diff --git a/eth/backend.go b/eth/backend.go
index 2a9d56c5c1..b7a81652a7 100644
--- a/eth/backend.go
+++ b/eth/backend.go
@@ -139,16 +139,20 @@ func New(ctx *node.ServiceContext, config *Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 		bloomIndexer:   NewBloomIndexer(chainDb, params.BloomBitsBlocks, params.BloomConfirms),
 	}
 
-	log.Info("Initialising Ethereum protocol", "versions", ProtocolVersions, "network", config.NetworkId)
+	bcVersion := rawdb.ReadDatabaseVersion(chainDb)
+	var dbVer = "<nil>"
+	if bcVersion != nil {
+		dbVer = fmt.Sprintf("%d", *bcVersion)
+	}
+	log.Info("Initialising Ethereum protocol", "versions", ProtocolVersions, "network", config.NetworkId, "dbversion", dbVer)
 
 	if !config.SkipBcVersionCheck {
-		bcVersion := rawdb.ReadDatabaseVersion(chainDb)
 		if bcVersion != nil && *bcVersion > core.BlockChainVersion {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("database version is v%d, Geth %s only supports v%d", *bcVersion, params.VersionWithMeta, core.BlockChainVersion)
-		} else if bcVersion != nil && *bcVersion < core.BlockChainVersion {
-			log.Warn("Upgrade blockchain database version", "from", *bcVersion, "to", core.BlockChainVersion)
+		} else if bcVersion == nil || *bcVersion < core.BlockChainVersion {
+			log.Warn("Upgrade blockchain database version", "from", dbVer, "to", core.BlockChainVersion)
+			rawdb.WriteDatabaseVersion(chainDb, core.BlockChainVersion)
 		}
-		rawdb.WriteDatabaseVersion(chainDb, core.BlockChainVersion)
 	}
 	var (
 		vmConfig = vm.Config{