diff --git a/assets_helper.py b/assets_helper.py
index 5040cc312..0716de11a 100644
--- a/assets_helper.py
+++ b/assets_helper.py
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 import queries
 import datetime
 
+FIELDS = ["asset_id", "name", "uri", "start_date",
+          "end_date", "duration", "mimetype", "is_enabled", "nocache"]
+
+create_assets_table = 'CREATE TABLE assets(asset_id text primary key, name text, uri text, md5 text, start_date timestamp, end_date timestamp, duration text, mimetype text, is_enabled integer default 0, nocache integer default 0)'
+
 get_time = datetime.datetime.utcnow
 
 
@@ -49,7 +54,7 @@ def create(conn, asset):
     return asset
 
 
-def read(conn, asset_id=None, keys=db.FIELDS):
+def read(conn, asset_id=None, keys=FIELDS):
     """
     Fetch one or more assets from the database.
     Returns a list of dicts or one dict.
diff --git a/db.py b/db.py
index bf454f79e..6b39d2b2d 100644
--- a/db.py
+++ b/db.py
@@ -3,14 +3,8 @@
 
 import queries
 
-FIELDS = [
-    "asset_id", "name", "uri", "start_date",
-    "end_date", "duration", "mimetype", "is_enabled", "nocache"
-]
-
 conn = lambda db: sqlite3.connect(db, detect_types=sqlite3.PARSE_DECLTYPES)
 
-
 @contextmanager
 def cursor(connection):
     cur = connection.cursor()
@@ -24,10 +18,3 @@ def commit(connection):
     yield cur
     connection.commit()
     cur.close()
-
-
-def create_assets_table(cur):
-    try:
-        cur.execute(queries.create_assets_table)
-    except sqlite3.OperationalError as _:
-        pass
diff --git a/queries.py b/queries.py
index df83a0ae9..2ba8ee295 100644
--- a/queries.py
+++ b/queries.py
@@ -1,20 +1,9 @@
-create_assets_table = """
-create table assets(
-asset_id text primary key,
-name text,
-uri text,
-md5 text,
-start_date timestamp,
-end_date timestamp,
-duration text,
-mimetype text,
-is_enabled integer default 0,
-nocache integer default 0)
-"""
 
 comma = ','.join
 quest = lambda l: '=?,'.join(l) + '=?'
 
+exists_table = "SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table' AND name='assets'"
+
 read_all = lambda keys: 'select ' + comma(keys) + ' from assets order by name'
 read = lambda keys: 'select ' + comma(keys) + ' from assets where asset_id=?'
 create = lambda keys: 'insert into assets (' + comma(keys) + ') values (' + comma(['?'] * len(keys)) + ')'
diff --git a/server.py b/server.py
index e223faa80..adab6b302 100644
--- a/server.py
+++ b/server.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 from bottlehaml import haml_template
 
 import db
+import queries
 import assets_helper
 
 from utils import json_dump
@@ -354,7 +355,9 @@ def static(path):
         global db_conn
         db_conn = conn
         with db.cursor(db_conn) as c:
-            db.create_assets_table(c)
+            c.execute(queries.exists_table)
+            if c.fetchone() is None:
+                c.execute(assets_helper.create_assets_table)
         run(host=settings.get_listen_ip(),
             port=settings.get_listen_port(),
             reloader=True)
diff --git a/server_test.py b/server_test.py
index 98d49eb4c..a78ce1e06 100644
--- a/server_test.py
+++ b/server_test.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 
 import assets_helper
 import db
-import queries
 
 # fixtures chronology
 #
@@ -65,7 +64,7 @@ def setUp(self):
         self.assertEmpty = functools.partial(self.assertEqual, [])
         self.conn = db.conn(':memory:')
         with db.commit(self.conn) as cursor:
-            cursor.execute(queries.create_assets_table)
+            cursor.execute(assets_helper.create_assets_table)
 
     def tearDown(self):
         self.conn.close()