diff --git a/JobTrackerApi/Program.cs b/JobTrackerApi/Program.cs
index 6680dd4..a5487c9 100644
--- a/JobTrackerApi/Program.cs
+++ b/JobTrackerApi/Program.cs
@@ -723,11 +723,62 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS "GmailConnections" (
         var admin = users.FindByEmailAsync(adminEmail).GetAwaiter().GetResult();
         if (admin is not null)
         {
-            db.Database.ExecuteSqlRaw(
-                "UPDATE Companies SET OwnerUserId = {0} WHERE OwnerUserId IS NULL;" +
-                "UPDATE JobApplications SET OwnerUserId = {0} WHERE OwnerUserId IS NULL;",
-                admin.Id
-            );
+            try
+            {
+                using var conn = db.Database.GetDbConnection();
+                conn.Open();
+
+                static bool ColumnExists(DbConnection c, string providerName, string table, string column)
+                {
+                    using var cmd = c.CreateCommand();
+                    if (providerName is "mysql" or "mariadb")
+                    {
+                        var databaseName = c.Database;
+                        cmd.CommandText = "SELECT 1 FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = @schema AND TABLE_NAME = @table AND COLUMN_NAME = @column LIMIT 1;";
+
+                        var schemaParam = cmd.CreateParameter();
+                        schemaParam.ParameterName = "@schema";
+                        schemaParam.Value = databaseName;
+                        cmd.Parameters.Add(schemaParam);
+
+                        var tableParam = cmd.CreateParameter();
+                        tableParam.ParameterName = "@table";
+                        tableParam.Value = table;
+                        cmd.Parameters.Add(tableParam);
+
+                        var columnParam = cmd.CreateParameter();
+                        columnParam.ParameterName = "@column";
+                        columnParam.Value = column;
+                        cmd.Parameters.Add(columnParam);
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        cmd.CommandText = $"SELECT 1 FROM pragma_table_info('{table}') WHERE name = '{column}' LIMIT 1;";
+                    }
+
+                    return cmd.ExecuteScalar() is not null;
+                }
+
+                var companyOwnershipExists = ColumnExists(conn, provider, "Companies", "OwnerUserId");
+                var jobOwnershipExists = ColumnExists(conn, provider, "JobApplications", "OwnerUserId");
+
+                if (companyOwnershipExists || jobOwnershipExists)
+                {
+                    if (companyOwnershipExists)
+                    {
+                        db.Database.ExecuteSqlRaw("UPDATE Companies SET OwnerUserId = {0} WHERE OwnerUserId IS NULL;", admin.Id);
+                    }
+
+                    if (jobOwnershipExists)
+                    {
+                        db.Database.ExecuteSqlRaw("UPDATE JobApplications SET OwnerUserId = {0} WHERE OwnerUserId IS NULL;", admin.Id);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                app.Logger.LogWarning(ex, "Skipping legacy ownership claim because the current schema does not support it yet.");
+            }
         }
     }
 }