diff --git a/internal/autotag/integration_test.go b/internal/autotag/integration_test.go
index 4a4099040f8..efb010463e3 100644
--- a/internal/autotag/integration_test.go
+++ b/internal/autotag/integration_test.go
@@ -48,10 +48,10 @@ func getNewDB(databaseFile string) sqlite.DBInterface {
 	dbUrl, valid := os.LookupEnv("PGSQL_TEST")
 	if valid {
 		fmt.Printf("Postgres backend for tests detected\n")
-		db = sqlite.NewPostgresDatabase(dbUrl, true)
+		db = sqlite.NewPostgresDatabase(sqlite.NewDatabase(), dbUrl, true)
 	} else {
 		fmt.Printf("SQLite backend for tests detected\n")
-		db = sqlite.NewSQLiteDatabase(databaseFile, true)
+		db = sqlite.NewSQLiteDatabase(sqlite.NewDatabase(), databaseFile, true)
 	}
 
 	return db
diff --git a/internal/manager/init.go b/internal/manager/init.go
index f89178443e2..1834b2df4b6 100644
--- a/internal/manager/init.go
+++ b/internal/manager/init.go
@@ -35,19 +35,7 @@ import (
 func Initialize(cfg *config.Config, l *log.Logger) (*Manager, error) {
 	ctx := context.TODO()
 
-	var db sqlite.DBInterface
-
-	dbUrl := cfg.GetDatabaseUrl()
-	upperUrl := strings.ToUpper(dbUrl)
-	switch {
-	case strings.HasPrefix(upperUrl, string(sqlite.PostgresBackend)+":"):
-		db = sqlite.NewPostgresDatabase(dbUrl, true)
-	case strings.HasPrefix(upperUrl, string(sqlite.SqliteBackend)+":"):
-		db = sqlite.NewSQLiteDatabase(dbUrl[len(sqlite.SqliteBackend)+1:], true)
-	default:
-		// Assume it's the path to a SQLite database - for backwards compat
-		db = sqlite.NewSQLiteDatabase(dbUrl, true)
-	}
+	var db *sqlite.Database = sqlite.NewDatabase()
 
 	repo := db.Repository()
 
@@ -198,11 +186,31 @@ func initJobManager(cfg *config.Config) *job.Manager {
 	return ret
 }
 
+// Initializes the specific DB type
+func (s *Manager) RefreshDB() {
+	cfg := s.Config
+
+	var odb *sqlite.Database = s.Database.Pointer()
+
+	dbUrl := cfg.GetDatabaseUrl()
+	upperUrl := strings.ToUpper(dbUrl)
+	switch {
+	case strings.HasPrefix(upperUrl, string(sqlite.PostgresBackend)+":"):
+		s.Database = sqlite.NewPostgresDatabase(odb, dbUrl, true)
+	case strings.HasPrefix(upperUrl, string(sqlite.SqliteBackend)+":"):
+		s.Database = sqlite.NewSQLiteDatabase(odb, dbUrl[len(sqlite.SqliteBackend)+1:], true)
+	default:
+		// Assume it's the path to a SQLite database - for backwards compat
+		s.Database = sqlite.NewSQLiteDatabase(odb, dbUrl, true)
+	}
+}
+
 // postInit initialises the paths, caches and database after the initial
 // configuration has been set. Should only be called if the configuration
 // is valid.
 func (s *Manager) postInit(ctx context.Context) error {
 	s.RefreshConfig()
+	s.RefreshDB()
 
 	s.SessionStore = session.NewStore(s.Config)
 	s.PluginCache.RegisterSessionStore(s.SessionStore)
diff --git a/internal/manager/manager.go b/internal/manager/manager.go
index 138e38570b2..9a55f3d0185 100644
--- a/internal/manager/manager.go
+++ b/internal/manager/manager.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"math"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -383,7 +384,12 @@ func (s *Manager) GetSystemStatus() *SystemStatus {
 	database := s.Database
 	dbSchema := int(database.Version())
 	dbPath := database.DatabasePath()
-	appSchema := int(database.AppSchemaVersion())
+	appSchema := math.MaxInt32
+
+	// Database is not initialized and cannot be used yet
+	if !s.Config.IsNewSystem() {
+		appSchema = int(database.AppSchemaVersion())
+	}
 
