diff --git a/userapi/storage/accounts/postgres/accounts_table.go b/userapi/storage/accounts/postgres/accounts_table.go
index 254da84c3..4eaa5b581 100644
--- a/userapi/storage/accounts/postgres/accounts_table.go
+++ b/userapi/storage/accounts/postgres/accounts_table.go
@@ -75,11 +75,12 @@ type accountsStatements struct {
 	serverName                    gomatrixserverlib.ServerName
 }
 
+func (s *accountsStatements) execSchema(db *sql.DB) error {
+	_, err := db.Exec(accountsSchema)
+	return err
+}
+
 func (s *accountsStatements) prepare(db *sql.DB, server gomatrixserverlib.ServerName) (err error) {
-	_, err = db.Exec(accountsSchema)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
 	if s.insertAccountStmt, err = db.Prepare(insertAccountSQL); err != nil {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/userapi/storage/accounts/postgres/storage.go b/userapi/storage/accounts/postgres/storage.go
index 768bd208b..40c4b8ff5 100644
--- a/userapi/storage/accounts/postgres/storage.go
+++ b/userapi/storage/accounts/postgres/storage.go
@@ -57,6 +57,18 @@ func NewDatabase(dbProperties *config.DatabaseOptions, serverName gomatrixserver
 		db:         db,
 		writer:     sqlutil.NewDummyWriter(),
 	}
+
+	// Create tables before executing migrations so we don't fail if the table is missing,
+	// and THEN prepare statements so we don't fail due to referencing new columns
+	if err = d.accounts.execSchema(db); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	m := sqlutil.NewMigrations()
+	deltas.LoadIsActive(m)
+	if err = m.RunDeltas(db, dbProperties); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	if err = d.PartitionOffsetStatements.Prepare(db, d.writer, "account"); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -73,10 +85,7 @@ func NewDatabase(dbProperties *config.DatabaseOptions, serverName gomatrixserver
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	m := sqlutil.NewMigrations()
-	deltas.LoadIsActive(m)
-
-	return d, m.RunDeltas(db, dbProperties)
+	return d, nil
 }
 
 // GetAccountByPassword returns the account associated with the given localpart and password.
diff --git a/userapi/storage/accounts/sqlite3/accounts_table.go b/userapi/storage/accounts/sqlite3/accounts_table.go
index d0ea8a8bc..50f07237e 100644
--- a/userapi/storage/accounts/sqlite3/accounts_table.go
+++ b/userapi/storage/accounts/sqlite3/accounts_table.go
@@ -74,13 +74,13 @@ type accountsStatements struct {
 	serverName                    gomatrixserverlib.ServerName
 }
 
+func (s *accountsStatements) execSchema(db *sql.DB) error {
+	_, err := db.Exec(accountsSchema)
+	return err
+}
+
 func (s *accountsStatements) prepare(db *sql.DB, server gomatrixserverlib.ServerName) (err error) {
 	s.db = db
-
-	_, err = db.Exec(accountsSchema)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
 	if s.insertAccountStmt, err = db.Prepare(insertAccountSQL); err != nil {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/userapi/storage/accounts/sqlite3/storage.go b/userapi/storage/accounts/sqlite3/storage.go
index fe0d2eacc..0be7bcbe7 100644
--- a/userapi/storage/accounts/sqlite3/storage.go
+++ b/userapi/storage/accounts/sqlite3/storage.go
@@ -61,6 +61,18 @@ func NewDatabase(dbProperties *config.DatabaseOptions, serverName gomatrixserver
 		db:         db,
 		writer:     sqlutil.NewExclusiveWriter(),
 	}
+
+	// Create tables before executing migrations so we don't fail if the table is missing,
+	// and THEN prepare statements so we don't fail due to referencing new columns
+	if err = d.accounts.execSchema(db); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	m := sqlutil.NewMigrations()
+	deltas.LoadIsActive(m)
+	if err = m.RunDeltas(db, dbProperties); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	partitions := sqlutil.PartitionOffsetStatements{}
 	if err = partitions.Prepare(db, d.writer, "account"); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -77,10 +89,8 @@ func NewDatabase(dbProperties *config.DatabaseOptions, serverName gomatrixserver
 	if err = d.threepids.prepare(db); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	m := sqlutil.NewMigrations()
-	deltas.LoadIsActive(m)
 
