diff --git a/core/migrations.py b/core/migrations.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..747e42e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/migrations.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+from loguru import logger
+from core.db import Database
+from core.db import COCKROACH, POSTGRES, SQLITE
+
+import re
+
+
+async def migrate_databases(db: Database, migrations_module):
+    """Creates the necessary databases if they don't exist already; or migrates them."""
+
+    async def set_migration_version(conn, db_name, version):
+        await conn.execute(
+            """
+            INSERT INTO dbversions (db, version) VALUES (?, ?)
+            ON CONFLICT (db) DO UPDATE SET version = ?
+            """,
+            (db_name, version, version),
+        )
+
+    async def run_migration(db, migrations_module):
+        db_name = migrations_module.__name__.split(".")[-2]
+        for key, migrate in migrations_module.__dict__.items():
+            match = match = matcher.match(key)
+            if match:
+                version = int(match.group(1))
+                if version > current_versions.get(db_name, 0):
+                    await migrate(db)
+
+                    if db.schema == None:
+                        await set_migration_version(db, db_name, version)
+                    else:
+                        async with db.connect() as conn:
+                            await set_migration_version(conn, db_name, version)
+
+    async with db.connect() as conn:
+        if conn.type == SQLITE:
+            exists = await conn.fetchone(
+                "SELECT * FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table' AND name='dbversions'"
+            )
+        elif conn.type in {POSTGRES, COCKROACH}:
+            exists = await conn.fetchone(
+                "SELECT * FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_name = 'dbversions'"
+            )
+
+        if not exists:
+            await migrations_module.m000_create_migrations_table(conn)
+
+        rows = await (await conn.execute("SELECT * FROM dbversions")).fetchall()
+        current_versions = {row["db"]: row["version"] for row in rows}
+        matcher = re.compile(r"^m(\d\d\d)_")
+        await run_migration(conn, migrations_module)