diff --git a/eth/db/chain.py b/eth/db/chain.py
index fa480d18dd..e5a135bbf5 100644
--- a/eth/db/chain.py
+++ b/eth/db/chain.py
@@ -75,10 +75,6 @@ class TransactionKey(rlp.Serializable):
 class BaseChainDB(BaseHeaderDB):
     db: BaseAtomicDB = None
 
-    @abstractmethod
-    def __init__(self, db: BaseAtomicDB) -> None:
-        raise NotImplementedError("ChainDB classes must implement this method")
-
     #
     # Header API
     #
@@ -166,9 +162,6 @@ def persist_trie_data_dict(self, trie_data_dict: Dict[Hash32, bytes]) -> None:
 
 
 class ChainDB(HeaderDB, BaseChainDB):
-    def __init__(self, db: BaseAtomicDB) -> None:
-        self.db = db
-
     #
     # Header API
     #
diff --git a/eth/db/header.py b/eth/db/header.py
index 8e35f5f648..d1f107796b 100644
--- a/eth/db/header.py
+++ b/eth/db/header.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
     BaseAtomicDB,
     BaseDB,
 )
-from eth.db.schema import SchemaV1
+from eth.db.schema import SchemaV1, Schemas, ensure_schema
 from eth.rlp.headers import BlockHeader
 from eth.validation import (
     validate_block_number,
@@ -44,8 +44,12 @@
 class BaseHeaderDB(ABC):
     db: BaseAtomicDB = None
 
-    def __init__(self, db: BaseAtomicDB) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, db: BaseAtomicDB,
+                 expected_schema: Schemas = Schemas.DEFAULT) -> None:
         self.db = db
+        self.schema = expected_schema
+
+        ensure_schema(db, expected_schema)
 
     #
     # Canonical Chain API
diff --git a/eth/db/schema.py b/eth/db/schema.py
index 05e868b97c..1efab2c65b 100644
--- a/eth/db/schema.py
+++ b/eth/db/schema.py
@@ -1,4 +1,12 @@
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
+from enum import Enum
+
+from eth.exceptions import (
+    SchemaDoesNotMatchError,
+    SchemaNotRecognizedError,
+)
+
+from eth.db.backends.base import BaseDB
 
 from eth_typing import (
     BlockNumber,
@@ -6,6 +14,11 @@
 )
 
 
+class Schemas(Enum):
+    DEFAULT = b'default'
+    TURBO = b'turbo'
+
+
 class BaseSchema(ABC):
     @staticmethod
     @abstractmethod
@@ -45,3 +58,29 @@ def make_block_hash_to_score_lookup_key(block_hash: Hash32) -> bytes:
     @staticmethod
     def make_transaction_hash_to_block_lookup_key(transaction_hash: Hash32) -> bytes:
         return b'transaction-hash-to-block:%s' % transaction_hash
+
+
+class SchemaTurbo(SchemaV1):
+    current_schema_lookup_key: bytes = b'current-schema'
+
+
+def get_schema(db: BaseDB) -> Schemas:
+    try:
+        current_schema = db[SchemaTurbo.current_schema_lookup_key]
+    except KeyError:
+        return Schemas.DEFAULT
+
+    try:
+        return Schemas(current_schema)
+    except ValueError:
+        raise SchemaNotRecognizedError(current_schema)
+
+
+def set_schema(db: BaseDB, schema: Schemas) -> None:
+    db.set(SchemaTurbo.current_schema_lookup_key, schema.value)
+
+
+def ensure_schema(db: BaseDB, expected_schema: Schemas) -> None:
+    reported_schema = get_schema(db)
+    if reported_schema != expected_schema:
+        raise SchemaDoesNotMatchError(reported_schema)
diff --git a/eth/exceptions.py b/eth/exceptions.py
index 87c0775618..6287ec687c 100644
--- a/eth/exceptions.py
+++ b/eth/exceptions.py
@@ -8,6 +8,18 @@ class PyEVMError(Exception):
     pass
 
 
+class SchemaNotRecognizedError(PyEVMError):
+    """
+    The database uses a schema which this version of py-evm does not support.
+    """
+
+
+class SchemaDoesNotMatchError(PyEVMError):
+    """
+    The database schema does not match the expected schema. It might need to be migrated.
+    """
+
+
 class VMNotFound(PyEVMError):
     """
     Raised when no VM is available for the provided block number.
diff --git a/eth/vm/state.py b/eth/vm/state.py
index d3600cd403..d691bc2c54 100644
--- a/eth/vm/state.py
+++ b/eth/vm/state.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 from eth.db.backends.base import (
     BaseAtomicDB,
 )
+from eth.db.schema import ensure_schema, Schemas
 from eth.exceptions import StateRootNotFound
 from eth.tools.logging import (
     ExtendedDebugLogger,
@@ -86,11 +87,14 @@ def __init__(
             self,
             db: BaseAtomicDB,
             execution_context: ExecutionContext,
-            state_root: bytes) -> None:
+            state_root: bytes,
+            expected_schema: Schemas = Schemas.DEFAULT) -> None:
         self._db = db
         self.execution_context = execution_context
         self._account_db = self.get_account_db_class()(db, state_root)
 
+        ensure_schema(db, expected_schema)
+
     #
     # Logging
     #