diff --git a/driver/configuration/provider_viper.go b/driver/configuration/provider_viper.go
index 46cf089bb757..3bcda8cf2bb5 100644
--- a/driver/configuration/provider_viper.go
+++ b/driver/configuration/provider_viper.go
@@ -145,7 +145,13 @@ func (p *ViperProvider) PublicListenOn() string {
 }
 
 func (p *ViperProvider) DSN() string {
-	if dsn := viperx.GetString(p.l, ViperKeyDSN, ""); len(dsn) > 0 {
+	dsn := viperx.GetString(p.l, ViperKeyDSN, "")
+
+	if dsn == "memory" {
+		return "sqlite://mem.db?mode=memory&_fk=true&cache=shared"
+	}
+
+	if len(dsn) > 0 {
 		return dsn
 	}
 
diff --git a/driver/configuration/provider_viper_test.go b/driver/configuration/provider_viper_test.go
index e66cd39c976d..ff75be22cf6b 100644
--- a/driver/configuration/provider_viper_test.go
+++ b/driver/configuration/provider_viper_test.go
@@ -181,3 +181,57 @@ func TestViperProvider(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	})
 }
+
+type InterceptHook struct {
+	lastEntry *logrus.Entry
+}
+
+func (l InterceptHook) Levels() []logrus.Level {
+	return []logrus.Level{logrus.FatalLevel}
+}
+
+func (l InterceptHook) Fire(e *logrus.Entry) error {
+	l.lastEntry = e
+	return nil
+}
+
+func TestViperProvider_DSN(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("case=dsn: memory", func(t *testing.T) {
+		viper.Reset()
+		viper.Set(configuration.ViperKeyDSN, "memory")
+
+		l := logrus.New()
+		p := configuration.NewViperProvider(l, false)
+
+		assert.Equal(t, "sqlite://mem.db?mode=memory&_fk=true&cache=shared", p.DSN())
+	})
+
+	t.Run("case=dsn: not memory", func(t *testing.T) {
+		dsn := "sqlite://foo.db?_fk=true"
+		viper.Reset()
+		viper.Set(configuration.ViperKeyDSN, dsn)
+
+		l := logrus.New()
+		p := configuration.NewViperProvider(l, false)
+
+		assert.Equal(t, dsn, p.DSN())
+	})
+
+	t.Run("case=dsn: not set", func(t *testing.T) {
+		dsn := ""
+		viper.Reset()
+		viper.Set(configuration.ViperKeyDSN, dsn)
+
+		l := logrus.New()
+		p := configuration.NewViperProvider(l, false)
+
+		var exitCode int
+		l.ExitFunc = func(i int) {
+			exitCode = i
+		}
+		h := InterceptHook{}
+		l.AddHook(h)
+		assert.Equal(t, dsn, p.DSN())
+		assert.NotEqual(t, 0, exitCode)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/driver/registry.go b/driver/registry.go
index 410227d2abdc..7eaf0bafcc3a 100644
--- a/driver/registry.go
+++ b/driver/registry.go
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 package driver
 
 import (
-	"github.com/go-errors/errors"
+	"context"
+	"net/url"
+	"strings"
+
 	"github.com/gorilla/sessions"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 
 	"github.com/ory/kratos/courier"
@@ -108,9 +112,10 @@ type selfServiceStrategy interface {
 }
 
 func NewRegistry(c configuration.Provider) (Registry, error) {
-	driver, err := dbal.GetDriverFor(c.DSN())
+	dsn := c.DSN()
+	driver, err := dbal.GetDriverFor(dsn)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, errors.WithStack(err)
 	}
 
 	registry, ok := driver.(Registry)
@@ -118,5 +123,19 @@ func NewRegistry(c configuration.Provider) (Registry, error) {
 		return nil, errors.Errorf("driver of type %T does not implement interface Registry", driver)
 	}
 
+	// if dsn is memory we have to run the migrations on every start
+	if urlParts := strings.SplitN(dsn, "?", 1); len(urlParts) == 2 && strings.HasPrefix(dsn, "sqlite://") {
+		queryVals, err := url.ParseQuery(urlParts[1])
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errors.WithMessage(errors.WithStack(err), "unable to parse the DSN url")
+		}
+		if queryVals.Get("mode") == "memory" {
+			registry.Logger().Print("Kratos is running migrations on every startup as DSN is memory.\n")
+			registry.Logger().Print("This means your data is lost when Kratos terminates.\n")
+			if err := registry.Persister().MigrateUp(context.Background()); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	return registry, nil
 }