diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b6787e0409..fef4b7e8b0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 - feat(bind): Added option to bind to specific http address
+- fix(migration): Unleash should not start if migration fails.
 
 ## 3.0.2
 - fix(package): Update unleash-frontend to version 3.0.1 
diff --git a/lib/server-impl.js b/lib/server-impl.js
index bb15b81d2b..167eef71f9 100644
--- a/lib/server-impl.js
+++ b/lib/server-impl.js
@@ -38,12 +38,17 @@ function createApp(options) {
     });
 }
 
-function start(opts) {
+async function start(opts) {
     const options = createOptions(opts);
 
-    return migrator({ databaseUrl: options.databaseUrl })
-        .catch(err => logger.error('failed to migrate db', err))
-        .then(() => createApp(options));
+    try {
+        await migrator({ databaseUrl: options.databaseUrl });
+    } catch (err) {
+        logger.error('Failed to migrate db', err);
+        throw err;
+    }
+
+    return createApp(options);
 }
 
 module.exports = {