diff --git a/ibis/backends/__init__.py b/ibis/backends/__init__.py
index bfc3f461adb4f..b2e3fc559f695 100644
--- a/ibis/backends/__init__.py
+++ b/ibis/backends/__init__.py
@@ -767,6 +767,7 @@ class BaseBackend(abc.ABC, _FileIOHandler):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self._con_args: tuple[Any] = args
         self._con_kwargs: dict[str, Any] = kwargs
+        self._can_reconnect: bool = True
         # expression cache
         self._query_cache = RefCountedCache(
             populate=self._load_into_cache,
@@ -774,6 +775,14 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
             finalize=self._clean_up_cached_table,
         )
 
+    @property
+    def can_reconnect(self) -> bool:
+        return self._can_reconnect
+
+    @can_reconnect.setter
+    def can_reconnect(self, value) -> None:
+        self._can_reconnect = value
+
     @property
     @abc.abstractmethod
     def dialect(self) -> sg.Dialect | None:
@@ -842,6 +851,7 @@ def connect(self, *args, **kwargs) -> BaseBackend:
 
         """
         new_backend = self.__class__(*args, **kwargs)
+        new_backend.can_reconnect = True
         new_backend.reconnect()
         return new_backend
 
@@ -856,7 +866,10 @@ def _convert_kwargs(kwargs: MutableMapping) -> None:
     # TODO(kszucs): should call self.connect(*self._con_args, **self._con_kwargs)
     def reconnect(self) -> None:
         """Reconnect to the database already configured with connect."""
-        self.do_connect(*self._con_args, **self._con_kwargs)
+        if self.can_reconnect:
+            self.do_connect(*self._con_args, **self._con_kwargs)
+        else:
+            raise exc.IbisError("Cannot reconnect to unconfigured {self.name} backend")
 
     def do_connect(self, *args, **kwargs) -> None:
         """Connect to database specified by `args` and `kwargs`."""
diff --git a/ibis/backends/duckdb/__init__.py b/ibis/backends/duckdb/__init__.py
index 8f23c3bce534c..08c5c2a22ce87 100644
--- a/ibis/backends/duckdb/__init__.py
+++ b/ibis/backends/duckdb/__init__.py
@@ -473,6 +473,9 @@ def do_connect(
 
         self.con = duckdb.connect(str(database), config=config, read_only=read_only)
 
+        self._post_connect(extensions)
+
+    def _post_connect(self, extensions: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> None:
         # Load any pre-specified extensions
         if extensions is not None:
             self._load_extensions(extensions)
diff --git a/ibis/backends/sql/__init__.py b/ibis/backends/sql/__init__.py
index a8356a6945470..996150f9bf194 100644
--- a/ibis/backends/sql/__init__.py
+++ b/ibis/backends/sql/__init__.py
@@ -547,6 +547,14 @@ def truncate_table(
         with self._safe_raw_sql(f"TRUNCATE TABLE {ident}"):
             pass
 
+    @classmethod
+    def from_dbapi_connection(cls, con: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> BaseBackend:
+        new_backend = cls(**kwargs)
+        new_backend.can_reconnect = False
+        new_backend.con = con
+        new_backend._post_connect(**kwargs)
+        return new_backend
+
     def disconnect(self):
         # This is part of the Python DB-API specification so should work for
         # _most_ sqlglot backends
diff --git a/ibis/backends/tests/test_client.py b/ibis/backends/tests/test_client.py
index 1bbadd4c89572..6d112cdb8a695 100644
--- a/ibis/backends/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/ibis/backends/tests/test_client.py
@@ -1764,3 +1764,8 @@ def test_insert_using_col_name_not_position(con, first_row, second_row, monkeypa
     # Ideally we'd use a temp table for this test, but several backends don't
     # support them and it's nice to know that data are being inserted correctly.
     con.drop_table(table_name)
+
+
+def test_from_dbapi_connection(con):
+    new_con = type(con).from_dbapi_connection(con.con, **con._con_kwargs)
+    assert {"astronauts", "batting", "diamonds"} <= set(new_con.list_tables())