diff --git a/cmd/cayley/cayley.go b/cmd/cayley/cayley.go
index edf0a66..20b8875 100644
--- a/cmd/cayley/cayley.go
+++ b/cmd/cayley/cayley.go
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import (
 
 var (
 	quadFile           = flag.String("quads", "", "Quad file to load before going to REPL.")
+	initOpt            = flag.Bool("init", false, "Initialize the database before using it. Equivalent to running `cayley init` followed by the given command.")
 	quadType           = flag.String("format", "cquad", `Quad format to use for loading ("cquad" or "nquad").`)
 	cpuprofile         = flag.String("prof", "", "Output profiling file.")
 	queryLanguage      = flag.String("query_lang", "gremlin", "Use this parser as the query language.")
@@ -238,6 +239,12 @@ func main() {
 		handle.Close()
 
 	case "repl":
+		if *initOpt {
+			err = db.Init(cfg)
+			if err != nil && err != graph.ErrDatabaseExists {
+				break
+			}
+		}
 		handle, err = db.Open(cfg)
 		if err != nil {
 			break
@@ -254,6 +261,12 @@ func main() {
 		handle.Close()
 
 	case "http":
+		if *initOpt {
+			err = db.Init(cfg)
+			if err != nil && err != graph.ErrDatabaseExists {
+				break
+			}
+		}
 		handle, err = db.Open(cfg)
 		if err != nil {
 			break
diff --git a/graph/bolt/bolt_test.go b/graph/bolt/bolt_test.go
index 760d39e..b25b230 100644
--- a/graph/bolt/bolt_test.go
+++ b/graph/bolt/bolt_test.go
@@ -153,10 +153,9 @@ func TestLoadDatabase(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected quadstore size, got:%d expect:1", s)
 	}
 	qs.Close()
-	os.RemoveAll(tmpFile.Name())
 
 	err = createNewBolt(tmpFile.Name(), nil)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != graph.ErrDatabaseExists {
 		t.Fatal("Failed to create Bolt database.", err)
 	}
 	qs, err = newQuadStore(tmpFile.Name(), nil)
@@ -172,20 +171,20 @@ func TestLoadDatabase(t *testing.T) {
 
 	//Test horizon
 	horizon := qs.Horizon()
-	if horizon.Int() != 0 {
-		t.Errorf("Unexpected horizon value, got:%d expect:0", horizon.Int())
+	if horizon.Int() != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected horizon value, got:%d expect:1", horizon.Int())
 	}
 
 	w.AddQuadSet(makeQuadSet())
-	if s := qs.Size(); s != 11 {
-		t.Errorf("Unexpected quadstore size, got:%d expect:11", s)
+	if s := qs.Size(); s != 12 {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected quadstore size, got:%d expect:12", s)
 	}
 	if s := ts2.SizeOf(qs.ValueOf("B")); s != 5 {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected quadstore size, got:%d expect:5", s)
 	}
 	horizon = qs.Horizon()
-	if horizon.Int() != 11 {
-		t.Errorf("Unexpected horizon value, got:%d expect:11", horizon.Int())
+	if horizon.Int() != 12 {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected horizon value, got:%d expect:12", horizon.Int())
 	}
 
 	w.RemoveQuad(quad.Quad{
@@ -194,8 +193,8 @@ func TestLoadDatabase(t *testing.T) {
 		Object:    "B",
 		Label:     "",
 	})
-	if s := qs.Size(); s != 10 {
-		t.Errorf("Unexpected quadstore size after RemoveQuad, got:%d expect:10", s)
+	if s := qs.Size(); s != 11 {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected quadstore size after RemoveQuad, got:%d expect:11", s)
 	}
 	if s := ts2.SizeOf(qs.ValueOf("B")); s != 4 {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected quadstore size, got:%d expect:4", s)
diff --git a/graph/bolt/quadstore.go b/graph/bolt/quadstore.go
index ea4b576..92eb77e 100644
--- a/graph/bolt/quadstore.go
+++ b/graph/bolt/quadstore.go
@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@ func createNewBolt(path string, _ graph.Options) error {
 	defer db.Close()
 	qs := &QuadStore{}
 	qs.db = db
+	defer qs.Close()
+	err = qs.getMetadata()
+	if err != errNoBucket {
+		return graph.ErrDatabaseExists
+	}
 	err = qs.createBuckets()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/graph/leveldb/leveldb_test.go b/graph/leveldb/leveldb_test.go
index c63bbe3..136719d 100644
--- a/graph/leveldb/leveldb_test.go
+++ b/graph/leveldb/leveldb_test.go
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ func TestLoadDatabase(t *testing.T) {
 	qs.Close()
 
 	err = createNewLevelDB(tmpDir, nil)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != graph.ErrDatabaseExists {
 		t.Fatal("Failed to create LevelDB database.")
 	}
 	qs, err = newQuadStore(tmpDir, nil)
@@ -170,20 +170,20 @@ func TestLoadDatabase(t *testing.T) {
 