-	return d, m.RunDeltas(db, dbProperties)
+	return d, nil
 }
 
 // GetAccountByPassword returns the account associated with the given localpart and password.
diff --git a/userapi/storage/devices/postgres/devices_table.go b/userapi/storage/devices/postgres/devices_table.go
index 2a4d337c7..379fed794 100644
--- a/userapi/storage/devices/postgres/devices_table.go
+++ b/userapi/storage/devices/postgres/devices_table.go
@@ -111,11 +111,12 @@ type devicesStatements struct {
 	serverName                   gomatrixserverlib.ServerName
 }
 
+func (s *devicesStatements) execSchema(db *sql.DB) error {
+	_, err := db.Exec(devicesSchema)
+	return err
+}
+
 func (s *devicesStatements) prepare(db *sql.DB, server gomatrixserverlib.ServerName) (err error) {
-	_, err = db.Exec(devicesSchema)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
 	if s.insertDeviceStmt, err = db.Prepare(insertDeviceSQL); err != nil {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/userapi/storage/devices/postgres/storage.go b/userapi/storage/devices/postgres/storage.go
index d1fabcf92..602051dcc 100644
--- a/userapi/storage/devices/postgres/storage.go
+++ b/userapi/storage/devices/postgres/storage.go
@@ -43,13 +43,21 @@ func NewDatabase(dbProperties *config.DatabaseOptions, serverName gomatrixserver
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	d := devicesStatements{}
+
+	// Create tables before executing migrations so we don't fail if the table is missing,
+	// and THEN prepare statements so we don't fail due to referencing new columns
+	d.execSchema(db)
+	m := sqlutil.NewMigrations()
+	deltas.LoadLastSeenTSIP(m)
+	if err = m.RunDeltas(db, dbProperties); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	if err = d.prepare(db, serverName); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	m := sqlutil.NewMigrations()
-	deltas.LoadLastSeenTSIP(m)
 
-	return &Database{db, d}, m.RunDeltas(db, dbProperties)
+	return &Database{db, d}, nil
 }
 
 // GetDeviceByAccessToken returns the device matching the given access token.
diff --git a/userapi/storage/devices/sqlite3/devices_table.go b/userapi/storage/devices/sqlite3/devices_table.go
index 6b0de10ee..26c03222a 100644
--- a/userapi/storage/devices/sqlite3/devices_table.go
+++ b/userapi/storage/devices/sqlite3/devices_table.go
@@ -98,13 +98,14 @@ type devicesStatements struct {
 	serverName                   gomatrixserverlib.ServerName
 }
 
+func (s *devicesStatements) execSchema(db *sql.DB) error {
+	_, err := db.Exec(devicesSchema)
+	return err
+}
+
 func (s *devicesStatements) prepare(db *sql.DB, writer sqlutil.Writer, server gomatrixserverlib.ServerName) (err error) {
 	s.db = db
 	s.writer = writer
-	_, err = db.Exec(devicesSchema)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
 	if s.insertDeviceStmt, err = db.Prepare(insertDeviceSQL); err != nil {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/userapi/storage/devices/sqlite3/storage.go b/userapi/storage/devices/sqlite3/storage.go
index 370d0d61a..8c02372db 100644
--- a/userapi/storage/devices/sqlite3/storage.go
+++ b/userapi/storage/devices/sqlite3/storage.go
@@ -47,12 +47,19 @@ func NewDatabase(dbProperties *config.DatabaseOptions, serverName gomatrixserver
 	}
 	writer := sqlutil.NewExclusiveWriter()
 	d := devicesStatements{}
+
+	// Create tables before executing migrations so we don't fail if the table is missing,
+	// and THEN prepare statements so we don't fail due to referencing new columns
+	d.execSchema(db)
+	m := sqlutil.NewMigrations()
+	deltas.LoadLastSeenTSIP(m)
+	if err = m.RunDeltas(db, dbProperties); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	if err = d.prepare(db, writer, serverName); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	m := sqlutil.NewMigrations()
-	deltas.LoadLastSeenTSIP(m)
-	return &Database{db, writer, d}, m.RunDeltas(db, dbProperties)
+	return &Database{db, writer, d}, nil
 }
 
 // GetDeviceByAccessToken returns the device matching the given access token.