diff --git a/server/plugins/messageStorage/sqlite.ts b/server/plugins/messageStorage/sqlite.ts
index 3adea7a4..fb7d9c3e 100644
--- a/server/plugins/messageStorage/sqlite.ts
+++ b/server/plugins/messageStorage/sqlite.ts
@@ -38,17 +38,30 @@ const schema = [
 	"CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS time ON messages (time)",
 ];
 
+class Deferred {
+	resolve!: () => void;
+	promise: Promise<void>;
+
+	constructor() {
+		this.promise = new Promise((resolve) => {
+			this.resolve = resolve;
+		});
+	}
+}
+
 class SqliteMessageStorage implements ISqliteMessageStorage {
 	client: Client;
 	isEnabled: boolean;
 	database!: Database;
+	initDone: Deferred;
 
 	constructor(client: Client) {
 		this.client = client;
 		this.isEnabled = false;
+		this.initDone = new Deferred();
 	}
 
-	async enable() {
+	async _enable() {
 		const logsPath = Config.getUserLogsPath();
 		const sqlitePath = path.join(logsPath, `${this.client.name}.sqlite3`);
 
@@ -70,6 +83,14 @@ class SqliteMessageStorage implements ISqliteMessageStorage {
 		}
 	}
 
+	async enable() {
+		try {
+			await this._enable();
+		} finally {
+			this.initDone.resolve(); // unblock the instance methods
+		}
+	}
+
 	async run_migrations() {
 		for (const stmt of schema) {
 			await this.serialize_run(stmt, []);
@@ -127,6 +148,8 @@ class SqliteMessageStorage implements ISqliteMessageStorage {
 	}
 
 	async index(network: Network, channel: Chan, msg: Msg) {
+		await this.initDone.promise;
+
 		if (!this.isEnabled) {
 			return;
 		}
@@ -155,6 +178,8 @@ class SqliteMessageStorage implements ISqliteMessageStorage {
 	}
 
 	async deleteChannel(network: Network, channel: Channel) {
+		await this.initDone.promise;
+
 		if (!this.isEnabled) {
 			return;
 		}
@@ -172,6 +197,8 @@ class SqliteMessageStorage implements ISqliteMessageStorage {
 	 * @param channel Channel - Channel object for which to load messages for
 	 */
 	async getMessages(network: Network, channel: Channel): Promise<Message[]> {
+		await this.initDone.promise;
+
 		if (!this.isEnabled || Config.values.maxHistory === 0) {
 			return [];
 		}
@@ -199,6 +226,8 @@ class SqliteMessageStorage implements ISqliteMessageStorage {
 	}
 
 	async search(query: SearchQuery): Promise<SearchResponse> {
+		await this.initDone.promise;
+
 		if (!this.isEnabled) {
 			// this should never be hit as messageProvider is checked in client.search()
 			throw new Error(
diff --git a/test/plugins/sqlite.ts b/test/plugins/sqlite.ts
index f2ad6750..4476faf0 100644
--- a/test/plugins/sqlite.ts
+++ b/test/plugins/sqlite.ts
@@ -37,11 +37,6 @@ describe("SQLite Message Storage", function () {
 		fs.rmdir(path.join(Config.getHomePath(), "logs"), done);
 	});
 
-	it("should resolve an empty array when disabled", async function () {
-		const messages = await store.getMessages(null as any, null as any);
-		expect(messages).to.be.empty;
-	});
-
 	it("should create database file", async function () {
 		expect(store.isEnabled).to.be.false;
 		expect(fs.existsSync(expectedPath)).to.be.false;
@@ -50,6 +45,13 @@ describe("SQLite Message Storage", function () {
 		expect(store.isEnabled).to.be.true;
 	});
 
+	it("should resolve an empty array when disabled", async function () {
+		store.isEnabled = false;
+		const messages = await store.getMessages(null as any, null as any);
+		expect(messages).to.be.empty;
+		store.isEnabled = true;
+	});
+
 	it("should create tables", function (done) {
 		store.database.all(
 			"SELECT name, tbl_name, sql FROM sqlite_master WHERE type = 'table'",