diff --git a/cmd/mt-store-cat/main.go b/cmd/mt-store-cat/main.go
index a1dccb416f..594b3a62d0 100644
--- a/cmd/mt-store-cat/main.go
+++ b/cmd/mt-store-cat/main.go
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ var (
 	//cassandraWriteConcurrency    = flag.Int("cassandra-write-concurrency", 10, "max number of concurrent writes to cassandra.")
 	cassandraReadQueueSize = flag.Int("cassandra-read-queue-size", 200000, "max number of outstanding reads before reads will be dropped. This is important if you run queries that result in many reads in parallel.")
 	//cassandraWriteQueueSize      = flag.Int("cassandra-write-queue-size", 100000, "write queue size per cassandra worker. should be large engough to hold all at least the total number of series expected, divided by how many workers you have")
-	cassandraRetries   = flag.Int("cassandra-retries", 0, "how many times to retry a query before failing it")
-	cqlProtocolVersion = flag.Int("cql-protocol-version", 4, "cql protocol version to use")
-	cassandraCreateKeyspace      = flag.Bool("cassandra-create-keyspace", true, "enable the creation of the metrictank keyspace")
+	cassandraRetries        = flag.Int("cassandra-retries", 0, "how many times to retry a query before failing it")
+	cqlProtocolVersion      = flag.Int("cql-protocol-version", 4, "cql protocol version to use")
+	cassandraCreateKeyspace = flag.Bool("cassandra-create-keyspace", true, "enable the creation of the metrictank keyspace")
 
 	cassandraSSL              = flag.Bool("cassandra-ssl", false, "enable SSL connection to cassandra")
 	cassandraCaPath           = flag.String("cassandra-ca-path", "/etc/metrictank/ca.pem", "cassandra CA certificate path when using SSL")
diff --git a/idx/cassandra/cassandra.go b/idx/cassandra/cassandra.go
index ee8f277aad..1dba476ed8 100644
--- a/idx/cassandra/cassandra.go
+++ b/idx/cassandra/cassandra.go
@@ -176,9 +176,15 @@ func (c *CasIdx) InitBare() error {
 			log.Error(3, "cassandra-idx failed to initialize cassandra keyspace. %s", err)
 			return err
 		}
+		err = tmpSession.Query(fmt.Sprintf(TableSchema, keyspace)).Exec()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error(3, "cassandra-idx failed to initialize cassandra table. %s", err)
+			return err
+		}
 	} else {
+		var keyspaceMetadata *gocql.KeyspaceMetadata
 		for attempt := 1; attempt > 0; attempt++ {
-			_, err = tmpSession.KeyspaceMetadata(keyspace)
+			keyspaceMetadata, err = tmpSession.KeyspaceMetadata(keyspace)
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Warn("cassandra-idx cassandra keyspace not found. retry attempt: %v", attempt)
 				if attempt > 5 {
@@ -186,16 +192,20 @@ func (c *CasIdx) InitBare() error {
 				}
 				time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
 			} else {
-				break
+				if _, ok := keyspaceMetadata.Tables["metric_idx"]; ok {
+					break
+				} else {
+					log.Warn("cassandra-idx cassandra table not found. retry attempt: %v", attempt)
+					if attempt > 5 {
+						return err
+					}
+					time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+				}
 			}
 		}
+
 	}
-	
-	err = tmpSession.Query(fmt.Sprintf(TableSchema, keyspace)).Exec()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Error(3, "cassandra-idx failed to initialize cassandra table. %s", err)
-		return err
-	}
+
 	tmpSession.Close()
 	c.cluster.Keyspace = keyspace
 	session, err := c.cluster.CreateSession()
diff --git a/mdata/store_cassandra.go b/mdata/store_cassandra.go
index bc7e6492e0..b2f06fbdd9 100644
--- a/mdata/store_cassandra.go
+++ b/mdata/store_cassandra.go
@@ -199,16 +199,30 @@ func NewCassandraStore(addrs, keyspace, consistency, CaPath, Username, Password,
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	ttlTables := GetTTLTables(ttls, windowFactor, Table_name_format)
+
 	// create or verify the metrictank keyspace
 	if createKeyspace {
 		err = tmpSession.Query(fmt.Sprintf(keyspace_schema, keyspace)).Exec()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
+		for _, result := range ttlTables {
+			err := tmpSession.Query(fmt.Sprintf(table_schema, keyspace, result.Table, result.WindowSize, result.WindowSize*60*60)).Exec()
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		}
+
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	} else {
+		var keyspaceMetadata *gocql.KeyspaceMetadata
 		// five attempts to verify the keyspace exists before returning an error
+	AttemptLoop:
 		for attempt := 1; attempt > 0; attempt++ {
-			_, err = tmpSession.KeyspaceMetadata(keyspace)
+			keyspaceMetadata, err = tmpSession.KeyspaceMetadata(keyspace)
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Warn("cassandra keyspace not found; attempt: %v", attempt)
 				if attempt > 5 {
@@ -216,22 +230,21 @@ func NewCassandraStore(addrs, keyspace, consistency, CaPath, Username, Password,
 				}
 				time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
 			} else {
+				for _, result := range ttlTables {
+					if _, ok := keyspaceMetadata.Tables[result.Table]; !ok {
+						log.Warn("cassandra table %s not found; attempt: %v", result.Table, attempt)
+						if attempt > 5 {
+							return nil, err
+						}
+						time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+						continue AttemptLoop
+					}
+				}
 				break
 			}
 		}
-	} 
-
-	ttlTables := GetTTLTables(ttls, windowFactor, Table_name_format)
-	for _, result := range ttlTables {
-		err := tmpSession.Query(fmt.Sprintf(table_schema, keyspace, result.Table, result.WindowSize, result.WindowSize*60*60)).Exec()
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
 	}
 
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
 	tmpSession.Close()
 	cluster.Keyspace = keyspace
 	cluster.RetryPolicy = &gocql.SimpleRetryPolicy{NumRetries: retries}