diff --git a/db/exec.c b/db/exec.c
index 13341c1e7..96ef38556 100644
--- a/db/exec.c
+++ b/db/exec.c
@@ -45,8 +45,11 @@ u32 db_data_version_get(struct db *db)
 	u32 version;
 	stmt = db_prepare_v2(db, SQL("SELECT intval FROM vars WHERE name = 'data_version'"));
 	db_query_prepared(stmt);
-	db_step(stmt);
-	version = db_col_int(stmt, "intval");
+	/* This fails on uninitialized db, so "0" */
+	if (db_step(stmt))
+		version = db_col_int(stmt, "intval");
+	else
+		version = 0;
 	tal_free(stmt);
 	return version;
 }
diff --git a/wallet/db.c b/wallet/db.c
index 41010d84d..a0fd0e8da 100644
--- a/wallet/db.c
+++ b/wallet/db.c
@@ -950,10 +950,10 @@ struct db *db_setup(const tal_t *ctx, struct lightningd *ld,
 	db->report_changes_fn = plugin_hook_db_sync;
 
 	db_begin_transaction(db);
+	db->data_version = db_data_version_get(db);
 
 	migrated = db_migrate(ld, db, bip32_base);
 
-	db->data_version = db_data_version_get(db);
 	db_commit_transaction(db);
 
 	/* This needs to be done outside a transaction, apparently.