diff --git a/lib/utils/migration-utils.js b/lib/utils/migration-utils.js
--- a/lib/utils/migration-utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils/migration-utils.js
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@
     threadPermissions.MANAGE_INVITE_LINKS,
 ];
 
-type LegacyMigrationManifest<N: BaseNavInfo, T: BaseAppState<N>> = {
+export type LegacyMigrationManifest<N: BaseNavInfo, T: BaseAppState<N>> = {
   +[number | string]: (T) => Promise<T>,
 };
 type PersistedState<N: BaseNavInfo, T: BaseAppState<N>> = T | void;
@@ -204,10 +204,11 @@
   debug: boolean,
 ) => Promise<?PersistedState<N, T>>;
 
-type MigrationManifest<N: BaseNavInfo, T: BaseAppState<N>> = {
+export type MigrationManifest<N: BaseNavInfo, T: BaseAppState<N>> = {
   +[number | string]: (PersistedState<N, T>) => Promise<{
     +state: T,
     +ops: StoreOperations,
+    +changesSchema?: boolean,
   }>,
 };
 
@@ -251,7 +252,7 @@
       return state;
     }
 
-    return await runMigrations(
+    const { state: newState } = await runMigrations(
       legacyMigrations,
       migrations,
       state,
@@ -260,6 +261,8 @@
       debug,
       handleException,
     );
+
+    return newState;
   };
 }
 
@@ -270,8 +273,11 @@
   inboundVersion: number,
   currentVersion: number,
   debug: boolean,
-  handleException: (error: Error, state: T) => T,
-): Promise<PersistedState<N, T>> {
+  handleException?: (error: Error, state: T) => T,
+): Promise<{
+  +state: PersistedState<N, T>,
+  +schemaChanged: boolean,
+}> {
   const migrationKeys = [
     ...Object.keys(legacyMigrations),
     ...Object.keys(migrations),
@@ -285,6 +291,7 @@
   }
 
   let migratedState = state;
+  let schemaChanged = false;
   for (const versionKey of sortedMigrationKeys) {
     if (debug) {
       console.log(
@@ -296,36 +303,45 @@
     if (!versionKey) {
       continue;
     }
-
-    if (legacyMigrations[versionKey]) {
-      migratedState = await legacyMigrations[versionKey](migratedState);
-    } else {
-      const { state: newState, ops } =
-        await migrations[versionKey](migratedState);
-      migratedState = newState;
-      const versionUpdateOp = {
-        type: 'replace_synced_metadata_entry',
-        payload: {
-          name: syncedMetadataNames.DB_VERSION,
-          data: versionKey.toString(),
-        },
-      };
-      const dbOps = {
-        ...ops,
-        syncedMetadataStoreOperations: [
-          ...(ops.syncedMetadataStoreOperations ?? []),
-          versionUpdateOp,
-        ],
-      };
-      try {
+    try {
+      if (legacyMigrations[versionKey]) {
+        migratedState = await legacyMigrations[versionKey](migratedState);
+      } else {
+        const {
+          state: newState,
+          ops,
+          changesSchema,
+        } = await migrations[versionKey](migratedState);
+        schemaChanged ||= !!changesSchema;
+        migratedState = newState;
+        const versionUpdateOp = {
+          type: 'replace_synced_metadata_entry',
+          payload: {
+            name: syncedMetadataNames.DB_VERSION,
+            data: versionKey.toString(),
+          },
+        };
+        const dbOps = {
+          ...ops,
+          syncedMetadataStoreOperations: [
+            ...(ops.syncedMetadataStoreOperations ?? []),
+            versionUpdateOp,
+          ],
+        };
         await getConfig().sqliteAPI.processDBStoreOperations(dbOps);
-      } catch (exception) {
-        return handleException(exception, state);
       }
+    } catch (exception) {
+      if (handleException) {
+        return {
+          state: handleException(exception, state),
+          schemaChanged,
+        };
+      }
+      throw exception;
     }
   }
 
-  return migratedState;
+  return { state: migratedState, schemaChanged };
 }
 
 export {