diff --git a/database/notsupported.go b/database/notsupported.go
index a2dbf16..95748a2 100644
--- a/database/notsupported.go
+++ b/database/notsupported.go
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+//nolint:revive // ignore unused parameters because these are stubs
 package database
 
 // NotSupportedDB is a db implementation used on database drivers when the
diff --git a/mysql/mysql.go b/mysql/mysql.go
index 0273491..4e89fb4 100644
--- a/mysql/mysql.go
+++ b/mysql/mysql.go
@@ -44,10 +44,22 @@ func (db *DB) Open(dataSourceName string, opt ...database.Option) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "error connecting to mysql")
 	}
-	_, err = _db.Exec(fmt.Sprintf("CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS `%s`", opts.Database))
+	rows, err := _db.Query(fmt.Sprintf("SHOW DATABASES LIKE '%s'", opts.Database))
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "error creating database %s (if not exists)", opts.Database)
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "error checking if database %s exists", opts.Database)
 	}
+	defer rows.Close()
+	// db doesn't exist, create it
+	if !rows.Next() {
+		_, err = _db.Exec(fmt.Sprintf("CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS `%s`", opts.Database))
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "error creating database %s (if not exists)", opts.Database)
+		}
+	}
+	if err = rows.Err(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error accessing databases: %w", err)
+	}
+
 	parsedDSN.DBName = opts.Database
 	db.db, err = sql.Open("mysql", parsedDSN.FormatDSN())
 	if err != nil {
@@ -82,6 +94,10 @@ func createTableQry(bucket []byte) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `%s`(nkey VARBINARY(255), nvalue BLOB, PRIMARY KEY (nkey));", bucket)
 }
 
+func checkTableQry(bucket []byte) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("SHOW TABLES LIKE '%s';", bucket)
+}
+
 func deleteTableQry(bucket []byte) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("DROP TABLE `%s`", bucket)
 }
@@ -261,9 +277,20 @@ func (db *DB) Update(tx *database.Tx) error {
 
 // CreateTable creates a table in the database.
 func (db *DB) CreateTable(bucket []byte) error {
-	_, err := db.db.Exec(createTableQry(bucket))
+	rows, err := db.db.Query(checkTableQry(bucket))
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create table %s", bucket)
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to check table %s", bucket)
+	}
+	defer rows.Close()
+	// Table doesn't exist, create it.
+	if !rows.Next() {
+		_, err := db.db.Exec(createTableQry(bucket))
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create table %s", bucket)
+		}
+	}
+	if err = rows.Err(); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "error accessing row")
 	}
 	return nil
 }