diff --git a/webif/lib/settings.class b/webif/lib/settings.class
index 59b35ef..e66029b 100644
--- a/webif/lib/settings.class
+++ b/webif/lib/settings.class
@@ -2,20 +2,6 @@
 if {![exists -command class]} { package require oo }
 if {![exists -command sqlite3.open]} { package require sqlite3 }
 
-if {![file exists /mod/etc/webif.db]} {
-	set ::settingsdb [sqlite3.open /mod/etc/webif.db]
-	catch {
-		$::settingsdb query {
-			CREATE TABLE settings(name text, nval int, tval text);
-		}
-		$::settingsdb query {
-			CREATE UNIQUE INDEX key on settings(name);
-		}
-	}
-} else {
-	set ::settingsdb [sqlite3.open /mod/etc/webif.db]
-}
-
 class settings {
 	hostname	""
 	channel_group	0
@@ -55,6 +41,18 @@ class settings {
 	noautoremove	0
 }
 
+proc {settings _create} {} {
+	global settingsdb
+	catch {
+		$settingsdb query {
+			CREATE TABLE settings(name text, nval int, tval text);
+		}
+		$settingsdb query {
+			CREATE UNIQUE INDEX key on settings(name);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 proc {settings _safer_query} { queryText args } {
 	global settingsdb
 
@@ -456,3 +454,19 @@ settings method dedup_template {{pattern -1}} {
 	return $val
 }
 
+
+set dbname /mod/etc/webif.db
+if {![file exists $dbname]} {
+	set ::settingsdb [sqlite3.open $dbname]
+	settings _create
+} else {
+	set ::settingsdb [sqlite3.open $dbname]
+	try {
+		# force use of index (SQLite3 extension) for validation
+		$::settingsdb query {
+			select name, nval, tval from settings indexed by key where name = '';
+		}
+	} on error {msg opts} {
+		settings _create
+	}
+}