diff --git a/src/wormhole_transit_relay/server_state.py b/src/wormhole_transit_relay/server_state.py
index e5c7bc3..9f83736 100644
--- a/src/wormhole_transit_relay/server_state.py
+++ b/src/wormhole_transit_relay/server_state.py
@@ -149,15 +149,12 @@ def create_usage_tracker(blur_usage, log_file, usage_db):
     """
     tracker = UsageTracker(blur_usage)
     if usage_db:
-        db = get_db(usage_db)
-        tracker.add_backend(DatabaseUsageRecorder(db))
+        tracker.add_backend(DatabaseUsageRecorder(usage_db))
     if log_file:
         tracker.add_backend(LogFileUsageRecorder(log_file))
     return tracker
 
 
-
-
 class UsageTracker(object):
     """
     Tracks usage statistics of connections
diff --git a/src/wormhole_transit_relay/server_tap.py b/src/wormhole_transit_relay/server_tap.py
index cbf3efa..7f89409 100644
--- a/src/wormhole_transit_relay/server_tap.py
+++ b/src/wormhole_transit_relay/server_tap.py
@@ -38,10 +38,11 @@ def makeService(config, reactor=reactor):
         if config["log-fd"] is not None
         else None
     )
+    db = None if config["usage-db"] is None else get_db(config["usage-db"])
     usage = create_usage_tracker(
         blur_usage=config["blur-usage"],
         log_file=log_file,
-        usage_db=config["usage-db"],
+        usage_db=db,
     )
     factory = transit_server.Transit(usage)
     parent = MultiService()
diff --git a/src/wormhole_transit_relay/test/test_stats.py b/src/wormhole_transit_relay/test/test_stats.py
index bce450b..6cdfc7b 100644
--- a/src/wormhole_transit_relay/test/test_stats.py
+++ b/src/wormhole_transit_relay/test/test_stats.py
@@ -10,19 +10,16 @@ from ..server_state import create_usage_tracker
 from .. import database
 
 class DB(unittest.TestCase):
-    def open_db(self, dbfile):
-        db = sqlite3.connect(dbfile)
-        database._initialize_db_connection(db)
-        return db
 
     def test_db(self):
         T = 1519075308.0
         d = self.mktemp()
         os.mkdir(d)
         usage_db = os.path.join(d, "usage.sqlite")
+        db = database.get_db(usage_db)
         with mock.patch("time.time", return_value=T+0):
-            t = Transit(create_usage_tracker(blur_usage=None, log_file=None, usage_db=usage_db))
-        db = self.open_db(usage_db)
+            t = Transit(create_usage_tracker(blur_usage=None, log_file=None, usage_db=db))
+        self.assertEqual(len(t.usage._backends), 1)
         usage = list(t.usage._backends)[0]
 
         with mock.patch("time.time", return_value=T+1):