 	status := SystemStatusEnumOk
 	if s.Config.IsNewSystem() {
diff --git a/pkg/sqlite/anonymise.go b/pkg/sqlite/anonymise.go
index a36642b0d39..1a02444fa57 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlite/anonymise.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlite/anonymise.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ type Anonymiser struct {
 var anon_dialect = goqu.Dialect("sqlite3")
 
 func NewAnonymiser(db DBInterface, outPath string) (*Anonymiser, error) {
-	newDB := NewSQLiteDatabase(outPath, false)
+	newDB := NewSQLiteDatabase(NewDatabase(), outPath, false)
 	if err := newDB.Open(); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("opening %s: %w", outPath, err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/sqlite/database.go b/pkg/sqlite/database.go
index 4f27375ff54..1f001f44a90 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlite/database.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlite/database.go
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ type DBInterface interface {
 	Version() uint
 	WithDatabase(ctx context.Context) (context.Context, error)
 	TestMode()
+	Pointer() *Database
 }
 
 type Database struct {
@@ -148,7 +149,7 @@ type Database struct {
 	lockChan chan struct{}
 }
 
-func newDatabase() *storeRepository {
+func newStoreRepo() *storeRepository {
 	fileStore := NewFileStore()
 	folderStore := NewFolderStore()
 	galleryStore := NewGalleryStore(fileStore, folderStore)
@@ -177,6 +178,13 @@ func newDatabase() *storeRepository {
 	return r
 }
 
+func NewDatabase() *Database {
+	return &Database{
+		storeRepository: newStoreRepo(),
+		lockChan:        make(chan struct{}, 1),
+	}
+}
+
 func getDBBoolean(val bool) string {
 	switch dbWrapper.dbType {
 	case SqliteBackend:
@@ -242,6 +250,10 @@ func isConstraintError(err error) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+func (db *Database) Pointer() *Database {
+	return db
+}
+
 func (db *Database) SetSchemaVersion(version uint) {
 	db.schemaVersion = version
 }
diff --git a/pkg/sqlite/database_postgres.go b/pkg/sqlite/database_postgres.go
index 74914c2d1d1..83f79607bf5 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlite/database_postgres.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlite/database_postgres.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 type PostgresDB struct {
-	Database
+	*Database
 }
 
 const (
@@ -20,13 +20,12 @@ const (
 	maxPGReadConnections  = 15
 )
 
-func NewPostgresDatabase(dbConnector string, init bool) *PostgresDB {
+func NewPostgresDatabase(odb *Database, dbConnector string, init bool) *PostgresDB {
 	db := &PostgresDB{
-		Database: Database{
-			storeRepository: newDatabase(),
-			dbConfig:        dbConnector,
-		},
+		Database: odb,
 	}
+
+	db.dbConfig = dbConnector
 	db.DBInterface = db
 
 	if init {
diff --git a/pkg/sqlite/database_sqlite.go b/pkg/sqlite/database_sqlite.go
index 3b7ee417b5f..943093117fe 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlite/database_sqlite.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlite/database_sqlite.go
@@ -13,17 +13,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 type SQLiteDB struct {
-	Database
+	*Database
 }
 
-func NewSQLiteDatabase(dbPath string, init bool) *SQLiteDB {
+func NewSQLiteDatabase(odb *Database, dbPath string, init bool) *SQLiteDB {
 	db := &SQLiteDB{
-		Database: Database{
-			storeRepository: newDatabase(),
-			lockChan:        make(chan struct{}, 1),
-			dbConfig:        dbPath,
-		},
+		Database: odb,
 	}
+
+	db.dbConfig = dbPath
 	db.DBInterface = db
 
 	if init {
diff --git a/pkg/sqlite/setup_test.go b/pkg/sqlite/setup_test.go
index 8f7a9ac8eea..56d51be1300 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlite/setup_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlite/setup_test.go
@@ -634,10 +634,10 @@ func getNewDB(databaseFile string) sqlite.DBInterface {
 	dbUrl, valid := os.LookupEnv("PGSQL_TEST")
 	if valid {
 		fmt.Printf("Postgres backend for tests detected\n")
-		db = sqlite.NewPostgresDatabase(dbUrl, true)
+		db = sqlite.NewPostgresDatabase(sqlite.NewDatabase(), dbUrl, true)
 	} else {
 		fmt.Printf("SQLite backend for tests detected\n")
-		db = sqlite.NewSQLiteDatabase(databaseFile, true)
+		db = sqlite.NewSQLiteDatabase(sqlite.NewDatabase(), databaseFile, true)
 	}
 
 	return db