diff --git a/Docker/liberate.sh b/Docker/liberate.sh
index 9991b1eb..40ef534a 100755
--- a/Docker/liberate.sh
+++ b/Docker/liberate.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ info() {
 }
 
 debug() {
-  log "debug" "$1"
+  if [ "${LOG_LEVEL}" = "debug" ]; then
+    log "debug" "$1"
+  fi
 }
 
 log() {
@@ -45,6 +47,26 @@ update_settings() {
   mv ${LIBATION_CONFIG_INTERNAL}/${FILE}.tmp ${LIBATION_CONFIG_INTERNAL}/${FILE}
 }
 
+is_mounted() {
+  DIR=$1
+  return $(mount | grep ${DIR})
+}
+
+create_db() {
+  FILE=$1
+  if [ -f "${FILE}" ]; then
+    warn "prexisting database found when creating"
+    return 0
+  else
+    warn "database not found, creating one at ${FILE}"
+    if ! touch "${FILE}"; then
+      error "unable to create database, check permissions on host"
+      exit 1
+    fi
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
 run() {
   info "scanning accounts"
   /libation/LibationCli scan
@@ -68,28 +90,31 @@ main() {
   update_settings Settings.json Books /data
   update_settings Settings.json InProgress /tmp
 
-  # If user provides a separate database use that
   info "loading database"
   FILE=LibationContext.db
-  if [ -f "${LIBATION_DB_DIR}/${FILE}" ]; then
-    info "database found in ${LIBATION_DB_DIR}"
-    ln -s /${LIBATION_DB_DIR}/${FILE} ${LIBATION_CONFIG_INTERNAL}/${FILE}
-  # If user provides database in config use that
-  elif [ -f "${LIBATION_CONFIG_DIR}/${FILE}" ]; then
-    info "database found in ${LIBATION_CONFIG_DIR}"
-    ln -s /${LIBATION_CONFIG_DIR}/${FILE} ${LIBATION_CONFIG_INTERNAL}/${FILE}
-  # We didn't get a database
-  else
-    warn "no database found, creating one in ${LIBATION_CONFIG_DIR}" 
-    if ! touch ${LIBATION_CONFIG_DIR}/${FILE}; then
-      error "unable to create database, check permissions on host"
-      exit 1
+  # If user provides a separate database mount, use that
+  if [ is_mounted ${LIBATION_DB_DIR} ];
+  then
+    debug using database directory `${LIBATION_DB_DIR}`
+    if [ -f "${LIBATION_DB_DIR}/${FILE}" ]; then
+      info "database found in ${LIBATION_DB_DIR}"
+    else
+      create_db ${LIBATION_DB_DIR}/${FILE}
     fi
-    ln -s ${LIBATION_CONFIG_DIR}/${FILE} ${LIBATION_CONFIG_INTERNAL}/${FILE}
+    ln -s /${LIBATION_DB_DIR}/${FILE} ${LIBATION_CONFIG_INTERNAL}/${FILE}
+  # Otherwise, use the config directory
+  else
+    debug using config directory `${LIBATION_CONFIG_DIR}`
+    if [ -f "${LIBATION_CONFIG_DIR}/${FILE}" ]; then
+      info "database found in ${LIBATION_CONFIG_DIR}"
+    else
+      create_db ${LIBATION_CONFIG_DIR}/${FILE}
+    fi
+    ln -s /${LIBATION_CONFIG_DIR}/${FILE} ${LIBATION_CONFIG_INTERNAL}/${FILE}
   fi
 
   # Try to warn if books dir wasn't mounted in
-  if [ -z "$(mount | grep ${LIBATION_BOOKS_DIR})" ]
+  if [ ! is_mounted ${LIBATION_BOOKS_DIR} ];
   then
     warn "${LIBATION_BOOKS_DIR} does not appear to be mounted, books will not be saved"
   fi