diff --git a/activitypub/persistence/followers.go b/activitypub/persistence/followers.go
index 61f173575..7d9e1298b 100644
--- a/activitypub/persistence/followers.go
+++ b/activitypub/persistence/followers.go
@@ -24,19 +24,10 @@ func createFederationFollowersTable() {
 		"approved_at" TIMESTAMP,
     "disabled_at" TIMESTAMP,
     "request_object" BLOB,
-		PRIMARY KEY (iri));
-		CREATE INDEX iri_index ON ap_followers (iri);
-    CREATE INDEX approved_at_index ON ap_followers (approved_at);`
-
-	stmt, err := _datastore.DB.Prepare(createTableSQL)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer stmt.Close()
-	_, err = stmt.Exec()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Warnln("error executing sql creating followers table", createTableSQL, err)
-	}
+		PRIMARY KEY (iri));`
+	_datastore.MustExec(createTableSQL)
+	_datastore.MustExec(`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_iri ON ap_followers (iri);`)
+	_datastore.MustExec(`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_approved_at ON ap_followers (approved_at);`)
 }
 
 // GetFollowerCount will return the number of followers we're keeping track of.
diff --git a/activitypub/persistence/persistence.go b/activitypub/persistence/persistence.go
index 26628f846..d375e7d2d 100644
--- a/activitypub/persistence/persistence.go
+++ b/activitypub/persistence/persistence.go
@@ -202,17 +202,10 @@ func createFederatedActivitiesTable() {
     "actor" TEXT NOT NULL,
     "type" TEXT NOT NULL,
 		"timestamp" TIMESTAMP NOT NULL
-	);
-	CREATE INDEX iri_actor_index ON ap_accepted_activities (iri,actor);`
+	);`
 
-	stmt, err := _datastore.DB.Prepare(createTableSQL)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal("error creating inbox table", err)
-	}
-	defer stmt.Close()
-	if _, err := stmt.Exec(); err != nil {
-		log.Fatal("error creating inbound federated activities table", err)
-	}
+	_datastore.MustExec(createTableSQL)
+	_datastore.MustExec(`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_iri_actor_index ON ap_accepted_activities (iri,actor);`)
 }
 
 func createFederationOutboxTable() {
@@ -223,20 +216,12 @@ func createFederationOutboxTable() {
 		"type" TEXT NOT NULL,
 		"created_at" TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
     "live_notification" BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE,
-		PRIMARY KEY (iri));
-		CREATE INDEX iri ON ap_outbox (iri);
-		CREATE INDEX type ON ap_outbox (type);
-    CREATE INDEX live_notification ON ap_outbox (live_notification);`
+		PRIMARY KEY (iri));`
 
-	stmt, err := _datastore.DB.Prepare(createTableSQL)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer stmt.Close()
-	_, err = stmt.Exec()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Warnln("error executing sql creating outbox table", createTableSQL, err)
-	}
+	_datastore.MustExec(createTableSQL)
+	_datastore.MustExec(`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_iri ON ap_outbox (iri);`)
+	_datastore.MustExec(`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_type ON ap_outbox (type);`)
+	_datastore.MustExec(`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_live_notification ON ap_outbox (live_notification);`)
 }
 
 // GetOutboxPostCount will return the number of posts in the outbox.
diff --git a/auth/persistence.go b/auth/persistence.go
index d644d0c25..0ab28cb89 100644
--- a/auth/persistence.go
+++ b/auth/persistence.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/owncast/owncast/core/data"
 	"github.com/owncast/owncast/core/user"
-	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 
 	"github.com/owncast/owncast/db"
 )
@@ -24,18 +23,9 @@ func Setup(db *data.Datastore) {
     "type" TEXT NOT NULL,
 		"timestamp" DATE DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP NOT NULL,
     FOREIGN KEY(user_id) REFERENCES users(id)
-	);CREATE INDEX auth_token ON auth (token);`
-
-	stmt, err := db.DB.Prepare(createTableSQL)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer stmt.Close()
-
-	_, err = stmt.Exec()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalln(err)
-	}
+	);`
+	_datastore.MustExec(createTableSQL)
+	_datastore.MustExec(`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_auth_token ON auth (token);`)
 }
 
