diff --git a/bin/www b/bin/www
index ca32874bb..5110e3f5b 100755
--- a/bin/www
+++ b/bin/www
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const log = require('../services/log');
 const app_info = require('../services/app_info');
 const messaging = require('../services/messaging');
 const utils = require('../services/utils');
+const sql = require('../services/sql');
 
 const port = normalizePort(config['Network']['port'] || '3000');
 app.set('port', port);
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ httpServer.listen(port);
 httpServer.on('error', onError);
 httpServer.on('listening', onListening);
 
-messaging.init(httpServer, sessionParser);
+sql.dbReady.then(() => messaging.init(httpServer, sessionParser));
 
 if (utils.isElectron()) {
     const electronRouting = require('../routes/electron');
diff --git a/services/backup.js b/services/backup.js
index 513ba932e..9e355fc9e 100644
--- a/services/backup.js
+++ b/services/backup.js
@@ -58,10 +58,12 @@ if (!fs.existsSync(dataDir.BACKUP_DIR)) {
     fs.mkdirSync(dataDir.BACKUP_DIR, 0o700);
 }
 
-setInterval(regularBackup, 60 * 60 * 1000);
+sql.dbReady.then(() => {
+    setInterval(regularBackup, 60 * 60 * 1000);
 
-// kickoff backup immediately
-setTimeout(regularBackup, 1000);
+    // kickoff backup immediately
+    setTimeout(regularBackup, 1000);
+});
 
 module.exports = {
     backupNow
diff --git a/services/ping_job.js b/services/ping_job.js
index 80fc036b7..24445d0d1 100644
--- a/services/ping_job.js
+++ b/services/ping_job.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const sync = require('./sync');
 let startTime = utils.nowTimestamp();
 let sentSyncId = [];
 
-setInterval(async () => {
+async function sendPing() {
     const syncs = await sql.getResults("SELECT * FROM sync WHERE sync_date >= ? AND source_id != ?", [startTime, source_id.currentSourceId]);
     startTime = utils.nowTimestamp();
 
@@ -41,4 +41,6 @@ setInterval(async () => {
     for (const syncId of syncIds) {
         sentSyncId.push(syncId);
     }
-}, 1000);
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+sql.dbReady.then(() => setInterval(sendPing, 1000));
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/services/sql.js b/services/sql.js
index 49d867999..d98261282 100644
--- a/services/sql.js
+++ b/services/sql.js
@@ -2,13 +2,30 @@
 
 const log = require('./log');
 const dataDir = require('./data_dir');
+const fs = require('fs');
 const sqlite = require('sqlite');
 
 async function createConnection() {
     return await sqlite.open(dataDir.DOCUMENT_PATH, {Promise});
 }
 
-const dbReady = createConnection();
+const dbConnected = createConnection();
+
+const dbReady = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    dbConnected.then(async db => {
+        const tableResults = await getResults("SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table' AND name='notes'");
+        if (tableResults.length !== 1) {
+            console.log("No connection to initialized DB.");
+            process.exit(1);
+        }
+
+        resolve(db);
+    })
+    .catch(e => {
+        console.log("Error connecting to DB.", e);
+        process.exit(1);
+    });
+});
 
 async function insert(table_name, rec, replace = false) {
     const keys = Object.keys(rec);
@@ -44,13 +61,10 @@ async function rollback() {
 }
 
 async function getSingleResult(query, params = []) {
-    const db = await dbReady;
-
     return await wrap(async db => db.get(query, ...params));
 }
 
 async function getSingleResultOrNull(query, params = []) {
-    const db = await dbReady;
     const all = await wrap(async db => db.all(query, ...params));
 
     return all.length > 0 ? all[0] : null;
@@ -67,8 +81,6 @@ async function getSingleValue(query, params = []) {
 }
 
 async function getResults(query, params = []) {
-    const db = await dbReady;
-
     return await wrap(async db => db.all(query, ...params));
 }
 
@@ -106,7 +118,7 @@ async function executeScript(query) {
 
 async function wrap(func) {
     const thisError = new Error();
-    const db = await dbReady;
+    const db = await dbConnected;
 
     try {
         return await func(db);
@@ -157,20 +169,6 @@ async function doInTransaction(func) {
     }
 }
 
-dbReady
-    .then(async () => {
-        const tableResults = await getResults("SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table' AND name='notes'");
-
-        if (tableResults.length !== 1) {
-            console.log("No connection to initialized DB.");
-            process.exit(1);
-        }
-    })
-    .catch(e => {
-        console.log("Error connecting to DB.", e);
-        process.exit(1);
-    });
-
 module.exports = {
     dbReady,
     insert,
diff --git a/services/sync.js b/services/sync.js
index d59a74986..631c9a235 100644
--- a/services/sync.js
+++ b/services/sync.js
@@ -305,29 +305,31 @@ async function syncRequest(syncContext, method, uri, body) {
     }
 }
 
-if (isSyncSetup) {
-    log.info("Setting up sync to " + SYNC_SERVER + " with timeout " + SYNC_TIMEOUT);
+sql.dbReady.then(() => {
+    if (isSyncSetup) {
+        log.info("Setting up sync to " + SYNC_SERVER + " with timeout " + SYNC_TIMEOUT);
 
-    if (SYNC_PROXY) {
-        log.info("Sync proxy: " + SYNC_PROXY);
+        if (SYNC_PROXY) {
+            log.info("Sync proxy: " + SYNC_PROXY);
+        }
+
+        const syncCertPath = config['Sync']['syncServerCertificate'];
+
+        if (syncCertPath) {
+            log.info('Sync certificate: ' + syncCertPath);
+
+            syncServerCertificate = fs.readFileSync(syncCertPath);
+        }
+
+        setInterval(sync, 60000);
+
+        // kickoff initial sync immediately
+        setTimeout(sync, 1000);
     }
-
-    const syncCertPath = config['Sync']['syncServerCertificate'];
-
-    if (syncCertPath) {
-        log.info('Sync certificate: ' + syncCertPath);
-
-        syncServerCertificate = fs.readFileSync(syncCertPath);
+    else {
+        log.info("Sync server not configured, sync timer not running.")
     }
-
-    setInterval(sync, 60000);
-
-    // kickoff initial sync immediately
-    setTimeout(sync, 1000);
-}
-else {
-    log.info("Sync server not configured, sync timer not running.")
-}
+});
 
 module.exports = {
     sync,