diff --git a/src/flux/models/thread.coffee b/src/flux/models/thread.coffee
index 66ac6079f..f405eaef6 100644
--- a/src/flux/models/thread.coffee
+++ b/src/flux/models/thread.coffee
@@ -86,6 +86,13 @@ class Thread extends Model
     setup: ->
       ['CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS ThreadListIndex ON Thread(last_message_received_timestamp DESC, namespace_id, id)']
 
+  fromJSON: (json) ->
+    super(json)
+
+    # TODO: This is temporary, waiting on a migration on the backend
+    @lastMessageReceivedTimestamp ||= new Date(json['last_message_timestamp'] * 1000)
+    @
+
   # Public: Returns true if the thread has a {Category} with the given ID.
   #
   # * `id` A {String} {Category} ID
diff --git a/src/flux/stores/database-store.coffee b/src/flux/stores/database-store.coffee
index 9fa406a66..7d6b41443 100644
--- a/src/flux/stores/database-store.coffee
+++ b/src/flux/stores/database-store.coffee
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ PriorityUICoordinator = require '../../priority-ui-coordinator'
  generateTempId,
  isTempId} = require '../models/utils'
 
-DatabaseVersion = 5
+DatabaseVersion = 6
 
 DatabasePhase =
   Setup: 'setup'
@@ -100,13 +100,13 @@ class DatabaseStore extends NylasStore
 
     if phase is DatabasePhase.Setup and atom.isMainWindow()
       @_openDatabase =>
-        @_runDatabaseSetup =>
-          @_checkDatabaseVersion =>
+        @_checkDatabaseVersion {allowNotSet: true}, =>
+          @_runDatabaseSetup =>
             app.setDatabasePhase(DatabasePhase.Ready)
 
     else if phase is DatabasePhase.Ready
       @_openDatabase =>
-        @_checkDatabaseVersion =>
+        @_checkDatabaseVersion {}, =>
           @_open = true
           w() for w in @_waiting
           @_waiting = []
@@ -130,10 +130,12 @@ class DatabaseStore extends NylasStore
       return @_handleSetupError(err) if err
       ready()
 
-  _checkDatabaseVersion: (ready) =>
+  _checkDatabaseVersion: ({allowNotSet} = {}, ready) =>
     @_db.get 'PRAGMA user_version', (err, {user_version}) =>
       return @_handleSetupError(err) if err
-      if user_version/1 isnt DatabaseVersion
+      emptyVersion = user_version is 0
+      wrongVersion = user_version/1 isnt DatabaseVersion
+      if wrongVersion and not (emptyVersion and allowNotSet)
         return @_handleSetupError(new Error("Incorrect database schema version: #{user_version} not #{DatabaseVersion}"))
       ready()