diff --git a/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy-dump.yml b/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy-dump.yml
index 9c11857f..3bd7e69e 100644
--- a/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy-dump.yml
+++ b/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy-dump.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,15 @@
 - ansible.builtin.set_fact:
     _mysql_previous_build_database_name: "{{ database.database }}"
 
+- name: Check if the database exists already.
+  ansible.builtin.shell: "set -o pipefail && mysql --defaults-extra-file={{ database.credentials_file }} -e 'SHOW DATABASES;' | grep {{ _mysql_build_database_name }}"
+  register: _build_db_status
+  failed_when: _build_db_status.rc > 1 # only exit on abnormal errors
+  run_once: true
+  args:
+    executable: /bin/bash
+
+# Create database if this is an initial build or it doesn't exist yet
 - name: Create initial database.
   community.mysql.mysql_db:
     name: "{{ _mysql_build_database_name }}"
@@ -11,7 +20,7 @@
     login_host: "{{ _mysql_host }}"
     login_user: "{{ _mysql_user }}"
     login_password: "{{ _mysql_password }}"
-  when: previous_build_number == 0
+  when: previous_build_number == 0 or _build_db_status.rc == 1
   run_once: true
 
 - name: Ensure the dump directory exists.
@@ -28,3 +37,5 @@
     executable: /bin/bash
   when: previous_build_number > 0
   run_once: true
+  args:
+    executable: /bin/bash
diff --git a/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy-none.yml b/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy-none.yml
index dea8fe9f..8447b3ee 100644
--- a/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy-none.yml
+++ b/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy-none.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,15 @@
 - ansible.builtin.set_fact:
     _mysql_previous_build_database_name: "{{ database.database }}"
 
+- name: Check if the database exists already.
+  ansible.builtin.shell: "set -o pipefail && mysql --defaults-extra-file={{ database.credentials_file }} -e 'SHOW DATABASES;' | grep {{ _mysql_build_database_name }}"
+  register: _build_db_status
+  failed_when: _build_db_status.rc > 1 # only exit on abnormal errors
+  run_once: true
+  args:
+    executable: /bin/bash
+
+# Create database if this is an initial build or it doesn't exist yet
 - name: Create initial database.
   community.mysql.mysql_db:
     name: "{{ _mysql_build_database_name }}"
@@ -11,5 +20,5 @@
     login_host: "{{ _mysql_host }}"
     login_user: "{{ _mysql_user }}"
     login_password: "{{ _mysql_password }}"
-  when: previous_build_number == 0
+  when: previous_build_number == 0 or _build_db_status.rc == 1
   run_once: true
diff --git a/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy-rolling.yml b/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy-rolling.yml
index 5a82a644..094da9fc 100644
--- a/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy-rolling.yml
+++ b/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy-rolling.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 - ansible.builtin.set_fact:
     _mysql_previous_build_database_name: "{{ database.database }}_{{ previous_build_number }}"
 
-- name: Check if the new database name exists already.
+- name: Check if the new database exists already.
   ansible.builtin.shell: "set -o pipefail && mysql --defaults-extra-file={{ database.credentials_file }} -e 'SHOW DATABASES;' | grep {{ _mysql_build_database_name }}"
   register: _build_db_status
   failed_when: _build_db_status.rc == 0 # we want the build to fail if the database exists
diff --git a/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy.yml b/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy.yml
index f6d75658..67d460e9 100644
--- a/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy.yml
+++ b/roles/database_backup/database_backup-mysql/tasks/deploy.yml
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
     _mysql_build_password: "{{ lookup('password', '/dev/shm/{{ project_name }}_{{ build_type }}_{{ build_number }}') }}"
   when: mysql_backup.credentials_handling == 'rotate'
 
-- name: Set database handling type.
+- name: "Set database handling type to {{ mysql_backup.handling }}."
   ansible.builtin.set_fact:
     _mysql_handling: "{{ mysql_backup.handling }}"
 # If we have a specific instruction for handling this database differently, use it.