diff --git a/lib/commands/start.js b/lib/commands/start.js
index 88ec768ee..d8546e98b 100644
--- a/lib/commands/start.js
+++ b/lib/commands/start.js
@@ -45,6 +45,30 @@ module.exports = BaseCommand.extend({
         // TODO: rethink this
         return this.runCommand('config', 'paths.contentPath', path.join(process.cwd(), 'content'), {environment: environment})
             .then(function () {
+                var KnexMigrator = require('knex-migrator'),
+                    knexMigrator;
+                /**
+                 * If we require any JS file from Ghost source code (for example the config), then it's always env-less!
+                 *
+                 * 1. Ghost-CLI requires knex-migrator
+                 * 2. knex-migrator loads the .knex-migrator config file from the current Ghost version
+                 * 3. this is env-less
+                 *
+                 * Alternative solution is: passing the env into knex-migrator, but that feels not right?
+                 * @TODO: rethink
+                 */
+                process.env.NODE_ENV = environment;
+
+                // @TODO: where to get this path from?
+                knexMigrator = new KnexMigrator({
+                    knexMigratorFilePath: process.cwd() + '/current'
+                });
+
+                return knexMigrator.isDatabaseOK()
+                    .catch(function () {
+                        return knexMigrator.init();
+                    });
+            }).then(function () {
                 return self.ui.run(
                     Promise.resolve(pm.start(process.cwd(), environment)),
                     'Starting Ghost instance'
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 79aebbacf..c7efb4506 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
     "inquirer": "1.2.2",
     "lodash": "4.16.4",
     "log-symbols": "1.0.2",
+    "knex-migrator": "0.0.6",
     "npm": "2.15.11",
     "semver": "5.3.0",
     "symlink-or-copy": "1.1.6",