Index: roundup/backends/rdbms_common.py
===================================================================
--- roundup/backends/rdbms_common.py	(revision 4385)
+++ roundup/backends/rdbms_common.py	(working copy)
@@ -204,8 +204,11 @@
             We should now confirm that the schema defined by our "classes"
             attribute actually matches the schema in the database.
         """
-        save = 0
 
+        # upgrade the database for column type changes, new internal
+        # tables, etc.
+        save = self.upgrade_db()
+
         # handle changes in the schema
         tables = self.database_schema['tables']
         for classname, spec in self.classes.items():
@@ -225,10 +228,6 @@
                 del tables[classname]
                 save = 1
 
-        # now upgrade the database for column type changes, new internal
-        # tables, etc.
-        save = save | self.upgrade_db()
-
         # update the database version of the schema
         if save:
             self.save_dbschema()
@@ -275,9 +274,11 @@
             self.fix_version_2_tables()
 
         if version < 4:
+            self.log_info('upgrade to version 4')
             self.fix_version_3_tables()
 
         if version < 5:
+            self.log_info('upgrade to version 5')
             self.fix_version_4_tables()
 
         self.database_schema['version'] = self.current_db_version
@@ -574,7 +575,12 @@
     def add_class_key_required_unique_constraint(self, cn, key):
         sql = '''create unique index _%s_key_retired_idx
             on _%s(__retired__, _%s)'''%(cn, cn, key)
-        self.sql(sql)
+        try:
+            self.sql(sql)
+        except StandardError:
+            # XXX catch e.g.:
+            # _sqlite.DatabaseError: index _status_key_retired_idx already exists
+            pass
 
     def drop_class_table_indexes(self, cn, key):
         # drop the old table indexes first
Index: roundup/backends/back_sqlite.py
===================================================================
--- roundup/backends/back_sqlite.py	(revision 4385)
+++ roundup/backends/back_sqlite.py	(working copy)
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@
         self.create_class_table(spec)
 
         if olddata:
-            inscols = ['id', '_actor', '_activity', '_creation', '_creator']
+            inscols = ['id', '_actor', '_activity', '_creation', '_creator', '__retired__']
             for propname,x in new_spec[1]:
                 prop = properties[propname]
                 if isinstance(prop, hyperdb.Multilink):
@@ -274,6 +274,7 @@
             sql = 'insert into _%s (%s) values (%s)'%(cn, cols, args)
             for entry in olddata:
                 d = []
+                retired_id = None
                 for name in inscols:
                     # generate the new value for the Interval int column
                     if name.endswith('_int__'):
@@ -296,6 +297,10 @@
                         v = entry[name]
                     else:
                         v = None
+                    if name == 'id':
+                        retired_id = v
+                    elif name == '__retired__' and retired_id and v not in ['0', 0]:
+                        v = retired_id
                     d.append(v)
                 self.sql(sql, tuple(d))