diff --git a/src/freedombone-app-hubzilla b/src/freedombone-app-hubzilla
index e804dbb6..93dc77a2 100755
--- a/src/freedombone-app-hubzilla
+++ b/src/freedombone-app-hubzilla
@@ -386,6 +386,11 @@ function install_hubzilla {
         chown -R www-data:www-data $HUBZILLA_PATH
     fi
 
+    if [ ! -f $HUBZILLA_PATH/install/schema_mysql.sql ]; then
+        echo $'No database schema found for hubzilla'
+        exit 252782
+    fi
+
     HUBZILLA_ONION_HOSTNAME=
     if [[ $ONION_ONLY != "no" ]]; then
         HUBZILLA_ONION_HOSTNAME=$(add_onion_service hubzilla 80 ${HUBZILLA_ONION_PORT})
@@ -578,11 +583,6 @@ function install_hubzilla {
     function_check nginx_ensite
     nginx_ensite $HUBZILLA_DOMAIN_NAME
 
-    # initialize the database
-    if [ ! -f $HUBZILLA_PATH/install/schema_mysql.sql ]; then
-        echo $'No database schema found for hubzilla'
-        exit 252782
-    fi
     function_check initialise_database
     initialise_database hubzilla $HUBZILLA_PATH/install/schema_mysql.sql