diff --git a/lib/open.cc b/lib/open.cc
index 069c0664..07f2bd1e 100644
--- a/lib/open.cc
+++ b/lib/open.cc
@@ -152,6 +152,29 @@ _load_key_file (const char *path,
     return status;
 }
 
+static notmuch_status_t
+_db_dir_exists (const char *database_path, char **message)
+{
+    struct stat st;
+    int err;
+
+    err = stat (database_path, &st);
+    if (err) {
+	IGNORE_RESULT (asprintf (message, "Error: Cannot open database at %s: %s.\n",
+				 database_path, strerror (errno)));
+	return NOTMUCH_STATUS_FILE_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    if (! S_ISDIR (st.st_mode)) {
+	IGNORE_RESULT (asprintf (message, "Error: Cannot open database at %s: "
+				 "Not a directory.\n",
+				 database_path));
+	return NOTMUCH_STATUS_FILE_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    return NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 static notmuch_status_t
 _choose_database_path (void *ctx,
 		       const char *config_path,
@@ -251,8 +274,6 @@ notmuch_database_open_with_config (const char *database_path,
     notmuch_database_t *notmuch = NULL;
     char *notmuch_path, *incompat_features;
     char *message = NULL;
-    struct stat st;
-    int err;
     unsigned int version;
     GKeyFile *key_file = NULL;
 
@@ -270,19 +291,19 @@ notmuch_database_open_with_config (const char *database_path,
 
     _set_database_path (notmuch, database_path);
 
+    status = _db_dir_exists (database_path, &message);
+    if (status)
+	goto DONE;
+
     if (! (notmuch_path = talloc_asprintf (local, "%s/%s", database_path, ".notmuch"))) {
 	message = strdup ("Out of memory\n");
 	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
 	goto DONE;
     }
 
-    err = stat (notmuch_path, &st);
-    if (err) {
-	IGNORE_RESULT (asprintf (&message, "Error opening database at %s: %s\n",
-				 notmuch_path, strerror (errno)));
-	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_FILE_ERROR;
+    status = _db_dir_exists (notmuch_path, &message);
+    if (status)
 	goto DONE;
-    }
 
     if (! (notmuch->xapian_path = talloc_asprintf (notmuch, "%s/%s", notmuch_path, "xapian"))) {
 	message = strdup ("Out of memory\n");
@@ -471,9 +492,16 @@ notmuch_database_create_with_config (const char *database_path,
     char *notmuch_path = NULL;
     char *message = NULL;
     GKeyFile *key_file = NULL;
-    struct stat st;
-    int err;
     void *local = talloc_new (NULL);
+    int err;
+
+    _init_libs ();
+
+    notmuch = _alloc_notmuch ();
+    if (! notmuch) {
+	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+	goto DONE;
+    }
 
     _init_libs ();
 
@@ -481,21 +509,11 @@ notmuch_database_create_with_config (const char *database_path,
 					 &key_file, &database_path, &message)))
 	goto DONE;
 
-    err = stat (database_path, &st);
-    if (err) {
-	IGNORE_RESULT (asprintf (&message, "Error: Cannot create database at %s: %s.\n",
-				 database_path, strerror (errno)));
-	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_FILE_ERROR;
+    status = _db_dir_exists (database_path, &message);
+    if (status)
 	goto DONE;
-    }
 
-    if (! S_ISDIR (st.st_mode)) {
-	IGNORE_RESULT (asprintf (&message, "Error: Cannot create database at %s: "
-				 "Not a directory.\n",
-				 database_path));
-	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_FILE_ERROR;
-	goto DONE;
-    }
+    _set_database_path (notmuch, database_path);
 
     notmuch_path = talloc_asprintf (local, "%s/%s", database_path, ".notmuch");
 
@@ -503,6 +521,8 @@ notmuch_database_create_with_config (const char *database_path,
     if (err) {
 	if (errno == EEXIST) {
 	    status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_DATABASE_EXISTS;
+	    talloc_free (notmuch);
+	    notmuch = NULL;
 	} else {
 	    IGNORE_RESULT (asprintf (&message, "Error: Cannot create directory %s: %s.\n",
 				     notmuch_path, strerror (errno)));
diff --git a/test/T030-config.sh b/test/T030-config.sh
index 32efa945..6610bf8e 100755
--- a/test/T030-config.sh
+++ b/test/T030-config.sh
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ built_with.compact=something
 built_with.field_processor=something
 built_with.retry_lock=something
 ====
-Error opening database at MAIL_DIR/.notmuch: No such file or directory
+Error: Cannot open database at MAIL_DIR/.notmuch: No such file or directory.
 EOF
 test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
 
diff --git a/test/T560-lib-error.sh b/test/T560-lib-error.sh
index ade376ef..03df69d9 100755
--- a/test/T560-lib-error.sh
+++ b/test/T560-lib-error.sh
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ EOF
 cat <<'EOF' >EXPECTED
 == stdout ==
 == stderr ==
-Error opening database at CWD/nonexistent/foo/.notmuch: No such file or directory
+Error: Cannot open database at CWD/nonexistent/foo: No such file or directory.
 EOF
 test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
 
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ EOF
 cat <<'EOF' >EXPECTED
 == stdout ==
 == stderr ==
-Error: Cannot create database at CWD/nonexistent/foo: No such file or directory.
+Error: Cannot open database at CWD/nonexistent/foo: No such file or directory.
 EOF
 test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
 
diff --git a/test/T750-user-header.sh b/test/T750-user-header.sh
index ff554b06..b19db571 100755
--- a/test/T750-user-header.sh
+++ b/test/T750-user-header.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ test_description='indexing user specified headers'
 test_begin_subtest "error adding user header before initializing DB"
 notmuch config set index.header.List List-Id 2>&1 | notmuch_dir_sanitize > OUTPUT
 cat <<EOF > EXPECTED
-Error opening database at MAIL_DIR/.notmuch: No such file or directory
+Error: Cannot open database at MAIL_DIR/.notmuch: No such file or directory.
 EOF
 test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT