diff --git a/src/wormhole/server/database.py b/src/wormhole/server/database.py
index e49b51b..eb188e1 100644
--- a/src/wormhole/server/database.py
+++ b/src/wormhole/server/database.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import os
 import sqlite3
+import tempfile
 from pkg_resources import resource_string
 from twisted.python import log
 
@@ -25,29 +26,70 @@ def dict_factory(cursor, row):
         d[col[0]] = row[idx]
     return d
 
-def get_db(dbfile, target_version=TARGET_VERSION):
-    """Open or create the given db file. The parent directory must exist.
-    Returns the db connection object, or raises DBError.
+def _initialize_db_schema(db, target_version):
+    """Creates the application schema in the given database.
     """
+    log.msg("populating new database with schema v%s" % target_version)
+    schema = get_schema(target_version)
+    db.executescript(schema)
+    db.execute("INSERT INTO version (version) VALUES (?)",
+               (target_version,))
+    db.commit()
 
-    must_create = (dbfile == ":memory:") or not os.path.exists(dbfile)
-    try:
-        db = sqlite3.connect(dbfile)
-    except (EnvironmentError, sqlite3.OperationalError) as e:
-        raise DBError("Unable to create/open db file %s: %s" % (dbfile, e))
+def _initialize_db_connection(db):
+    """Sets up the db connection object with a row factory and with necessary
+    foreign key settings.
+    """
     db.row_factory = dict_factory
     db.execute("PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON")
     problems = db.execute("PRAGMA foreign_key_check").fetchall()
     if problems:
         raise DBError("failed foreign key check: %s" % (problems,))
 
-    if must_create:
-        log.msg("populating new database with schema v%s" % target_version)
-        schema = get_schema(target_version)
-        db.executescript(schema)
-        db.execute("INSERT INTO version (version) VALUES (?)",
-                   (target_version,))
-        db.commit()
+def _open_db_connection(dbfile):
+    """Open a new connection to the SQLite3 database at the given path.
+    """
+    try:
+        db = sqlite3.connect(dbfile)
+    except (EnvironmentError, sqlite3.OperationalError) as e:
+        raise DBError("Unable to create/open db file %s: %s" % (dbfile, e))
+    _initialize_db_connection(db)
+    return db
+
+def _get_temporary_dbfile(dbfile):
+    """Get a temporary filename near the given path.
+    """
+    fd, name = tempfile.mkstemp(
+        prefix=os.path.basename(dbfile) + ".",
+        dir=os.path.dirname(dbfile)
+    )
+    os.close(fd)
+    return name
+
+def _atomic_create_and_initialize_db(dbfile, target_version):
+    """Create and return a new database, initialized with the application
+    schema.
+
+    If anything goes wrong, nothing is left at the ``dbfile`` path.
+    """
+    temp_dbfile = _get_temporary_dbfile(dbfile)
+    db = _open_db_connection(temp_dbfile)
+    _initialize_db_schema(db, target_version)
+    db.close()
+    os.rename(temp_dbfile, dbfile)
+    return _open_db_connection(dbfile)
+
+def get_db(dbfile, target_version=TARGET_VERSION):
+    """Open or create the given db file. The parent directory must exist.
+    Returns the db connection object, or raises DBError.
+    """
+    if dbfile == ":memory:":
+        db = _open_db_connection(dbfile)
+        _initialize_db_schema(db, target_version)
+    elif os.path.exists(dbfile):
+        db = _open_db_connection(dbfile)
+    else:
+        db = _atomic_create_and_initialize_db(dbfile, target_version)
 
     try:
         version = db.execute("SELECT version FROM version").fetchone()["version"]
diff --git a/src/wormhole/test/test_database.py b/src/wormhole/test/test_database.py
index 7a7b491..4ebc2cb 100644
--- a/src/wormhole/test/test_database.py
+++ b/src/wormhole/test/test_database.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 from __future__ import print_function, unicode_literals
 import os
+from twisted.python import filepath
 from twisted.trial import unittest
+from ..server import database
 from ..server.database import get_db, TARGET_VERSION, dump_db
 
 class DB(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -11,6 +13,13 @@ class DB(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(len(rows), 1)
         self.assertEqual(rows[0]["version"], TARGET_VERSION)
 
+    def test_failed_create_allows_subsequent_create(self):
+        patch = self.patch(database, "get_schema", lambda version: b"this is a broken schema")
+        dbfile = filepath.FilePath(self.mktemp())
+        self.assertRaises(Exception, lambda: get_db(dbfile.path))
+        patch.restore()
+        get_db(dbfile.path)
+
     def test_upgrade(self):
         basedir = self.mktemp()
         os.mkdir(basedir)