diff --git a/etiquette/constants.py b/etiquette/constants.py
index c69424b..7092c4b 100644
--- a/etiquette/constants.py
+++ b/etiquette/constants.py
@@ -43,11 +43,14 @@ FILENAME_BADCHARS = '\\/:*?<>|"'
 # happens after the out-of-date check occurs, so no chance of accidentally
 # overwriting it.
 DATABASE_VERSION = 14
-DB_INIT = f'''
+DB_PRAGMAS = f'''
 PRAGMA cache_size = 10000;
 PRAGMA count_changes = OFF;
 PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON;
 PRAGMA user_version = {DATABASE_VERSION};
+'''
+DB_INIT = f'''
+{DB_PRAGMAS}
 
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS users(
diff --git a/etiquette/photodb.py b/etiquette/photodb.py
index 9ee4dbf..1b56cdf 100644
--- a/etiquette/photodb.py
+++ b/etiquette/photodb.py
@@ -1314,6 +1314,7 @@ class PhotoDB(
         if existing_database:
             if not skip_version_check:
                 self._check_version()
+            self._load_pragmas()
         else:
             self._first_time_setup()
 
@@ -1356,10 +1357,12 @@ class PhotoDB(
     def _first_time_setup(self):
         self.log.debug('Running first-time setup.')
         cur = self.sql.cursor()
+        cur.executescript(constants.DB_INIT)
+        self.sql.commit()
 
-        statements = constants.DB_INIT.split(';')
-        for statement in statements:
-            cur.execute(statement)
+    def _load_pragmas(self):
+        cur = self.sql.cursor()
+        cur.executescript(constants.DB_PRAGMAS)
         self.sql.commit()
 
     def __del__(self):