--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/db/BrowserDatabaseHelper.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/db/BrowserDatabaseHelper.java
@@ -191,16 +191,17 @@ public final class BrowserDatabaseHelper
         db.execSQL("CREATE TABLE " + TABLE_CLIENTS + "(" +
                 BrowserContract.Clients.GUID + " TEXT PRIMARY KEY," +
                 BrowserContract.Clients.NAME + " TEXT," +
                 BrowserContract.Clients.LAST_MODIFIED + " INTEGER," +
                 BrowserContract.Clients.DEVICE_TYPE + " TEXT" +
                 ");");
     }
 
+    private boolean didCreateTabsTable = false;
     private void createTabsTable(SQLiteDatabase db, final String tableName) {
         debug("Creating tabs.db: " + db.getPath());
         debug("Creating " + tableName + " table");
 
         // Table for each tab on any client.
         db.execSQL("CREATE TABLE " + tableName + "(" +
                 BrowserContract.Tabs._ID + " INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT," +
                 BrowserContract.Tabs.CLIENT_GUID + " TEXT," +
@@ -398,29 +399,31 @@ public final class BrowserDatabaseHelper
 
         createBookmarksTable(db);
         createHistoryTable(db);
         createFaviconsTable(db);
         createThumbnailsTable(db);
         createClientsTable(db);
         createLocalClient(db);
         createTabsTable(db, TABLE_TABS);
+        didCreateTabsTable = true;
         createTabsTableIndices(db, TABLE_TABS);
 
 
         createBookmarksWithFaviconsView(db);
         createHistoryWithFaviconsView(db);
         createCombinedViewOn19(db);
 
         createOrUpdateSpecialFolder(db, Bookmarks.PLACES_FOLDER_GUID,
             R.string.bookmarks_folder_places, 0);
 
         createOrUpdateAllSpecialFolders(db);
         createSearchHistoryTable(db);
         createReadingListTable(db, TABLE_READING_LIST);
+        didCreateCurrentReadingListTable = true;      // Mostly correct, in the absence of transactions.
         createReadingListIndices(db, TABLE_READING_LIST);
         createUrlAnnotationsTable(db);
         createNumbersTable(db);
 
         createDeletedLoginsTable(db, TABLE_DELETED_LOGINS);
         createDisabledHostsTable(db, TABLE_DISABLED_HOSTS);
         createLoginsTable(db, TABLE_LOGINS);
         createLoginsTableIndices(db, TABLE_LOGINS);
@@ -430,16 +433,17 @@ public final class BrowserDatabaseHelper
      * Copies the tabs and clients tables out of the given tabs.db file and into the destinationDB.
      *
      * @param tabsDBFile Path to existing tabs.db.
      * @param destinationDB The destination database.
      */
     public void copyTabsDB(File tabsDBFile, SQLiteDatabase destinationDB) {
         createClientsTable(destinationDB);
         createTabsTable(destinationDB, TABLE_TABS);
+        didCreateTabsTable = true;
         createTabsTableIndices(destinationDB, TABLE_TABS);
 
         SQLiteDatabase oldTabsDB = null;
         try {
             oldTabsDB = SQLiteDatabase.openDatabase(tabsDBFile.getPath(), null, SQLiteDatabase.OPEN_READONLY);
 
             if (!DBUtils.copyTable(oldTabsDB, TABLE_CLIENTS, destinationDB, TABLE_CLIENTS)) {
                 Log.e(LOGTAG, "Failed to migrate table clients; ignoring.");
@@ -465,16 +469,17 @@ public final class BrowserDatabaseHelper
                     SearchHistory.QUERY + " TEXT UNIQUE NOT NULL, " +
                     SearchHistory.DATE_LAST_VISITED + " INTEGER, " +
                     SearchHistory.VISITS + " INTEGER ) ");
 
         db.execSQL("CREATE INDEX idx_search_history_last_visited ON " +
                 SearchHistory.TABLE_NAME + "(" + SearchHistory.DATE_LAST_VISITED + ")");
     }
 
+    private boolean didCreateCurrentReadingListTable = false;
     private void createReadingListTable(final SQLiteDatabase db, final String tableName) {
         debug("Creating " + TABLE_READING_LIST + " table");
 
         db.execSQL("CREATE TABLE " + tableName + "(" +
                    ReadingListItems._ID + " INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT, " +
                    ReadingListItems.GUID + " TEXT UNIQUE, " +                          // Server-assigned.
 
