diff --git a/qwarc/__init__.py b/qwarc/__init__.py
index c3e3320..9e53a96 100644
--- a/qwarc/__init__.py
+++ b/qwarc/__init__.py
@@ -152,11 +152,6 @@ class Item:
 	def generate(cls):
 		yield from () # Generate no items by default
 
-	@classmethod
-	def _gen(cls):
-		for x in cls.generate():
-			yield (cls.itemType, x, STATUS_TODO)
-
 	def add_subitem(self, itemClassOrType, itemValue):
 		if issubclass(itemClassOrType, Item):
 			item = (itemClassOrType.itemType, itemValue)
@@ -307,6 +302,18 @@ class QWARC:
 		self._db.isolation_level = None # Transactions are handled manually below.
 		self._db.execute('PRAGMA synchronous = OFF')
 
+		cursor = await self.obtain_exclusive_db_lock()
+		try:
+			cursor.execute('SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type = "table" AND name = "items"')
+			result = cursor.fetchone()
+			if not result:
+				self._create_db(cursor)
+			self._insert_generated_items(cursor)
+			cursor.execute('COMMIT')
+		except:
+			cursor.execute('ROLLBACK')
+			raise
+
 		try:
 			while True:
 				while len(self._tasks) >= self._concurrency:
@@ -393,18 +400,15 @@ class QWARC:
 		await self._insert_subitems(item)
 		item.clear_subitems()
 
-	def create_db(self):
-		db = sqlite3.connect(self._dbPath, timeout = 1)
-		db.execute('PRAGMA synchronous = OFF')
-		with db:
-			db.execute('CREATE TABLE items (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, type TEXT, value TEXT, status INTEGER)')
-			db.execute('CREATE INDEX items_status_idx ON items (status)')
-			db.execute('CREATE UNIQUE INDEX items_type_value_idx ON items (type, value)')
+	def _create_db(self, cursor):
+		cursor.execute('CREATE TABLE items (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, type TEXT, value TEXT, status INTEGER)')
+		cursor.execute('CREATE INDEX items_status_idx ON items (status)')
+		cursor.execute('CREATE UNIQUE INDEX items_type_value_idx ON items (type, value)')
 
-		it = itertools.chain(*(i._gen() for i in self._itemClasses))
+	def _insert_generated_items(self, cursor):
+		it = itertools.chain((cls.itemType, value, STATUS_TODO) for cls in self._itemClasses for value in cls.generate())
 		while True:
 			values = tuple(itertools.islice(it, 100000))
 			if not values:
 				break
-			with db:
-				db.executemany('INSERT INTO items (type, value, status) VALUES (?, ?, ?)', values)
+			cursor.executemany('INSERT OR IGNORE INTO items (type, value, status) VALUES (?, ?, ?)', values)
diff --git a/qwarc/cli.py b/qwarc/cli.py
index 70ab325..18bf790 100644
--- a/qwarc/cli.py
+++ b/qwarc/cli.py
@@ -78,9 +78,6 @@ def main():
 		warcSizeLimit = args.warcsplit,
 		warcDedupe = args.warcdedupe,
 	  )
-	if not os.path.exists(args.database):
-		a.create_db()
-
 	loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
 	try:
 		loop.run_until_complete(a.run(loop))