diff --git a/src/Storage/TSStorageManager.h b/src/Storage/TSStorageManager.h
index 21195cd21..46d0727fe 100644
--- a/src/Storage/TSStorageManager.h
+++ b/src/Storage/TSStorageManager.h
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 //
-//  TSStorageManager.h
-//  TextSecureKit
-//
-//  Created by Frederic Jacobs on 27/10/14.
-//  Copyright (c) 2014 Open Whisper Systems. All rights reserved.
+//  Copyright (c) 2017 Open Whisper Systems. All rights reserved.
 //
 
 #import "TSStorageKeys.h"
@@ -21,9 +17,17 @@ extern NSString *const TSUIDatabaseConnectionDidUpdateNotification;
 @interface TSStorageManager : NSObject
 
 + (instancetype)sharedManager;
+
+/**
+ * Returns NO if:
+ *
+ * - Keychain is locked because device has just been restarted.
+ * - Password could not be retrieved because of a keychain error.
+ */
++ (BOOL)isDatabasePasswordAccessible;
+
 - (void)setupDatabase;
 - (void)deleteThreadsAndMessages;
-- (BOOL)databasePasswordAccessible;
 - (void)resetSignalStorage;
 
 - (YapDatabase *)database;
diff --git a/src/Storage/TSStorageManager.m b/src/Storage/TSStorageManager.m
index 82bc6729a..49bba31ed 100644
--- a/src/Storage/TSStorageManager.m
+++ b/src/Storage/TSStorageManager.m
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 //
-//  TSStorageManager.m
-//
 //  Copyright (c) 2017 Open Whisper Systems. All rights reserved.
 //
 
@@ -23,6 +21,8 @@
 NSString *const TSUIDatabaseConnectionDidUpdateNotification = @"TSUIDatabaseConnectionDidUpdateNotification";
 
 NSString *const TSStorageManagerExceptionNameDatabasePasswordInaccessible = @"TSStorageManagerExceptionNameDatabasePasswordInaccessible";
+NSString *const TSStorageManagerExceptionNameDatabasePasswordInaccessibleWhileBackgrounded =
+    @"TSStorageManagerExceptionNameDatabasePasswordInaccessibleWhileBackgrounded";
 NSString *const TSStorageManagerExceptionNameDatabasePasswordUnwritable = @"TSStorageManagerExceptionNameDatabasePasswordUnwritable";
 NSString *const TSStorageManagerExceptionNameNoDatabase = @"TSStorageManagerExceptionNameNoDatabase";
 
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ static NSString *keychainDBPassAccount    = @"TSDatabasePass";
     return databasePath;
 }
 
-- (BOOL)databasePasswordAccessible
++ (BOOL)isDatabasePasswordAccessible
 {
     [SAMKeychain setAccessibilityType:kSecAttrAccessibleAfterFirstUnlockThisDeviceOnly];
     NSError *error;
@@ -287,6 +287,17 @@ static NSString *keychainDBPassAccount    = @"TSDatabasePass";
     return NO;
 }
 
+- (void)backgroundedAppDatabasePasswordInaccessibleWithErrorDescription:(NSString *)errorDescription
+{
+    OWSAssert([UIApplication sharedApplication].applicationState == UIApplicationStateBackground);
+
+    // Presumably this happened in response to a push notification. It's possible that the keychain is corrupted
+    // but it could also just be that the user hasn't yet unlocked their device since our password is
+    // kSecAttrAccessibleAfterFirstUnlockThisDeviceOnly
+    [NSException raise:TSStorageManagerExceptionNameDatabasePasswordInaccessibleWhileBackgrounded
+                format:@"%@", errorDescription];
+}
+
 - (NSData *)databasePassword
 {
     [SAMKeychain setAccessibilityType:kSecAttrAccessibleAfterFirstUnlockThisDeviceOnly];
@@ -296,7 +307,19 @@ static NSString *keychainDBPassAccount    = @"TSDatabasePass";
         [SAMKeychain passwordForService:keychainService account:keychainDBPassAccount error:&keyFetchError];
 
     if (keyFetchError) {
-        // Either this is a new install so there's no existing password to retrieve
+        UIApplicationState applicationState = [UIApplication sharedApplication].applicationState;
+        NSString *errorDescription = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"Database password inaccessible. No unlock since device restart? Error: %@ ApplicationState: %d", keyFetchError, (int)applicationState];
+        DDLogError(@"%@ %@", self.tag, errorDescription);
+        [DDLog flushLog];
+
+        if ([UIApplication sharedApplication].applicationState == UIApplicationStateBackground) {
+            // TODO: Rather than crash here, we should detect the situation earlier
+            // and exit gracefully - (in the app delegate?). See the `
+            // This is a last ditch effort to avoid blowing away the user's database.
+            [self backgroundedAppDatabasePasswordInaccessibleWithErrorDescription:errorDescription];
+        }
+
+        // At this point, either this is a new install so there's no existing password to retrieve
         // or the keychain has become corrupt.  Either way, we want to get back to a
         // "known good state" and behave like a new install.