diff --git a/scripts/setup/create-database b/scripts/setup/create-database
index 0c7245f31d..b2e6fb9688 100755
--- a/scripts/setup/create-database
+++ b/scripts/setup/create-database
@@ -14,20 +14,18 @@ POSTGRES_USER="${POSTGRES_USER:-postgres}"
 DATABASE_NAME=$(crudini --get /etc/zulip/zulip.conf postgresql database_name 2>/dev/null || echo zulip)
 DATABASE_USER=$(crudini --get /etc/zulip/zulip.conf postgresql database_user 2>/dev/null || echo zulip)
 
-# This psql command may fail because the Zulip database doesn’t exist,
-# hence the &&.
-if records="$(
-    cd / # Make sure the current working directory is readable by postgres
-    su "$POSTGRES_USER" -c "psql -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 -Atc 'SELECT COUNT(*) FROM $DATABASE_NAME.zerver_message;' $DATABASE_USER"
-)" && [ "$records" -gt 200 ]; then
-    set +x
-    echo "WARNING: This will delete your Zulip database which currently contains $records messages."
-    read -p "Do you want to proceed? [y/N] " -r
-    echo
-    if [[ ! $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
-        exit 1
+if [ "$(su "$POSTGRES_USER" -c "cd / && psql -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 -Atc \"SELECT 1 FROM pg_database WHERE datname='$DATABASE_NAME';\"")" = "1" ]; then
+    records="$(su "$POSTGRES_USER" -c "cd / && psql -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 -Atc 'SELECT COUNT(*) FROM $DATABASE_NAME.zerver_message;' $DATABASE_USER")"
+    if [ "$records" -gt 200 ]; then
+        set +x
+        echo "WARNING: This will delete your Zulip database which currently contains $records messages."
+        read -p "Do you want to proceed? [y/N] " -r
+        echo
+        if [[ ! $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        set -x
     fi
-    set -x
 fi
 
 # Shut down all services to ensure a quiescent state.