diff --git a/src/ngx_lua_resty_lmdb_module.c b/src/ngx_lua_resty_lmdb_module.c
index 5d3222c..76d9f55 100644
--- a/src/ngx_lua_resty_lmdb_module.c
+++ b/src/ngx_lua_resty_lmdb_module.c
@@ -434,8 +434,11 @@ ngx_lua_resty_lmdb_validate(ngx_cycle_t *cycle,
                       &lcf->validation_tag);
 
     } else if (rc == MDB_NOTFOUND) {
-        ngx_log_error(NGX_LOG_WARN, cycle->log, 0,
-                      "LMDB validation tag does not exist");
+        ngx_log_error(NGX_LOG_NOTICE, cycle->log, 0,
+                      "LMDB validation tag does not exist, assuming empty database");
+
+        mdb_txn_abort(txn);
+        return NGX_DECLINED;
 
     } else {
         ngx_log_error(NGX_LOG_ERR, cycle->log, 0,
@@ -519,6 +522,7 @@ ngx_lua_resty_lmdb_write_tag(ngx_cycle_t *cycle,
 
 static ngx_int_t ngx_lua_resty_lmdb_init(ngx_cycle_t *cycle)
 {
+    ngx_int_t                  rc;
     ngx_lua_resty_lmdb_conf_t *lcf;
 
     lcf = (ngx_lua_resty_lmdb_conf_t *) ngx_get_conf(cycle->conf_ctx,
@@ -536,10 +540,13 @@ static ngx_int_t ngx_lua_resty_lmdb_init(ngx_cycle_t *cycle)
 
     /* check lmdb validation tag */
 
-    if (ngx_lua_resty_lmdb_validate(cycle, lcf) != NGX_OK) {
+    rc = ngx_lua_resty_lmdb_validate(cycle, lcf);
+
+    if (rc != NGX_OK) {
         ngx_lua_resty_lmdb_close_file(cycle, lcf);
 
-        ngx_log_error(NGX_LOG_WARN, cycle->log, 0,
+        ngx_log_error((rc == NGX_DECLINED ? NGX_LOG_NOTICE : NGX_LOG_WARN),
+                      cycle->log, 0,
                       "LMDB validation tag mismatch, wiping the database");
 
         /* remove lmdb files to clean data */
diff --git a/t/10-validation-tag-plain.t b/t/11-validation-tag-plain.t
similarity index 99%
rename from t/10-validation-tag-plain.t
rename to t/11-validation-tag-plain.t
index e52061f..8d214c5 100644
--- a/t/10-validation-tag-plain.t
+++ b/t/11-validation-tag-plain.t
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ LMDB validation tag does not exist
 LMDB validation tag mismatch, wiping the database
 set LMDB validation tag: "3.3"
 --- no_error_log
-[emerg]
+[warn]
 [error]
 [crit]