_installed("bit64")) {
+        stop("bit64 package is required for integer64 support")
+      }
+    },
+    stop(paste("Unsupported bigint configuration", bigint_type))
+  )
+}
diff --git a/R/dbConnect__duckdb_driver.R b/R/dbConnect__duckdb_driver.R
index 581859c53..10c412986 100644
--- a/R/dbConnect__duckdb_driver.R
+++ b/R/dbConnect__duckdb_driver.R
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@
 #'   If `"force"` is chosen, the timestamp will have the same clock
 #'   time as the timestamp in the database, but with the new time zone.
 #' @param config Named list with DuckDB configuration flags
-#' @param bigint How 64-bit integers should be returned, default is double/numeric. Set to integer64 for bit64 encoding.
+#' @param bigint How 64-bit integers should be returned. There are two options: `"numeric`" and `"integer64`".
+#'   If `"numeric`" is selected, bigint integers will be treated as double/numeric.
+#'   If `"integer64`" is selected, bigint integers will be set to bit64 encoding.
 #'
 #' @return `dbConnect()` returns an object of class
 #'   \linkS4class{duckdb_connection}.
@@ -65,6 +67,8 @@ dbConnect__duckdb_driver <- function(
 
   if (missing(bigint)) {
     bigint <- drv@bigint
+  } else {
+    check_bigint(bigint)
   }
 
   config <- utils::modifyList(drv@config, config)
@@ -79,7 +83,6 @@ dbConnect__duckdb_driver <- function(
 
   conn@timezone_out <- timezone_out
   conn@tz_out_convert <- tz_out_convert
-
   on.exit(NULL)
 
   rs_on_connection_opened(conn)
diff --git a/man/duckdb.Rd b/man/duckdb.Rd
index ef358114c..10d3cb133 100644
--- a/man/duckdb.Rd
+++ b/man/duckdb.Rd
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ data is kept in RAM.}
 
 \item{read_only}{Set to \code{TRUE} for read-only operation}
 
-\item{bigint}{How 64-bit integers should be returned, default is double/numeric. Set to integer64 for bit64 encoding.}
+\item{bigint}{How 64-bit integers should be returned. There are two options: \verb{"numeric}" and \verb{"integer64}".
+If \verb{"numeric}" is selected, bigint integers will be treated as double/numeric.
+If \verb{"integer64}" is selected, bigint integers will be set to bit64 encoding.}
 
 \item{config}{Named list with DuckDB configuration flags}
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-integer64.R b/tests/testthat/test-integer64.R
index 44733f932..fc868533d 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-integer64.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-integer64.R
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # this tests both retrieval and scans
-test_that("we can roundtrip an integer64", {
+test_that("we can roundtrip an integer64 via driver", {
   skip_if_not_installed("bit64")
-
   con <- dbConnect(duckdb(bigint = "integer64"))
   on.exit(dbDisconnect(con, shutdown = TRUE))
   df <- data.frame(a = bit64::as.integer64(42), b = bit64::as.integer64(-42), c = bit64::as.integer64(NA))
@@ -11,3 +10,15 @@ test_that("we can roundtrip an integer64", {
   res <- dbReadTable(con, "df")
   expect_identical(df, res)
 })
+
+test_that("we can roundtrip an integer64 via dbConnect", {
+  skip_if_not_installed("bit64")
+  con <- dbConnect(duckdb(), bigint = "integer64")
+  on.exit(dbDisconnect(con, shutdown = TRUE))
+  df <- data.frame(a = bit64::as.integer64(42), b = bit64::as.integer64(-42), c = bit64::as.integer64(NA))
+
+  duckdb_register(con, "df", df)
+
+  res <- dbReadTable(con, "df")
+  expect_identical(df, res)
+})