diff --git a/wallet/db.c b/wallet/db.c
index 1f50fc2a0..1d054db6f 100644
--- a/wallet/db.c
+++ b/wallet/db.c
@@ -363,47 +363,30 @@ static int db_migration_count(void)
 /**
  * db_migrate - Apply all remaining migrations from the current version
  */
-static bool db_migrate(struct db *db)
+static void db_migrate(struct db *db)
 {
 	/* Attempt to read the version from the database */
 	int current, available;
 
-	if (!db_begin_transaction(db)) {
-		/* No need to rollback, we didn't even start... */
-		return false;
-	}
+	db_begin_transaction(db);
 
 	current = db_get_version(db);
 	available = db_migration_count();
 
-	while (++current <= available) {
-		if (!db_exec(__func__, db, "%s", dbmigrations[current]))
-			goto fail;
-	}
+	while (++current <= available)
+		db_exec(__func__, db, "%s", dbmigrations[current]);
 
 	/* Finally update the version number in the version table */
 	db_exec(__func__, db, "UPDATE version SET version=%d;", available);
 
-	if (!db_commit_transaction(db)) {
-		goto fail;
-	}
-
-	return true;
-fail:
-	db_rollback_transaction(db);
-	return false;
+	db_commit_transaction(db);
 }
 
 struct db *db_setup(const tal_t *ctx)
 {
 	struct db *db = db_open(ctx, DB_FILE);
-	if (!db) {
-		return db;
-	}
 
-	if (!db_migrate(db)) {
-		return tal_free(db);
-	}
+	db_migrate(db);
 	return db;
 }
 
diff --git a/wallet/db_tests.c b/wallet/db_tests.c
index ee5d2568f..83feee23c 100644
--- a/wallet/db_tests.c
+++ b/wallet/db_tests.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ static bool test_empty_db_migrate(void)
 	struct db *db = create_test_db(__func__);
 	CHECK(db);
 	CHECK(db_get_version(db) == -1);
-	CHECK(db_migrate(db));
+	db_migrate(db);
 	CHECK(db_get_version(db) == db_migration_count());
 
 	tal_free(db);
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ static bool test_vars(void)
 	struct db *db = create_test_db(__func__);
 	char *varname = "testvar";
 	CHECK(db);
-	CHECK(db_migrate(db));
+	db_migrate(db);
 
 	/* Check default behavior */
 	CHECK(db_get_intvar(db, varname, 42) == 42);
diff --git a/wallet/wallet.c b/wallet/wallet.c
index 4c18035aa..ed3283947 100644
--- a/wallet/wallet.c
+++ b/wallet/wallet.c
@@ -18,9 +18,6 @@ struct wallet *wallet_new(const tal_t *ctx, struct log *log)
 	wallet->db = db_setup(wallet);
 	wallet->log = log;
 	wallet->bip32_base = NULL;
-	if (!wallet->db) {
-		fatal("Unable to setup the wallet database");
-	}
 	return wallet;
 }
 
diff --git a/wallet/wallet_tests.c b/wallet/wallet_tests.c
index bba988e53..f58a69b30 100644
--- a/wallet/wallet_tests.c
+++ b/wallet/wallet_tests.c
@@ -1,13 +1,32 @@
+  #include <lightningd/log.h>
+
+static void wallet_fatal(const char *fmt, ...);
+#define fatal wallet_fatal
+
 #include "wallet.c"
 
 #include "db.c"
 
 #include <ccan/mem/mem.h>
-#include <lightningd/log.h>
+#include <ccan/tal/str/str.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <wallet/test_utils.h>
 
+static char *wallet_err;
+static void wallet_fatal(const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+
+	/* Fail hard if we're complaining about not being in transaction */
+	assert(!strstarts(fmt, "No longer in transaction"));
+
+	va_start(ap, fmt);
+	wallet_err = tal_vfmt(NULL, fmt, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+}
+
 void invoice_add(struct invoices *invs,
 		 struct invoice *inv){}
 
@@ -37,7 +56,8 @@ static struct wallet *create_test_wallet(const tal_t *ctx)
 	w->db = db_open(w, filename);
 
 	CHECK_MSG(w->db, "Failed opening the db");
-	CHECK_MSG(db_migrate(w->db), "DB migration failed");
+	db_migrate(w->db);
+	CHECK_MSG(!wallet_err, "DB migration failed");
 
 	ltmp = tal_tmpctx(ctx);
 	log_book = new_log_book(w, 20*1024*1024, LOG_DBG);
@@ -57,7 +77,8 @@ static bool test_wallet_outputs(void)
 
 	w->db = db_open(w, filename);
 	CHECK_MSG(w->db, "Failed opening the db");
-	CHECK_MSG(db_migrate(w->db), "DB migration failed");
+	db_migrate(w->db);
+	CHECK_MSG(!wallet_err, "DB migration failed");
 
 	memset(&u, 0, sizeof(u));
 
@@ -108,7 +129,8 @@ static bool test_shachain_crud(void)
 
 	w->db = db_open(w, filename);
 	CHECK_MSG(w->db, "Failed opening the db");
-	CHECK_MSG(db_migrate(w->db), "DB migration failed");
+	db_migrate(w->db);
+	CHECK_MSG(!wallet_err, "DB migration failed");
 
 	CHECK_MSG(fd != -1, "Unable to generate temp filename");
 	close(fd);