 	//Test horizon
 	horizon := qs.Horizon()
-	if horizon.Int() != 0 {
-		t.Errorf("Unexpected horizon value, got:%d expect:0", horizon.Int())
+	if horizon.Int() != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected horizon value, got:%d expect:1", horizon.Int())
 	}
 
 	w.AddQuadSet(makeQuadSet())
-	if s := qs.Size(); s != 11 {
-		t.Errorf("Unexpected quadstore size, got:%d expect:11", s)
+	if s := qs.Size(); s != 12 {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected quadstore size, got:%d expect:12", s)
 	}
 	if s := ts2.SizeOf(qs.ValueOf("B")); s != 5 {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected quadstore size, got:%d expect:5", s)
 	}
 	horizon = qs.Horizon()
-	if horizon.Int() != 11 {
-		t.Errorf("Unexpected horizon value, got:%d expect:11", horizon.Int())
+	if horizon.Int() != 12 {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected horizon value, got:%d expect:12", horizon.Int())
 	}
 
 	w.RemoveQuad(quad.Quad{
@@ -192,8 +192,8 @@ func TestLoadDatabase(t *testing.T) {
 		Object:    "B",
 		Label:     "",
 	})
-	if s := qs.Size(); s != 10 {
-		t.Errorf("Unexpected quadstore size after RemoveQuad, got:%d expect:10", s)
+	if s := qs.Size(); s != 11 {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected quadstore size after RemoveQuad, got:%d expect:11", s)
 	}
 	if s := ts2.SizeOf(qs.ValueOf("B")); s != 4 {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected quadstore size, got:%d expect:4", s)
diff --git a/graph/leveldb/quadstore.go b/graph/leveldb/quadstore.go
index 8437ae6..b4f7b2e 100644
--- a/graph/leveldb/quadstore.go
+++ b/graph/leveldb/quadstore.go
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ const (
 	DefaultCacheSize       = 2
 	DefaultWriteBufferSize = 20
 	QuadStoreType          = "leveldb"
+	horizonKey             = "__horizon"
+	sizeKey                = "__size"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -87,6 +89,16 @@ func createNewLevelDB(path string, _ graph.Options) error {
 	qs.writeopts = &opt.WriteOptions{
 		Sync: true,
 	}
+	qs.readopts = &opt.ReadOptions{}
+	_, err = qs.db.Get([]byte(horizonKey), qs.readopts)
+	if err != nil && err != leveldb.ErrNotFound {
+		glog.Errorln("couldn't read from leveldb during init")
+		return err
+	}
+	if err != leveldb.ErrNotFound {
+		return graph.ErrDatabaseExists
+	}
+	// Write some metadata
 	qs.Close()
 	return nil
 }
@@ -343,7 +355,7 @@ func (qs *QuadStore) Close() {
 	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
 	err := binary.Write(buf, binary.LittleEndian, qs.size)
 	if err == nil {
-		werr := qs.db.Put([]byte("__size"), buf.Bytes(), qs.writeopts)
+		werr := qs.db.Put([]byte(sizeKey), buf.Bytes(), qs.writeopts)
 		if werr != nil {
 			glog.Error("could not write size before closing!")
 		}
@@ -353,7 +365,7 @@ func (qs *QuadStore) Close() {
 	buf.Reset()
 	err = binary.Write(buf, binary.LittleEndian, qs.horizon)
 	if err == nil {
-		werr := qs.db.Put([]byte("__horizon"), buf.Bytes(), qs.writeopts)
+		werr := qs.db.Put([]byte(horizonKey), buf.Bytes(), qs.writeopts)
 		if werr != nil {
 			glog.Error("could not write horizon before closing!")
 		}
@@ -444,11 +456,11 @@ func (qs *QuadStore) getInt64ForKey(key string, empty int64) (int64, error) {
 
 func (qs *QuadStore) getMetadata() error {
 	var err error
-	qs.size, err = qs.getInt64ForKey("__size", 0)
+	qs.size, err = qs.getInt64ForKey(sizeKey, 0)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	qs.horizon, err = qs.getInt64ForKey("__horizon", 0)
+	qs.horizon, err = qs.getInt64ForKey(horizonKey, 0)
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/graph/quadstore.go b/graph/quadstore.go
index 04b5c37..df4312d 100644
--- a/graph/quadstore.go
+++ b/graph/quadstore.go
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ func (d Options) BoolKey(key string) (bool, bool, error) {
 }
 
 var ErrCannotBulkLoad = errors.New("quadstore: cannot bulk load")
+var ErrDatabaseExists = errors.New("quadstore: cannot init; database already exists")
 
 type BulkLoader interface {
 	// BulkLoad loads Quads from a quad.Unmarshaler in bulk to the QuadStore.
diff --git a/graph/sql/quadstore.go b/graph/sql/quadstore.go
index 0977382..50779fb 100644
--- a/graph/sql/quadstore.go
+++ b/graph/sql/quadstore.go
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ func connectSQLTables(addr string, _ graph.Options) (*sql.DB, error) {
 
 func createSQLTables(addr string, options graph.Options) error {
 	conn, err := connectSQLTables(addr, options)
+	defer conn.Close()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -89,6 +90,11 @@ func createSQLTables(addr string, options graph.Options) error {
 		UNIQUE(subject_hash, predicate_hash, object_hash, label_hash)
 	);`)
 	if err != nil {
+		tx.Rollback()
+		errd := err.(*pq.Error)
+		if errd.Code == "42P07" {
+			return graph.ErrDatabaseExists
+		}
 		glog.Errorf("Cannot create quad table: %v", quadTable)
 		return err
 	}
@@ -105,6 +111,7 @@ func createSQLTables(addr string, options graph.Options) error {
 	`, factor, factor, factor))
 	if err != nil {
 		glog.Errorf("Cannot create indices: %v", index)
+		tx.Rollback()
 		return err
 	}
 	tx.Commit()
@@ -310,7 +317,9 @@ func (qs *QuadStore) Horizon() graph.PrimaryKey {
 	var horizon int64
 	err := qs.db.QueryRow("SELECT horizon FROM quads ORDER BY horizon DESC LIMIT 1;").Scan(&horizon)
 	if err != nil {
-		glog.Errorf("Couldn't execute horizon: %v", err)
+		if err != sql.ErrNoRows {
+			glog.Errorf("Couldn't execute horizon: %v", err)
+		}
 		return graph.NewSequentialKey(0)
 	}
 	return graph.NewSequentialKey(horizon)