diff --git a/keyserver/src/database/migrations.js b/keyserver/src/database/migrations.js
index b307da042..500a3ad77 100644
--- a/keyserver/src/database/migrations.js
+++ b/keyserver/src/database/migrations.js
@@ -1,80 +1,86 @@
 // @flow
 
 import type { QueryResults } from 'mysql';
 
+import { isDev } from 'lib/utils/dev-utils';
 import { getMessageForException } from 'lib/utils/errors';
+import sleep from 'lib/utils/sleep';
 
 import { dbQuery, SQL } from './database';
 import { fetchDBVersion, updateDBVersion } from './db-version';
 import { migrations } from './migration-config';
 import { setupDB } from './setup-db';
 
 async function migrate(): Promise<boolean> {
+  if (isDev) {
+    await sleep(5000);
+  }
+
   let dbVersion = null;
   try {
     dbVersion = await setUpDBAndReturnVersion();
     console.log(`(node:${process.pid}) DB version: ${dbVersion}`);
   } catch (e) {
     const dbVersionExceptionMessage = String(getMessageForException(e));
     console.error(`(node:${process.pid}) ${dbVersionExceptionMessage}`);
     return false;
   }
 
   for (const [idx, migration] of migrations.entries()) {
     if (idx <= dbVersion) {
       continue;
     }
 
     try {
       await startTransaction();
       await migration();
       await updateDBVersion(idx);
       await commitTransaction();
       console.log(`(node:${process.pid}) migration ${idx} succeeded.`);
     } catch (e) {
       const transactionExceptionMessage = String(getMessageForException(e));
       console.error(`(node:${process.pid}) migration ${idx} failed.`);
       console.error(transactionExceptionMessage);
       await rollbackTransaction();
       return false;
     }
   }
   return true;
 }
 
 const MYSQL_TABLE_DOESNT_EXIST_ERROR_CODE = 1146;
 
 async function setUpDBAndReturnVersion(): Promise<number> {
   try {
     return await fetchDBVersion();
   } catch (e) {
     if (e.errno !== MYSQL_TABLE_DOESNT_EXIST_ERROR_CODE) {
       throw e;
     }
     await setupDB();
     return await fetchDBVersion();
   }
 }
 
 async function startTransaction(): Promise<QueryResults> {
   const beginTxnQuery = SQL`
         START TRANSACTION;
       `;
   return dbQuery(beginTxnQuery);
 }
 
 async function commitTransaction(): Promise<QueryResults> {
   const endTxnQuery = SQL`
         COMMIT;
       `;
   return dbQuery(endTxnQuery);
 }
 
 async function rollbackTransaction(): Promise<QueryResults> {
   const rollbackTxnQuery = SQL`
         ROLLBACK;
       `;
   return dbQuery(rollbackTxnQuery);
 }
 
 export { migrate };