diff --git a/database/migrations/2012_12_06_225929_migration_cartalyst_sentry_install_groups.php b/database/migrations/2012_12_06_225929_migration_cartalyst_sentry_install_groups.php
index 034a6a16d88c..d929a6270771 100644
--- a/database/migrations/2012_12_06_225929_migration_cartalyst_sentry_install_groups.php
+++ b/database/migrations/2012_12_06_225929_migration_cartalyst_sentry_install_groups.php
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class MigrationCartalystSentryInstallGroups extends Migration {
 	 */
 	public function up()
 	{
-		Schema::create('groups', function($table)
+		Schema::create('permission_groups', function($table)
 		{
 			$table->increments('id');
 			$table->string('name');
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public function up()
 	 */
 	public function down()
 	{
-		Schema::drop('groups');
+		Schema::drop('permission_groups');
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/database/migrations/2019_06_12_184327_rename_groups_table.php b/database/migrations/2019_06_12_184327_rename_groups_table.php
index 011570579faf..3c5097161443 100644
--- a/database/migrations/2019_06_12_184327_rename_groups_table.php
+++ b/database/migrations/2019_06_12_184327_rename_groups_table.php
@@ -13,7 +13,21 @@ class RenameGroupsTable extends Migration
      */
     public function up()
     {
-        Schema::rename('groups', 'permission_groups');
+        // We check to see if this table exists before attempting the migration since
+        // upgraded installs would have this table, but new installs wouldn't.
+        // We had to change the name of the table in the older migrations
+        // to handle a MySQl 8+ compatibility issue related to reserved words.
+        // Without going back in time in migrations, this would fail since the groups table
+        // would never be allowed to be created in the first place on MySql 8+.
+        //
+        // So... if an upgrade, let's rename that table.
+        // If a new install, the migration was already changed, so the table isn't
+        // called that anymore and we can skip this migration.
+
+        if (Schema::hasTable('groups')) {
+            Schema::rename('groups', 'permission_groups');
+        }
+
     }
 
     /**
@@ -23,6 +37,8 @@ public function up()
      */
     public function down()
     {
-        Schema::rename('permission_groups', 'groups');
+        if (Schema::hasTable('permission_groups')) {
+            Schema::rename('permission_groups', 'groups');
+        }
     }
 }