diff --git a/app/Console/Commands/UpgradeDatabase.php b/app/Console/Commands/UpgradeDatabase.php
index 2c1a4dee63..4d3633289f 100644
--- a/app/Console/Commands/UpgradeDatabase.php
+++ b/app/Console/Commands/UpgradeDatabase.php
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ use FireflyIII\Models\TransactionJournal;
 use Illuminate\Console\Command;
 use Illuminate\Database\QueryException;
 use Log;
+use Schema;
 
 /**
  * Class UpgradeDatabase
@@ -65,6 +66,12 @@ class UpgradeDatabase extends Command
      */
     private function setTransactionIdentifier()
     {
+        // if table does not exist, return false
+        if (!Schema::hasTable('transaction_journals')) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+
         $subQuery = TransactionJournal
             ::leftJoin('transactions', 'transactions.transaction_journal_id', '=', 'transaction_journals.id')
             ->whereNull('transaction_journals.deleted_at')
diff --git a/app/Console/Commands/VerifyDatabase.php b/app/Console/Commands/VerifyDatabase.php
index 6050902ecd..74668f4c24 100644
--- a/app/Console/Commands/VerifyDatabase.php
+++ b/app/Console/Commands/VerifyDatabase.php
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ use FireflyIII\Repositories\User\UserRepositoryInterface;
 use FireflyIII\User;
 use Illuminate\Console\Command;
 use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Builder;
+use Schema;
 use stdClass;
 
 /**
@@ -61,6 +62,11 @@ class VerifyDatabase extends Command
      */
     public function handle()
     {
+        // if table does not exist, return false
+        if (!Schema::hasTable('users')) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         // accounts with no transactions.
         $this->reportAccounts();
         // budgets with no limits