diff --git a/bin/kong b/bin/kong
index 6cecd6b1bd21..18039be8b646 100755
--- a/bin/kong
+++ b/bin/kong
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ function print_start_error {
 ##############
 
 function show_help {
-  printf "Usage: kong [OPTION]... {start|stop|restart|migrate}\n
+  printf "Usage: kong [OPTION]... {start|stop|restart}\n
 \t-c    specify the path to a custom Kong configuration file
 \t      default is: '$KONG_HOME/kong.yml'
 \t-v    output version informations and exit
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ function show_help {
 \tstop       stop a running Kong
 \trestart    restart Kong
 \t           it is equivalent to executing 'stop' and 'start' in succession
-\tmigrate    performs a database migration, execute this operation carefully
 \tversion    output version informations and exit
 \n"
 }
@@ -107,15 +106,6 @@ function start {
   fi
 }
 
-function migrate {
-  $KONG_HOME/scripts/db.lua -c $KONG_CONF migrate
-  if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
-    exit 0
-  else
-    exit 1
-  fi
-}
-
 function stop {
   printf "Stopping Kong"
 
@@ -173,9 +163,6 @@ case "$@" in
   restart)
       restart
       ;;
-  migrate)
-      migrate
-      ;;
   version)
       show_version
       ;;
diff --git a/src/kong/dao/cassandra/base_dao.lua b/src/kong/dao/cassandra/base_dao.lua
index e9c280b7f807..817020b55421 100644
--- a/src/kong/dao/cassandra/base_dao.lua
+++ b/src/kong/dao/cassandra/base_dao.lua
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ end
 -- Since this method only accepts an ordered list, we build this list from
 -- the `params` property of all prepared statement, taking into account special
 -- cassandra values (uuid, timestamps, NULL)
---
 -- @param {table} schema A schema with type properties to encode specific values
 -- @param {table} t Values to bind to a statement
 -- @param {table} parameters An ordered list of parameters
diff --git a/src/kong/dao/cassandra/factory.lua b/src/kong/dao/cassandra/factory.lua
index 38270ca62f7b..8a88e7aa01e5 100644
--- a/src/kong/dao/cassandra/factory.lua
+++ b/src/kong/dao/cassandra/factory.lua
@@ -58,16 +58,15 @@ end
 
 -- Prepare all statements in collection._queries and put them in collection._statements.
 -- Should be called with only a collection and will recursively call itself for nested statements.
---
 -- @param collection A collection with a ._queries property
-local function prepare(collection, queries, statements)
+local function prepare_collection(collection, queries, statements)
   if not queries then queries = collection._queries end
   if not statements then statements = collection._statements end
 
   for stmt_name, query in pairs(queries) do
     if type(query) == "table" and query.query == nil then
       collection._statements[stmt_name] = {}
-      prepare(collection, query, collection._statements[stmt_name])
+      prepare_collection(collection, query, collection._statements[stmt_name])
     else
       local q = stringy.strip(query.query)
       q = string.format(q, "")
@@ -88,7 +87,7 @@ function CassandraFactory:prepare()
                                 self.plugins,
                                 self.accounts,
                                 self.applications }) do
-    local err = prepare(collection)
+    local err = prepare_collection(collection)
     if err then
       return err
     end
@@ -97,7 +96,6 @@ end
 
 -- Execute a string of queries separated by ;
 -- Useful for huge DDL operations such as migrations
---
 -- @param {string} queries Semicolon separated string of queries
 -- @param {boolean} no_keyspace Won't set the keyspace if true
 -- @return {string} error if any
@@ -180,15 +178,17 @@ end
 -- @return A list of previously executed migration (as strings)
 -- @return error if any
 function CassandraFactory:get_migrations()
-  local keyspace, err = self:execute("SELECT * FROM schema_keyspaces WHERE keyspace_name = ?", { self._properties.keyspace }, "system")
+  local rows, err
+
+  rows, err = self:execute("SELECT * FROM schema_keyspaces WHERE keyspace_name = ?", { self._properties.keyspace }, "system")
   if err then
     return nil, err
-  elseif #keyspace == 0 then
+  elseif #rows == 0 then
     -- keyspace is not yet created, this is the first migration
     return nil
   end
 
-  local rows, err = self:execute("SELECT migrations FROM schema_migrations WHERE id = ?", { MIGRATION_IDENTIFIER })
+  rows, err = self:execute("SELECT migrations FROM schema_migrations WHERE id = ?", { MIGRATION_IDENTIFIER })
   if err then
     return nil, err
   elseif rows and #rows > 0 then
diff --git a/src/kong/tools/migrations.lua b/src/kong/tools/migrations.lua
index 3f4c9cb482a9..3cc59baf35f9 100644
--- a/src/kong/tools/migrations.lua
+++ b/src/kong/tools/migrations.lua
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ function Migrations:rollback(callback)
   if not migration_to_rollback.init then
     local _, err = self.dao:delete_migration(migration_to_rollback.name)
     if err then
-      callback(migration_to_rollback, "Cannot delete migration "..migration_to_rollback.name..": "..err) -- avoid a luacheck warning if calling cb directly here
+      callback(migration_to_rollback, "Cannot delete migration "..migration_to_rollback.name..": "..err)
       return
     end
   end
diff --git a/src/main.lua b/src/main.lua
index 2cc02b0bbfcd..6bac66623e9c 100644
--- a/src/main.lua
+++ b/src/main.lua
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ local function load_plugin_conf(api_id, application_id, plugin_name)
 end
 
 local function init_plugins()
-  -- Initializing plugins
-
   plugins_available = configuration.plugins_available and configuration.plugins_available or {}
 
   print("Discovering used plugins. Please wait..")
@@ -126,10 +124,25 @@ function _M.init()
   -- Loading configuration
   configuration, dao = utils.load_configuration_and_dao(os.getenv("KONG_CONF"))
 
+  -- Detect if keyspace is set
+  local keyspace, err = dao:get_migrations()
+  if err then
+    error(err)
+  elseif keyspace == nil then
+    -- No previous migrations, it should be safe to run them
+    print("Database not initialized. Running migrations...")
+    local migrations = require("kong.tools.migrations")(dao)
+    migrations:migrate(function(migration, err)
+      if err then
+        error(err)
+      end
+    end)
+  end
+
   -- Initializing DAO
   local err = dao:prepare()
   if err then
-    error("Cannot prepare Cassandra statements: "..err.message)
+    error("Cannot prepare statements: "..err.message)
   end
 
   -- Initializing plugins