diff --git a/src/cli/serve.rs b/src/cli/serve.rs
index 2dcdb765..f2152e55 100644
--- a/src/cli/serve.rs
+++ b/src/cli/serve.rs
@@ -40,11 +40,14 @@ use crate::{
         ruma_wrapper::{Ar, Ra},
         server_server, well_known,
     },
-    config,
-    config::{Config, ListenComponent, ListenTransport},
+    config::{self, Config, ListenComponent, ListenTransport},
     database::KeyValueDatabase,
-    error, observability, services, utils,
-    utils::error::{Error, Result},
+    error, observability, services,
+    utils::{
+        self,
+        error::{Error, Result},
+    },
+    Services, SERVICES,
 };
 
 pub(crate) async fn run(args: ServeArgs) -> Result<(), error::ServeCommand> {
@@ -70,8 +73,27 @@ pub(crate) async fn run(args: ServeArgs) -> Result<(), error::ServeCommand> {
         .expect("should be able to increase the soft limit to the hard limit");
 
     info!("Loading database");
-    let db = KeyValueDatabase::load_or_create(config, reload_handles)
-        .map_err(Error::DatabaseError)?;
+    let db = Box::leak(Box::new(
+        KeyValueDatabase::load_or_create(&config)
+            .map_err(Error::DatabaseError)?,
+    ));
+
+    // This is the first and only time we initialize the SERVICE static
+    *SERVICES.write().unwrap() = Some(Box::leak(Box::new(
+        Services::build(db, config, reload_handles)
+            .map_err(Error::InitializeServices)?,
+    )));
+
+    // Matrix resource ownership is based on the server name; changing it
+    // requires recreating the database from scratch. This check needs to be
+    // done before background tasks are started to avoid data races.
+    if services().users.count().map(|x| x > 0).map_err(Error::NonZeroUsers)? {
+        let admin_bot = services().globals.admin_bot_user_id.as_ref();
+        if !services().users.exists(admin_bot).map_err(Error::AdminBotExists)? {
+            return Err(Error::Renamed);
+        }
+    }
+
     db.apply_migrations().await.map_err(Error::DatabaseError)?;
 
     info!("Starting background tasks");
diff --git a/src/database.rs b/src/database.rs
index 160a3093..abfad85a 100644
--- a/src/database.rs
+++ b/src/database.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ use tracing::{debug, error, info, info_span, warn, Instrument};
 
 use crate::{
     config::DatabaseBackend,
-    observability::FilterReloadHandles,
     service::{
         media::MediaFileKey,
         rooms::{
@@ -33,7 +32,7 @@ use crate::{
             timeline::PduCount,
         },
     },
-    services, utils, Config, Error, PduEvent, Result, Services, SERVICES,
+    services, utils, Config, Error, PduEvent, Result,
 };
 
 pub(crate) struct KeyValueDatabase {
@@ -319,11 +318,8 @@ impl KeyValueDatabase {
         allow(unreachable_code)
     )]
     #[allow(clippy::too_many_lines)]
-    pub(crate) fn load_or_create(
-        config: Config,
-        reload_handles: FilterReloadHandles,
-    ) -> Result<&'static KeyValueDatabase> {
-        Self::check_db_setup(&config)?;
+    pub(crate) fn load_or_create(config: &Config) -> Result<KeyValueDatabase> {
+        Self::check_db_setup(config)?;
 
         if !Path::new(&config.database.path).exists() {
             fs::create_dir_all(&config.database.path).map_err(|_| {
@@ -339,21 +335,19 @@ impl KeyValueDatabase {
             not(any(feature = "rocksdb", feature = "sqlite")),
             allow(unused_variables)
         )]
-        let builder: Arc<dyn KeyValueDatabaseEngine> = match config
-            .database
-            .backend
-        {
-            #[cfg(feature = "sqlite")]
-            DatabaseBackend::Sqlite => {
-                Arc::new(Arc::<abstraction::sqlite::Engine>::open(&config)?)
-            }
-            #[cfg(feature = "rocksdb")]
-            DatabaseBackend::Rocksdb => {
-                Arc::new(Arc::<abstraction::rocksdb::Engine>::open(&config)?)
-            }
-        };
+        let builder: Arc<dyn KeyValueDatabaseEngine> =
+            match config.database.backend {
+                #[cfg(feature = "sqlite")]
+                DatabaseBackend::Sqlite => {
+                    Arc::new(Arc::<abstraction::sqlite::Engine>::open(config)?)
+                }
+                #[cfg(feature = "rocksdb")]
+                DatabaseBackend::Rocksdb => {
+                    Arc::new(Arc::<abstraction::rocksdb::Engine>::open(config)?)
+                }
+            };
 
-        let db_raw = Box::new(Self {
+        let db = Self {
             db: builder.clone(),
             userid_password: builder.open_tree("userid_password")?,
             userid_displayname: builder.open_tree("userid_displayname")?,
@@ -527,31 +521,7 @@ impl KeyValueDatabase {
             our_real_users_cache: RwLock::new(HashMap::new()),
             appservice_in_room_cache: RwLock::new(HashMap::new()),
             lasttimelinecount_cache: Mutex::new(HashMap::new()),
-        });
-
-        let db = Box::leak(db_raw);
-
-        let services_raw =
-            Box::new(Services::build(db, config, reload_handles)?);
-
-        // This is the first and only time we initialize the SERVICE static
-        *SERVICES.write().unwrap() = Some(Box::leak(services_raw));
-
-        // Matrix resource ownership is based on the server name; changing it
-        // requires recreating the database from scratch.
-        if services().users.count()? > 0 {
-            let admin_bot = services().globals.admin_bot_user_id.as_ref();
-            if !services().users.exists(admin_bot)? {
-                error!(
-                    user_id = %admin_bot,
-                    "The admin bot does not exist and the database is not new",
-                );
-                return Err(Error::bad_database(
-                    "Cannot reuse an existing database after changing the \
-                     server name, please delete the old one first.",
-                ));
-            }
-        }
+        };
 
         Ok(db)
     }
diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index 180fc6a9..2ad565a3 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -61,6 +61,18 @@ pub(crate) enum ServeCommand {
 
     #[error("failed to serve requests")]
     Serve(#[from] Serve),
+
+    #[error("failed to initialize services")]
+    InitializeServices(#[source] crate::utils::error::Error),
+
+    #[error("failed to check if there are any users")]
+    NonZeroUsers(#[source] crate::utils::error::Error),
+
+    #[error("failed to check if the admin bot exists")]
+    AdminBotExists(#[source] crate::utils::error::Error),
+
+    #[error("`server_name` in the database and config file differ")]
+    Renamed,
 }
 
 /// Observability initialization errors