diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 1d96703..7509de9 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1184,7 +1184,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "nhentai_archivist"
-version = "3.8.0"
+version = "3.8.1"
 dependencies = [
  "chrono",
  "load_config",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 18cdac0..8294c3a 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ license     = "MIT"
 name        = "nhentai_archivist"
 readme      = "readme.md"
 repository  = "https://github.com/9-FS/nhentai_archivist"
-version     = "3.8.0"
+version     = "3.8.1"
 
 [dependencies]
 chrono = { version = "^0.4.0", features = ["serde"] }
diff --git a/docker-compose.yaml b/docker-compose.yaml
index a58ad40..fb2566b 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 services:
     nhentai_archivist:
         container_name: "nhentai_archivist"
-        image: "ghcr.io/9-fs/nhentai_archivist:3.8.0"
+        image: "ghcr.io/9-fs/nhentai_archivist:3.8.1"
         environment:
             HOST_OS: "Unraid"
             TZ: "UTC"
diff --git a/src/connect_to_db.rs b/src/connect_to_db.rs
index bb6d5d5..3e1b59f 100644
--- a/src/connect_to_db.rs
+++ b/src/connect_to_db.rs
@@ -8,11 +8,10 @@ use sqlx::migrate::MigrateDatabase;
 ///
 /// # Arguments
 /// - `db_url`: url to database file, might not be local but is recommended to be so
-/// - `migrations_path`: path to directory containing migration files
 ///
 /// # Returns
 /// - connection pool to database or error
-pub async fn connect_to_db(db_url: &str, db_migrations_path: &str) -> Result<sqlx::SqlitePool, sqlx::Error>
+pub async fn connect_to_db(db_url: &str) -> Result<sqlx::SqlitePool, sqlx::Error>
 {
     let db: sqlx::SqlitePool; // database connection pool
 
@@ -51,11 +50,8 @@ pub async fn connect_to_db(db_url: &str, db_migrations_path: &str) -> Result<sql
         .synchronous(sqlx::sqlite::SqliteSynchronous::Normal)); // ensure data is written to disk after each transaction for consistent state
     log::info!("Connected to database at \"{db_url}\".");
 
-    if std::path::Path::new(db_migrations_path).exists() // if migrations path exists
-    {
-        sqlx::migrate::Migrator::new(std::path::Path::new(db_migrations_path)).await?.run(&db).await?; // run migrations to create and update tables
-        log::debug!("Executed migrations at \"{db_migrations_path}\".");
-    }
+    sqlx::migrate!("./db_migrations/").run(&db).await?; // run migrations to create and update tables
+    log::debug!("Executed migrations at \"./db_migrations/\".");
 
     return Ok(db);
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main_inner.rs b/src/main_inner.rs
index 4fd8950..88baa10 100644
--- a/src/main_inner.rs
+++ b/src/main_inner.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ use crate::hentai::*;
 pub async fn main_inner(config: Config) -> Result<(), Error>
 {
     const DB_FILEPATH: &str = "./db/db.sqlite"; // database filepath
-    const DB_MIGRATIONS_PATH: &str = "./db_migrations/"; // migrations path
     const HTTP_TIMEOUT: u64 = 30; // connection timeout
     const NHENTAI_HENTAI_SEARCH_URL: &str = "https://nhentai.net/api/gallery/"; // nhentai search by id api url
     const NHENTAI_TAG_SEARCH_URL: &str = "https://nhentai.net/api/galleries/search"; // nhentai search by tag api url
@@ -78,7 +77,7 @@ pub async fn main_inner(config: Config) -> Result<(), Error>
                 break 'iteration; // if server mode: only abort iteration, go straight to sleeping
             }
 
-            match connect_to_db(DB_FILEPATH, DB_MIGRATIONS_PATH).await // connect to database
+            match connect_to_db(DB_FILEPATH).await // connect to database
             {
                 Ok(o) => db = o,
                 Err(e) =>