 // AddAuth will add an external authentication token and type for a user.
diff --git a/core/data/persistence.go b/core/data/persistence.go
index cd182f6e4..a765f0b72 100644
--- a/core/data/persistence.go
+++ b/core/data/persistence.go
@@ -118,18 +118,9 @@ func (ds *Datastore) Setup() {
 		"key" string NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
 		"value" BLOB,
 		"timestamp" DATE DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP NOT NULL
-	);CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS messages_timestamp_index ON messages(timestamp);`
+	);`
 
-	stmt, err := ds.DB.Prepare(createTableSQL)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer stmt.Close()
-
-	_, err = stmt.Exec()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalln(err)
-	}
+	ds.MustExec(createTableSQL)
 
 	if !HasPopulatedDefaults() {
 		PopulateDefaults()
@@ -173,3 +164,16 @@ func (ds *Datastore) Reset() {
 func GetDatastore() *Datastore {
 	return _datastore
 }
+
+// MustExec will execute a SQL statement on a provided database instance.
+func (ds *Datastore) MustExec(s string) {
+	stmt, err := ds.DB.Prepare(s)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Panic(err)
+	}
+	defer stmt.Close()
+	_, err = stmt.Exec()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Warnln(err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/core/data/users.go b/core/data/users.go
index d682776ad..d03593616 100644
--- a/core/data/users.go
+++ b/core/data/users.go
@@ -41,20 +41,12 @@ func createUsersTable(db *sql.DB) {
 		"type" TEXT DEFAULT 'STANDARD',
 		"last_used" DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
 		PRIMARY KEY (id)
-	);CREATE INDEX user_id_disabled_at_index ON users (id, disabled_at);
-	CREATE INDEX user_id_index ON users (id);
-  CREATE INDEX user_id_disabled_index ON users (id, disabled_at);
-	CREATE INDEX user_disabled_at_index ON USERS (disabled_at);`
+	);`
 
-	stmt, err := db.Prepare(createTableSQL)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer stmt.Close()
-	_, err = stmt.Exec()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Warnln(err)
-	}
+	MustExec(createTableSQL, db)
+	MustExec(`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_user_id ON users (id);`, db)
+	MustExec(`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_user_id_disabled ON users (id, disabled_at);`, db)
+	MustExec(`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_user_disabled_at ON users (disabled_at);`, db)
 }
 
 // GetUsersCount will return the number of users in the database.
diff --git a/core/data/utils.go b/core/data/utils.go
index d5f82fd3f..bec9e09b1 100644
--- a/core/data/utils.go
+++ b/core/data/utils.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 func MustExec(s string, db *sql.DB) {
 	stmt, err := db.Prepare(s)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
+		log.Panic(err)
 	}
 	defer stmt.Close()
 	_, err = stmt.Exec()
diff --git a/notifications/persistence.go b/notifications/persistence.go
index 283e4e551..bc6cecec1 100644
--- a/notifications/persistence.go
+++ b/notifications/persistence.go
@@ -17,18 +17,10 @@ func createNotificationsTable(db *sql.DB) {
     "id" INTEGER NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
 		"channel" TEXT NOT NULL,
 		"destination" TEXT NOT NULL,
-		"created_at" TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP);
-		CREATE INDEX channel_index ON notifications (channel);`
+		"created_at" TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP);`
 
-	stmt, err := db.Prepare(createTableSQL)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	defer stmt.Close()
-	_, err = stmt.Exec()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Warnln("error executing sql creating followers table", createTableSQL, err)
-	}
+	data.MustExec(createTableSQL, db)
+	data.MustExec(`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_channel ON notifications (channel);`, db)
 }
 
 // AddNotification saves a new user notification destination.