                    ReadingListItems.CONTENT_STATUS + " TINYINT NOT NULL DEFAULT " + ReadingListItems.STATUS_UNFETCHED + ", " +
@@ -968,16 +973,17 @@ public final class BrowserDatabaseHelper
                       Bookmarks._ID + " = ? ",
                       new String[] { String.valueOf(Bookmarks.FIXED_READING_LIST_ID) });
 
             // Create indices.
             createReadingListIndices(db, TABLE_READING_LIST);
 
             // Done.
             db.setTransactionSuccessful();
+            didCreateCurrentReadingListTable = true;
 
         } catch (SQLException e) {
             Log.e(LOGTAG, "Error migrating reading list items", e);
         } finally {
             db.endTransaction();
         }
     }
 
@@ -994,16 +1000,21 @@ public final class BrowserDatabaseHelper
                    " WHERE " + Bookmarks.TYPE + " IS NULL");
     }
 
     private void upgradeDatabaseFrom19to20(SQLiteDatabase db) {
         createSearchHistoryTable(db);
     }
 
     private void upgradeDatabaseFrom21to22(SQLiteDatabase db) {
+        if (didCreateCurrentReadingListTable) {
+            debug("No need to add CONTENT_STATUS to reading list; we just created with the current schema.");
+            return;
+        }
+
         debug("Adding CONTENT_STATUS column to reading list table.");
 
         try {
             db.execSQL("ALTER TABLE " + TABLE_READING_LIST +
                        " ADD COLUMN " + ReadingListItems.CONTENT_STATUS +
                        " TINYINT DEFAULT " + ReadingListItems.STATUS_UNFETCHED);
 
             db.execSQL("CREATE INDEX reading_list_content_status ON " + TABLE_READING_LIST + "("
@@ -1011,16 +1022,21 @@ public final class BrowserDatabaseHelper
         } catch (SQLiteException e) {
             // We're betting that an error here means that the table already has the column,
             // so we're failing due to the duplicate column name.
             Log.e(LOGTAG, "Error upgrading database from 21 to 22", e);
         }
     }
 
     private void upgradeDatabaseFrom22to23(SQLiteDatabase db) {
+        if (didCreateCurrentReadingListTable) {
+            debug("No need to rev reading list schema; we just created with the current schema.");
+            return;
+        }
+
         debug("Rewriting reading list table.");
         createReadingListTable(db, "tmp_rl");
 
         // Remove indexes. We don't need them now, and we'll be throwing away the table.
         db.execSQL("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS reading_list_url");
         db.execSQL("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS reading_list_guid");
         db.execSQL("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS reading_list_content_status");
 
@@ -1080,16 +1096,21 @@ public final class BrowserDatabaseHelper
                 FileUtils.delete(file);
             } catch (Exception e) {
                 Log.e(LOGTAG, "Exception occurred while trying to delete " + file.getPath() + "; ignoring.", e);
             }
         }
     }
 
     private void upgradeDatabaseFrom24to25(SQLiteDatabase db) {
+        if (didCreateTabsTable) {
+            debug("No need to rev tabs schema; foreign key constraint exists.");
+            return;
+        }
+
         debug("Rewriting tabs table.");
         createTabsTable(db, "tmp_tabs");
 
         // Remove indexes. We don't need them now, and we'll be throwing away the table.
         db.execSQL("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS " + TabsProvider.INDEX_TABS_GUID);
         db.execSQL("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS " + TabsProvider.INDEX_TABS_POSITION);
 
         db.execSQL("INSERT INTO tmp_tabs (" +
@@ -1106,16 +1127,17 @@ public final class BrowserDatabaseHelper
                         "SELECT " +
                         "_id, client_guid, title, url, history, favicon, last_used, position" +
                         " FROM " + TABLE_TABS);
 
         // Now switch these tables over and recreate the indices.
         db.execSQL("DROP TABLE " + TABLE_TABS);
         db.execSQL("ALTER TABLE tmp_tabs RENAME TO " + TABLE_TABS);
         createTabsTableIndices(db, TABLE_TABS);
+        didCreateTabsTable = true;
     }
 
     private void upgradeDatabaseFrom25to26(SQLiteDatabase db) {
         debug("Dropping unnecessary indices");
         db.execSQL("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS clients_guid_index");
         db.execSQL("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS thumbnails_url_index");
         db.execSQL("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS favicons_url_index");
     }