diff --git a/dr.botzo.py b/dr.botzo.py
index b436cab..f153b3c 100644
--- a/dr.botzo.py
+++ b/dr.botzo.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import re
 import socket
 import sys
 import inspect
+import sqlite3
 
 from extlib import irclib
 
@@ -103,6 +104,32 @@ except NoOptionError as e:
 # load additional options
 irclib.DEBUG = config.getboolean('dr.botzo', 'debug')
 
+try:
+    # make sure we can initialize the database, if such a thing is
+    # called for in the config file
+    dbfile = config.get('dr.botzo', 'database')
+    conn = sqlite3.connect(dbfile)
+    try:
+        query = """
+        SELECT COUNT(*)
+        FROM sqlite_master
+        WHERE type = 'table' AND name = 'drbotzo_modules'
+        """
+        row = conn.execute(query).fetchone()
+        if row[0] == 0:
+            # need to create the drbotzo_modules table
+            query = """
+                CREATE TABLE drbotzo_modules (
+                    module TEXT,
+                    version INTEGER
+                )
+            """
+            conn.execute(query)
+            conn.commit()
+    finally: conn.close()
+except NoOptionError: pass # if the config file has no db property, assume that
+except NoSectionError: pass # the database doesn't need to exist
+
 # start up the IRC bot
 
 # create IRC and server objects and connect