diff --git a/wizard-server/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/server/listener/SystemInitializerListener.java b/wizard-server/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/server/listener/SystemInitializerListener.java
index 054a455..e1c66ea 100644
--- a/wizard-server/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/server/listener/SystemInitializerListener.java
+++ b/wizard-server/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/server/listener/SystemInitializerListener.java
@@ -20,8 +20,10 @@ public class SystemInitializerListener extends RestServerLifecycleListenerBase {
 
     public static final String PREFIX = SystemInitializerListener.class.getSimpleName() + ": ";
     public static final String SAFE_CHARS_MESSAGE = " -- this can only contain letters, numbers, spaces, tabs, and these special characters: -._/=";
+    public static void invalidName(final String msg, String value) { die(PREFIX + msg + ": " + value + SAFE_CHARS_MESSAGE); }
 
     @Getter @Setter private boolean checkRedis = true;
+    @Getter @Setter private String checkTable = null;
 
     @Override public void beforeStart(RestServer server) {
 
@@ -31,9 +33,9 @@ public class SystemInitializerListener extends RestServerLifecycleListenerBase {
         final String password = config.getDatabase().getPassword();
 
         // we're going to use these in shell scripts, so ensure they are safe
-        if (!checkSafeShellArg(db)) die(PREFIX+"invalid db name: "+db+SAFE_CHARS_MESSAGE);
-        if (!checkSafeShellArg(user)) die(PREFIX+"invalid db user name: "+user+SAFE_CHARS_MESSAGE);
-        if (!checkSafeShellArg(password)) die(PREFIX+": invalid password for user '"+user+"': "+password+SAFE_CHARS_MESSAGE);
+        if (!checkSafeShellArg(db)) invalidName("invalid db name", db);
+        if (!checkSafeShellArg(user)) invalidName("invalid db user name", user);
+        if (!checkSafeShellArg(password)) invalidName(": invalid password for user '"+user+"'", password);
 
         try {
             config.execSql("select 1");
@@ -44,12 +46,14 @@ public class SystemInitializerListener extends RestServerLifecycleListenerBase {
             log.warn(PREFIX+"database not configured, attempting to initialize...");
         }
 
-        // does a database exist?
         try {
             if (!dbExists(db)) {
                 execScript("createdb --encoding=UTF-8 "+db);
                 if (!dbExists(db)) die(PREFIX+"error creating "+db+" database");
 
+                // create the schema, just this time
+                config.getDatabase().getHibernate().setHbm2ddlAuto("create");
+
             } else {
                 log.info(db+" DB exists, not creating");
             }
@@ -62,6 +66,10 @@ public class SystemInitializerListener extends RestServerLifecycleListenerBase {
             } else {
                 log.info("DB user '"+user+"' exists, not creating");
             }
+
+            // create the schema because the database was just created
+            config.getDatabase().getHibernate().setHbm2ddlAuto("create");
+
         } catch (Exception e) {
             die(PREFIX+"Error initializing database: "+shortError(e));
         }
@@ -76,10 +84,30 @@ public class SystemInitializerListener extends RestServerLifecycleListenerBase {
             die(PREFIX+"database configuration failed, cannot run test query: "+shortError(e));
         }
 
+        // does a proper table exist?
+        if (!empty(checkTable)) {
+            if (!checkSafeShellArg(checkTable)) invalidName("invalid table name", checkTable);
+            try {
+                config.execSql("select * from " + checkTable + " limit 1");
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                log.warn("table '"+checkTable+"' not found, will create schema: " + shortError(e));
+                config.getDatabase().getHibernate().setHbm2ddlAuto("create");
+            }
+        }
+
         super.beforeStart(server);
     }
 
     @Override public void onStart(RestServer server) {
+        if (!empty(checkTable)) {
+            final PgRestServerConfiguration config = (PgRestServerConfiguration) server.getConfiguration();
+            if (!checkSafeShellArg(checkTable)) invalidName("invalid table name", checkTable);
+            try {
+                config.execSql("select * from "+checkTable+" limit 1");
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                die(PREFIX + "table '"+checkTable+"' not found: " + shortError(e));
+            }
+        }
         if (isCheckRedis()) {
             try {
                 final RedisService redis = server.getConfiguration().getBean(RedisService.class);