diff --git a/nova/db/sqlalchemy/migration.py b/nova/db/sqlalchemy/migration.py
index a8a544999f..d3e0bd5b4c 100644
--- a/nova/db/sqlalchemy/migration.py
+++ b/nova/db/sqlalchemy/migration.py
@@ -62,6 +62,40 @@ def db_sync(version=None, database='main', context=None):
 
 def db_version(database='main', context=None):
     repository = _find_migrate_repo(database)
+
+    # NOTE(mdbooth): This is a crude workaround for races in _db_version. The 2
+    # races we have seen in practise are:
+    # * versioning_api.db_version() fails because the migrate_version table
+    #   doesn't exist, but meta.tables subsequently contains tables because
+    #   another thread has already started creating the schema. This results in
+    #   the 'Essex' error.
+    # * db_version_control() fails with pymysql.error.InternalError(1050)
+    #   (Create table failed) because of a race in sqlalchemy-migrate's
+    #   ControlledSchema._create_table_version, which does:
+    #     if not table.exists(): table.create()
+    #   This means that it doesn't raise the advertised
+    #   DatabaseAlreadyControlledError, which we could have handled explicitly.
+    #
+    # I believe the correct fix should be:
+    # * Delete the Essex-handling code as unnecessary complexity which nobody
+    #   should still need.
+    # * Fix the races in sqlalchemy-migrate such that version_control() always
+    #   raises a well-defined error, and then handle that error here.
+    #
+    # Until we do that, though, we should be able to just try again if we
+    # failed for any reason. In both of the above races, trying again should
+    # succeed the second time round.
+    #
+    # For additional context, see:
+    # * https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1652287
+    # * https://bugs.launchpad.net/nova/+bug/1804652
+    try:
+        return _db_version(repository, database, context)
+    except Exception:
+        return _db_version(repository, database, context)
+
+
+def _db_version(repository, database, context):
     try:
         return versioning_api.db_version(get_engine(database, context=context),
                                          repository)
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/db/test_sqlalchemy_migration.py b/nova/tests/unit/db/test_sqlalchemy_migration.py
index 5621431bea..17e0d80120 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/db/test_sqlalchemy_migration.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/db/test_sqlalchemy_migration.py
@@ -159,6 +159,51 @@ class TestDbVersion(test.NoDBTestCase):
         engine_calls = [mock.call(database, context=None)] * 3
         self.assertEqual(engine_calls, mock_get_engine.call_args_list)
 
+    def test_db_version_init_race(self, mock_get_engine, mock_db_version,
+            mock_find_repo):
+        # This test exercises bug 1804652 by causing
+        # versioning_api.version_contro() to raise an unhandleable error the
+        # first time it is called.
+        database = 'api'
+        mock_get_engine.return_value = 'engine'
+        exc = versioning_exceptions.DatabaseNotControlledError()
+        mock_db_version.side_effect = [exc, '']
+        metadata = mock.MagicMock()
+        metadata.tables.return_value = []
+        with mock.patch.object(sqlalchemy, 'MetaData',
+                metadata), mock.patch.object(migration,
+                        'db_version_control') as mock_version_control:
+            # db_version_control raises an unhandleable error because we were
+            # racing to initialise with another process.
+            mock_version_control.side_effect = test.TestingException
+            migration.db_version(database)
+            mock_version_control.assert_called_once_with(0,
+                                                         database,
+                                                         context=None)
+            db_version_calls = [mock.call('engine', 'repo')] * 2
+            self.assertEqual(db_version_calls, mock_db_version.call_args_list)
+        engine_calls = [mock.call(database, context=None)] * 3
+        self.assertEqual(engine_calls, mock_get_engine.call_args_list)
+
+    def test_db_version_raise_on_error(self, mock_get_engine, mock_db_version,
+            mock_find_repo):
+        # This test asserts that we will still raise a persistent error after
+        # working around bug 1804652.
+        database = 'api'
+        mock_get_engine.return_value = 'engine'
+        mock_db_version.side_effect = \
+                versioning_exceptions.DatabaseNotControlledError
+        metadata = mock.MagicMock()
+        metadata.tables.return_value = []
+        with mock.patch.object(sqlalchemy, 'MetaData',
+                metadata), mock.patch.object(migration,
+                        'db_version_control') as mock_version_control:
+            # db_version_control raises an unhandleable error because we were
+            # racing to initialise with another process.
+            mock_version_control.side_effect = test.TestingException
+            self.assertRaises(test.TestingException,
+                              migration.db_version, database)
+
 
 @mock.patch.object(migration, '_find_migrate_repo', return_value='repo')
 @mock.patch.object(migration, 'get_engine', return_value='engine')