diff --git a/Netdisco/bin/create_netdisco_schema_version b/Netdisco/bin/nd-dbic-versions
similarity index 89%
rename from Netdisco/bin/create_netdisco_schema_version
rename to Netdisco/bin/nd-dbic-versions
index e45d71f5..84e56b1c 100755
--- a/Netdisco/bin/create_netdisco_schema_version
+++ b/Netdisco/bin/nd-dbic-versions
@@ -9,8 +9,24 @@ use Dancer::Plugin::DBIC 'schema';
 use Netdisco::DB;
 use Getopt::Long;
 
+=head1 create_netdisco_schema_version
+
+This script creates SQL DDL files of the Netdisco database schema.
+
+If called without any CLI options, it makes one SQL DDL file which will
+initialize the complete schema to the current DBIx::Class specification.
+
+If called with the "-p <version>" option, upgrade SQL DDL command files
+are created between the specified version and the current DBIx::Class
+specification.
+
+=cut
+
+schema('netdisco')->create_ddl_dir(
+  'PostgreSQL', $version, $sql_dir, $preversion );
+
 my $sql_dir = $Netdisco::DB::schema_versions_dir;
-my $version = schema->schema_version();
+my $version = schema('netdisco')->schema_version;
 
 my ( $preversion, $help );
 GetOptions(
@@ -33,18 +49,3 @@ $sql_dir
 ENDHELP
   exit(1);
 };
- 
-schema->create_ddl_dir( 'PostgreSQL', $version, $sql_dir, $preversion );
-
-=head1 create_netdisco_schema_version
-
-This script creates SQL DDL files of the Netdisco database schema.
-
-If called without any CLI options, it makes one SQL DDL file which will
-initialize the complete schema to the current DBIx::Class specification.
-
-If called with the "-p <version>" option, upgrade SQL DDL command files
-are created between the specified version and the current DBIx::Class
-specification.
-
-=cut
diff --git a/Netdisco/bin/upgrade_netdisco_schema_version b/Netdisco/bin/netdisco-db-deploy
similarity index 61%
rename from Netdisco/bin/upgrade_netdisco_schema_version
rename to Netdisco/bin/netdisco-db-deploy
index 4be0d93f..858713fb 100755
--- a/Netdisco/bin/upgrade_netdisco_schema_version
+++ b/Netdisco/bin/netdisco-db-deploy
@@ -7,27 +7,6 @@ use Dancer ':script';
 use Dancer::Plugin::DBIC 'schema';
 
 use Try::Tiny;
-use feature 'say';
-
-if (not schema->get_db_version()) {
-  # installs the dbix_class_schema_versions table with version "1"
-  # which corresponds to an empty schema
-  say 'Installing DBIx::Class versioning to Netdisco::DB schema...';
-  schema->txn_do(sub { schema->install("1") });
-  exec $0;
-}
-
-try {
-    # if schema exists, assume it's current public Netdisco version
-  if (schema->get_db_version() == 1
-      and my $count = schema->resultset('Device')->count()) {
-    schema->txn_do(sub { schema->_set_db_version("2") });
-  }
-};
-
-# upgrades from whatever dbix_class_schema_versions says, to $VERSION
-say 'Upgrading Netdisco::DB schema...';
-schema->txn_do(sub { schema->upgrade() });
 
 =head1 upgrade_netdisco_schema_version
 
@@ -66,3 +45,29 @@ Version 4 (not yet created) B<will diverge from "classic" Netdisco 1.x>
 =back
 
 =cut
+
+my $schema = schema('netdisco');
+
+# installs the dbix_class_schema_versions table with version "1"
+# which corresponds to an empty schema
+if (not $schema->get_db_version) {
+    $schema->txn_do(sub { $schema->install(1) });
+    $schema->storage->disconnect;
+}
+
+# test for existing schema at public release version, set v=2 if so
+try {
+    $schema->storage->dbh_do(sub {
+      my ($storage, $dbh) = @_;
+      $dbh->selectrow_arrayref("SELECT * FROM device WHERE 0 = 1");
+    });
+
+    $schema->_set_db_version(2)
+      if $schema->get_db_version == 1;
+    $schema->storage->disconnect;
+};
+
+# upgrade from whatever dbix_class_schema_versions says, to $VERSION
+$schema->txn_do(sub { $schema->upgrade });
+
+exit 0;
diff --git a/Netdisco/lib/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm b/Netdisco/lib/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm
index 12bcbf07..a957661e 100644
--- a/Netdisco/lib/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm
+++ b/Netdisco/lib/Netdisco/Daemon/Worker/Manager.pm
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ sub worker_begin {
         $dbh->selectrow_arrayref("SELECT * FROM admin WHERE 0 = 1");
       });
   }
-  catch { $daemon->deploy };
+  catch { $daemon->txn_do( $daemon->deploy ) };
 
   $daemon->storage->disconnect;
   if ($daemon->get_db_version < $daemon->schema_version) {
-      $daemon->upgrade;
+      $daemon->txn_do( $daemon->upgrade );
   }
 
   # on start, any jobs previously grabbed by a daemon on this host