diff --git a/channeldb/db.go b/channeldb/db.go
index fa93bc19a..194743334 100644
--- a/channeldb/db.go
+++ b/channeldb/db.go
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ const (
 	dbFilePermission = 0600
 )
 
-// Migration is a function which takes a prior outdated version of the database
-// instances and mutates the key/bucket structure to arrive at a more up-to-date
-// version of the database.
+// migration is a function which takes a prior outdated version of the database
+// instances and mutates the key/bucket structure to arrive at a more
+// up-to-date version of the database.
 type migration func(tx *bolt.Tx) error
 
 type version struct {
@@ -30,19 +30,20 @@ type version struct {
 }
 
 var (
-	// DBVersions is storing all versions of database. If current version of
-	// database don't match with latest version this list will be used for
-	// retrieving all migration function that are need to apply to the
+	// dbVersions is storing all versions of database. If current version
+	// of database don't match with latest version this list will be used
+	// for retrieving all migration function that are need to apply to the
 	// current db.
-	DBVersions = []version{
+	dbVersions = []version{
 		{
+			// The base DB version requires no migration.
 			number:    1,
-			migration: nil, // The base DB version requires no migration
+			migration: nil,
 		},
 	}
 
-	// Big endian is the preferred byte order, due to cursor scans over integer
-	// keys iterating in order.
+	// Big endian is the preferred byte order, due to cursor scans over
+	// integer keys iterating in order.
 	byteOrder = binary.BigEndian
 )
 
@@ -61,7 +62,6 @@ type DB struct {
 
 // Open opens an existing channeldb created under the passed namespace with
 // sensitive data encrypted by the passed EncryptorDecryptor implementation.
-// TODO(roasbeef): versioning?
 func Open(dbPath string, netParams *chaincfg.Params) (*DB, error) {
 	path := filepath.Join(dbPath, dbName)
 
@@ -76,11 +76,19 @@ func Open(dbPath string, netParams *chaincfg.Params) (*DB, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return &DB{
+	chanDB := &DB{
 		store:     bdb,
 		netParams: netParams,
 		dbPath:    dbPath,
-	}, nil
+	}
+
+	// Synchronize the version of database and apply migrations if needed.
+	if err := chanDB.syncVersions(dbVersions); err != nil {
+		bdb.Close()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return chanDB, nil
 }
 
 // Wipe completely deletes all saved state within all used buckets within the
@@ -299,42 +307,44 @@ func (d *DB) FetchAllChannels() ([]*OpenChannel, error) {
 	return channels, err
 }
 
-// SyncVersions function is used for safe db version synchronization. It applies
+// syncVersions function is used for safe db version synchronization. It applies
 // migration functions to the current database and recovers the previous
 // state of db if at least one error/panic appeared during migration.
-func (d *DB) SyncVersions(versions []version) error {
+func (d *DB) syncVersions(versions []version) error {
 	meta, err := d.FetchMeta(nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// If the current database version matches the latest version number,
+	// then we don't need to perform any migrations.
 	latestVersion := getLatestDBVersion(versions)
-
-	if meta.dbVersionNumber < latestVersion {
-		migrations := getMigrationsToApply(versions, meta.dbVersionNumber)
-
-		return d.store.Update(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
-			for _, migration := range migrations {
-				if migration == nil {
-					continue
-				}
-
-				if err := migration(tx); err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
-			}
-
-			meta.dbVersionNumber = latestVersion
-			if err := d.PutMeta(meta, tx); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-
-			return nil
-		})
-
+	if meta.DbVersionNumber == latestVersion {
+		return nil
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	// Otherwise, we fetch the migrations which need to applied, and
+	// execute them serially within a single database transaction to ensure
+	// the migration is atomic.
+	migrations := getMigrationsToApply(versions, meta.DbVersionNumber)
+	return d.store.Update(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
+		for _, migration := range migrations {
+			if migration == nil {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			if err := migration(tx); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+
+		meta.DbVersionNumber = latestVersion
+		if err := d.PutMeta(meta, tx); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	})
 }
 
 func getLatestDBVersion(versions []version) uint32 {
diff --git a/channeldb/meta.go b/channeldb/meta.go
index 369e21b4f..b8239701e 100644
--- a/channeldb/meta.go
+++ b/channeldb/meta.go
@@ -9,14 +9,15 @@ var (
 	// the database.
 	metaBucket = []byte("metadata")
 
-	// dbVersionKey is a boltdb key and it's used for storing/retrieveing
+	// dbVersionKey is a boltdb key and it's used for storing/retrieving
 	// current database version.
 	dbVersionKey = []byte("dbp")
 )
 
 // Meta structure holds the database meta information.
 type Meta struct {
-	dbVersionNumber uint32
+	// DbVersionNumber is the current schema version of the database.
+	DbVersionNumber uint32
 }
 
