diff --git a/src/users.c b/src/users.c
index abb7d1f..2f6a789 100644
--- a/src/users.c
+++ b/src/users.c
@@ -16,6 +16,35 @@ extern struct bbs_config conf;
 extern struct user_record *gUser;
 
 static void open_users_db_or_die(sqlite3 **db) {
+	char *err_msg = NULL;
+	int rc = 0;	
+	static const char *create_sql =
+	    "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS users ("
+	    "Id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,"
+	    "loginname TEXT COLLATE NOCASE,"
+	    "password TEXT,"
+	    "salt TEXT,"
+	    "firstname TEXT,"
+	    "lastname TEXT,"
+	    "email TEXT,"
+	    "location TEXT,"
+	    "sec_level INTEGER,"
+	    "last_on INTEGER,"
+	    "time_left INTEGER,"
+	    "cur_mail_conf INTEGER,"
+	    "cur_mail_area INTEGER,"
+	    "cur_file_sub INTEGER,"
+	    "cur_file_dir INTEGER,"
+	    "times_on INTEGER,"
+	    "bwavepktno INTEGER,"
+	    "archiver INTEGER,"
+	    "protocol INTEGER,"
+	    "nodemsgs INTEGER,"
+	    "codepage INTEGER,"
+	    "exteditor INTEGER,"
+	    "bwavestyle INTEGER,"
+	    "signature TEXT,"
+	    "autosig INTEGER);";
 	char buffer[PATH_MAX];
 	snprintf(buffer, PATH_MAX, "%s/users.sq3", conf.bbs_path);
 	if (sqlite3_open(buffer, db) != SQLITE_OK) {
@@ -25,6 +54,13 @@ static void open_users_db_or_die(sqlite3 **db) {
 	}
 	assert(db != NULL);
 	sqlite3_busy_timeout(*db, 5000);
+	rc = sqlite3_exec(db, create_sql, 0, 0, &err_msg);
+	if (rc != SQLITE_OK) {
+		dolog("SQL error: %s", err_msg);
+		sqlite3_free(err_msg);
+		sqlite3_close(db);
+		exit(1);
+	}	
 }
 
 char *hash_sha256(char *pass, char *salt) {
@@ -310,34 +346,6 @@ int inst_user(struct user_record *user) {
 	char *err_msg = NULL;
 	int rc = 0;
 
-	static const char *create_sql =
-	    "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS users ("
-	    "Id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,"
-	    "loginname TEXT COLLATE NOCASE,"
-	    "password TEXT,"
-	    "salt TEXT,"
-	    "firstname TEXT,"
-	    "lastname TEXT,"
-	    "email TEXT,"
-	    "location TEXT,"
-	    "sec_level INTEGER,"
-	    "last_on INTEGER,"
-	    "time_left INTEGER,"
-	    "cur_mail_conf INTEGER,"
-	    "cur_mail_area INTEGER,"
-	    "cur_file_sub INTEGER,"
-	    "cur_file_dir INTEGER,"
-	    "times_on INTEGER,"
-	    "bwavepktno INTEGER,"
-	    "archiver INTEGER,"
-	    "protocol INTEGER,"
-	    "nodemsgs INTEGER,"
-	    "codepage INTEGER,"
-	    "exteditor INTEGER,"
-	    "bwavestyle INTEGER,"
-	    "signature TEXT,"
-	    "autosig INTEGER);";
-
 	static const char *insert_sql =
 	    "INSERT INTO users (loginname, password, salt, firstname,"
 	    "lastname, email, location, sec_level, last_on, time_left, "
@@ -348,14 +356,6 @@ int inst_user(struct user_record *user) {
 
 	open_users_db_or_die(&db);
 
-	rc = sqlite3_exec(db, create_sql, 0, 0, &err_msg);
-	if (rc != SQLITE_OK) {
-		dolog("SQL error: %s", err_msg);
-		sqlite3_free(err_msg);
-		sqlite3_close(db);
-		exit(1);
-	}
-
 	rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(db, insert_sql, -1, &res, 0);
 	if (rc != SQLITE_OK) {
 		dolog("Failed to execute statement: %s", sqlite3_errmsg(db));