diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index 019b1f2..9963ac8 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ esmBot ${esmBotVersion} (${process.env.GIT_REV})
   // database handling
   const dbResult = await database.upgrade(logger);
   if (dbResult === 1) return process.exit(1);
-  await database.setup();
 
   // process the threshold into bytes early
   if (process.env.TEMPDIR && process.env.THRESHOLD) {
@@ -118,7 +117,8 @@ esmBot ${esmBotVersion} (${process.env.GIT_REV})
     }
   }
   logger.log("info", "Finished loading commands.");
-  
+
+  await database.setup();
   if (process.env.API_TYPE === "ws") await reloadImageConnections();
 
   // create the oceanic client
diff --git a/utils/database/sqlite.js b/utils/database/sqlite.js
index e6a2d73..d771562 100644
--- a/utils/database/sqlite.js
+++ b/utils/database/sqlite.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export async function setup() {
   const counts = connection.prepare("SELECT * FROM counts").all();
   const merged = new Map([...collections.commands, ...collections.messageCommands]);
 
-  if (!counts) {
+  if (!counts || counts.length === 0) {
     for (const command of merged.keys()) {
       connection.prepare("INSERT INTO counts (command, count) VALUES (?, ?)").run(command, 0);
     }