diff --git a/chatterbot/storage/sql_storage.py b/chatterbot/storage/sql_storage.py
index d222bb852..4253a11ae 100644
--- a/chatterbot/storage/sql_storage.py
+++ b/chatterbot/storage/sql_storage.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class SQLStorageAdapter(StorageAdapter):
         can be especified to choose database driver (database parameter will be igored).
     :type database_uri: str
 
-    :keyword read_only: False by default, makes all operations read only,  has priority over all DB operations
+    :keyword read_only: False by default, makes all operations read only, has priority over all DB operations
         so, create, update, delete will NOT be executed
     :type read_only: bool
 
@@ -104,20 +104,17 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         from sqlalchemy import create_engine
         from sqlalchemy.orm import sessionmaker
 
-        self.database_name = self.kwargs.get("database")
-
-        if self.database_name:
-
-            # Create a sqlite file if a database name is provided
-            self.database_uri = self.kwargs.get(
-                "database_uri", "sqlite:///" + self.database_name + ".db"
-            )
-
-        # The default uses sqlite in-memory database
+        # The default uses a sqlite in-memory database
         self.database_uri = self.kwargs.get(
             "database_uri", "sqlite://"
         )
 
+        database_name = self.kwargs.get("database")
+
+        # Create a sqlite file if a database name is provided
+        if database_name:
+            self.database_uri = "sqlite:///" + database_name + ".db"
+
         self.engine = create_engine(self.database_uri)
 
         self.read_only = self.kwargs.get(
diff --git a/tests/storage_adapter_tests/test_sqlalchemy_adapter.py b/tests/storage_adapter_tests/test_sqlalchemy_adapter.py
index 15497f981..826da95b7 100644
--- a/tests/storage_adapter_tests/test_sqlalchemy_adapter.py
+++ b/tests/storage_adapter_tests/test_sqlalchemy_adapter.py
@@ -27,6 +27,18 @@ def tearDown(self):
 
 class SQLStorageAdapterTestCase(SQLAlchemyAdapterTestCase):
 
+    def test_set_database_name_none(self):
+        adapter = SQLStorageAdapter(database=None)
+        self.assertEqual(adapter.database_uri, 'sqlite://')
+
+    def test_set_database_name(self):
+        adapter = SQLStorageAdapter(database='test')
+        self.assertEqual(adapter.database_uri, 'sqlite:///test.db')
+
+    def test_set_database_uri(self):
+        adapter = SQLStorageAdapter(database_uri='sqlite:///db.sqlite3')
+        self.assertEqual(adapter.database_uri, 'sqlite:///db.sqlite3')
+
     def test_count_returns_zero(self):
         """
         The count method should return a value of 0