 // FetchMeta fetches the meta data from boltdb and returns filled meta
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ func (d *DB) PutMeta(meta *Meta, tx *bolt.Tx) error {
 
 func putDbVersion(metaBucket *bolt.Bucket, meta *Meta) error {
 	scratch := make([]byte, 4)
-	byteOrder.PutUint32(scratch, meta.dbVersionNumber)
+	byteOrder.PutUint32(scratch, meta.DbVersionNumber)
 	if err := metaBucket.Put(dbVersionKey, scratch); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -83,8 +84,8 @@ func putDbVersion(metaBucket *bolt.Bucket, meta *Meta) error {
 
 func fetchDbVersion(metaBucket *bolt.Bucket, meta *Meta) {
 	if data := metaBucket.Get(dbVersionKey); data != nil {
-		meta.dbVersionNumber = byteOrder.Uint32(data)
+		meta.DbVersionNumber = byteOrder.Uint32(data)
 	} else {
-		meta.dbVersionNumber = getLatestDBVersion(DBVersions)
+		meta.DbVersionNumber = getLatestDBVersion(dbVersions)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/channeldb/meta_test.go b/channeldb/meta_test.go
index ccf0bae53..99a290385 100644
--- a/channeldb/meta_test.go
+++ b/channeldb/meta_test.go
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@ package channeldb
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"testing"
+
 	"github.com/boltdb/bolt"
 	"github.com/go-errors/errors"
-	"testing"
 )
 
 // TestVersionFetchPut checks the propernces of fetch/put methods
@@ -22,12 +23,12 @@ func TestVersionFetchPut(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	if meta.dbVersionNumber != getLatestDBVersion(DBVersions) {
+	if meta.DbVersionNumber != getLatestDBVersion(dbVersions) {
 		t.Fatal("initialization of meta information wasn't performed")
 	}
 
-	var newVersion uint32 = getLatestDBVersion(DBVersions) + 1
-	meta.dbVersionNumber = newVersion
+	var newVersion uint32 = getLatestDBVersion(dbVersions) + 1
+	meta.DbVersionNumber = newVersion
 
 	if err := db.PutMeta(meta, nil); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("update of meta failed %v", err)
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ func TestVersionFetchPut(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	if meta.dbVersionNumber != newVersion {
+	if meta.DbVersionNumber != newVersion {
 		t.Fatal("update of meta information wasn't performed")
 	}
 }
@@ -87,17 +88,17 @@ func TestOrderOfMigrations(t *testing.T) {
 // TestGlobalVersionList checks that there is no mistake in global version list
 // in terms of version ordering.
 func TestGlobalVersionList(t *testing.T) {
-	if DBVersions == nil {
+	if dbVersions == nil {
 		t.Fatal("can't find versions list")
 	}
 
-	if len(DBVersions) == 0 {
+	if len(dbVersions) == 0 {
 		t.Fatal("db versions list is empty")
 	}
 
-	prev := DBVersions[0].number
-	for i := 1; i < len(DBVersions); i++ {
-		version := DBVersions[i].number
+	prev := dbVersions[0].number
+	for i := 1; i < len(dbVersions); i++ {
+		version := dbVersions[i].number
 
 		if version == prev {
 			t.Fatal("duplicates db versions")
@@ -127,7 +128,7 @@ func applyMigration(t *testing.T, beforeMigration, afterMigration func(d *DB),
 
 	// Create test meta info with zero database version and put it on disk.
 	// Than creating the version list pretending that new version was added.
-	meta := &Meta{dbVersionNumber: 0}
+	meta := &Meta{DbVersionNumber: 0}
 	cdb.PutMeta(meta, nil)
 
 	versions := []version{
@@ -158,7 +159,7 @@ func applyMigration(t *testing.T, beforeMigration, afterMigration func(d *DB),
 	}()
 
 	// Sync with the latest version - applying migration function.
-	err = cdb.SyncVersions(versions)
+	err = cdb.syncVersions(versions)
 }
 
 func TestMigrationWithPanic(t *testing.T) {
@@ -200,7 +201,7 @@ func TestMigrationWithPanic(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		if meta.dbVersionNumber != 0 {
+		if meta.DbVersionNumber != 0 {
 			t.Fatal("migration paniced but version is changed")
 		}
 
@@ -268,7 +269,7 @@ func TestMigrationWithFatal(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		if meta.dbVersionNumber != 0 {
+		if meta.DbVersionNumber != 0 {
 			t.Fatal("migration failed but version is changed")
 		}
 
@@ -335,7 +336,7 @@ func TestMigrationWithoutErrors(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		if meta.dbVersionNumber != 1 {
+		if meta.DbVersionNumber != 1 {
 			t.Fatal("version number isn't changed after " +
 				"succesfully aplied migration")
 		}
diff --git a/lnd.go b/lnd.go
index d9f5f3f6a..51f6e8a97 100644
--- a/lnd.go
+++ b/lnd.go
@@ -67,12 +67,6 @@ func lndMain() error {
 	}
 	defer chanDB.Close()
 
-	// Synchronize the version of database and apply migration if needed.
-	if err := chanDB.SyncVersions(channeldb.DBVersions); err != nil {
-		fmt.Println("unable to sync versions: ", err)
-		return err
-	}
-
 	// Next load btcd's TLS cert for the RPC connection. If a raw cert was
 	// specified in the config, then we'll se that directly. Otherwise, we
 	// attempt to read the cert from the path specified in the config.