diff --git a/cmd/configmap-server/main.go b/cmd/configmap-server/main.go
index ca163a99bb..fa471fc0ef 100644
--- a/cmd/configmap-server/main.go
+++ b/cmd/configmap-server/main.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"database/sql"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 
@@ -98,11 +99,19 @@ func runCmdFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		logger.Fatalf("error getting configmap: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	sqlLoader, err := sqlite.NewSQLLiteLoader(sqlite.WithDBName(dbName))
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dbName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	sqlLoader, err := sqlite.NewSQLLiteLoader(db)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := sqlLoader.Migrate(context.TODO()); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	configMapPopulator := sqlite.NewSQLLoaderForConfigMap(sqlLoader, *configMap)
 	if err := configMapPopulator.Populate(); err != nil {
 		err = fmt.Errorf("error loading manifests from configmap: %s", err)
diff --git a/cmd/initializer/main.go b/cmd/initializer/main.go
index 5fdbe45c1b..4666b6dd2f 100644
--- a/cmd/initializer/main.go
+++ b/cmd/initializer/main.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"context"
+	"database/sql"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -53,11 +55,19 @@ func runCmdFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	dbLoader, err := sqlite.NewSQLLiteLoader(sqlite.WithDBName(outFilename))
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", outFilename)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	defer dbLoader.Close()
+	defer db.Close()
+
+	dbLoader, err := sqlite.NewSQLLiteLoader(db)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := dbLoader.Migrate(context.TODO()); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	loader := sqlite.NewSQLLoaderForDirectory(dbLoader, manifestDir)
 	if err := loader.Populate(); err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/opm/registry/serve.go b/cmd/opm/registry/serve.go
index 8b30ec5b2e..2a020a351c 100644
--- a/cmd/opm/registry/serve.go
+++ b/cmd/opm/registry/serve.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package registry
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"database/sql"
+	"fmt"
 	"net"
 
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -12,9 +14,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/pkg/api"
 	health "github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/pkg/api/grpc_health_v1"
 	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/pkg/lib/log"
-	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/pkg/registry"
 	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/pkg/server"
 	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/pkg/sqlite"
+	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/pkg/sqlite/migrations"
 )
 
 func newRegistryServeCmd() *cobra.Command {
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@ func newRegistryServeCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringP("database", "d", "bundles.db", "relative path to sqlite db")
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringP("port", "p", "50051", "port number to serve on")
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringP("termination-log", "t", "/dev/termination-log", "path to a container termination log file")
-
+	rootCmd.Flags().Bool("skip-migrate", false, "do  not attempt to migrate to the latest db revision when starting")
 	return rootCmd
 
 }
@@ -64,15 +66,18 @@ func runRegistryServeCmdFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	logger := logrus.WithFields(logrus.Fields{"database": dbName, "port": port})
 
-	var store registry.Query
-	store, err = sqlite.NewSQLLiteQuerier(dbName)
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dbName)
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.WithError(err).Warnf("failed to load db")
+		return err
 	}
-	if store == nil {
-		store = registry.NewEmptyQuerier()
+
+	// migrate to the latest version
+	if err := migrate(cmd, db); err != nil {
+		logger.WithError(err).Warnf("couldn't migrate db")
 	}
 
+	store := sqlite.NewSQLLiteQuerierFromDb(db)
+
 	// sanity check that the db is available
 	tables, err := store.ListTables(context.TODO())
 	if err != nil {
@@ -98,3 +103,23 @@ func runRegistryServeCmdFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func migrate(cmd *cobra.Command, db *sql.DB) error {
+	shouldSkipMigrate, err := cmd.Flags().GetBool("skip-migrate")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if shouldSkipMigrate {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	migrator, err := sqlite.NewSQLLiteMigrator(db)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if migrator == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to load migrator")
+	}
+
+	return migrator.Up(context.TODO(), migrations.From(migrations.InitMigrationKey))
+}
diff --git a/cmd/registry-server/main.go b/cmd/registry-server/main.go
index a06c341106..47ee464ea1 100644
--- a/cmd/registry-server/main.go
+++ b/cmd/registry-server/main.go
@@ -2,9 +2,13 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"database/sql"
+	"fmt"
 	"net"
 
 	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/pkg/lib/log"
+	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/pkg/sqlite/migrations"
+
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
@@ -12,7 +16,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/pkg/api"
 	health "github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/pkg/api/grpc_health_v1"
-	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/pkg/registry"
 	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/pkg/server"
 	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-registry/pkg/sqlite"
 )
@@ -36,6 +39,7 @@ func init() {
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringP("database", "d", "bundles.db", "relative path to sqlite db")
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringP("port", "p", "50051", "port number to serve on")
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringP("termination-log", "t", "/dev/termination-log", "path to a container termination log file")
+	rootCmd.Flags().Bool("skip-migrate", false, "do  not attempt to migrate to the latest db revision when starting")
 	if err := rootCmd.Flags().MarkHidden("debug"); err != nil {
 		logrus.Panic(err.Error())
 	}
@@ -69,15 +73,18 @@ func runCmdFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	logger := logrus.WithFields(logrus.Fields{"database": dbName, "port": port})
 
-	var store registry.Query
-	store, err = sqlite.NewSQLLiteQuerier(dbName)
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dbName)
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.WithError(err).Warnf("failed to load db")
+		return err
 	}
-	if store == nil {
-		store = registry.NewEmptyQuerier()
+
+	// migrate to the latest version
+	if err := migrate(cmd, db); err != nil {
+		logger.WithError(err).Warnf("couldn't migrate db")
 	}
 
+	store := sqlite.NewSQLLiteQuerierFromDb(db)
+
 	// sanity check that the db is available
 	tables, err := store.ListTables(context.TODO())
 	if err != nil {
@@ -103,3 +110,24 @@ func runCmdFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+
+func migrate(cmd *cobra.Command, db *sql.DB) error {
+	shouldSkipMigrate, err := cmd.Flags().GetBool("skip-migrate")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if shouldSkipMigrate {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	migrator, err := sqlite.NewSQLLiteMigrator(db)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if migrator == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to load migrator")
+	}
+
+	return migrator.Up(context.TODO(), migrations.From(migrations.InitMigrationKey))
+}
diff --git a/pkg/appregistry/dbloader.go b/pkg/appregistry/dbloader.go
index 8ba4957eef..fd427c3f2a 100644
--- a/pkg/appregistry/dbloader.go
+++ b/pkg/appregistry/dbloader.go
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ func NewDbLoader(dbName string, logger *logrus.Entry) (*dbLoader, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if err := sqlLoader.Migrate(context.TODO()); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	return &dbLoader{
 		loader: sqlLoader,
 		logger: logger,