diff --git a/lib/db/db_test.go b/lib/db/db_test.go
index 9266e99ca..8b74a63e6 100644
--- a/lib/db/db_test.go
+++ b/lib/db/db_test.go
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ func TestRepairSequence(t *testing.T) {
 	// Loading the metadata for the first time means a "re"calculation happens,
 	// along which the sequences get repaired too.
 	db.gcMut.RLock()
-	_ = loadMetadataTracker(db, folderStr)
+	_ = db.loadMetadataTracker(folderStr)
 	db.gcMut.RUnlock()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/lib/db/lowlevel.go b/lib/db/lowlevel.go
index 1ef27096d..f349a64b0 100644
--- a/lib/db/lowlevel.go
+++ b/lib/db/lowlevel.go
@@ -627,6 +627,117 @@ func (db *Lowlevel) gcIndirect() error {
 	return db.Compact()
 }
 
+// CheckRepair checks folder metadata and sequences for miscellaneous errors.
+func (db *Lowlevel) CheckRepair() {
+	for _, folder := range db.ListFolders() {
+		_ = db.getMetaAndCheck(folder)
+	}
+}
+
+func (db *Lowlevel) getMetaAndCheck(folder string) *metadataTracker {
+	db.gcMut.RLock()
+	defer db.gcMut.RUnlock()
+
+	meta, err := db.recalcMeta(folder)
+	if err == nil {
+		var fixed int
+		fixed, err = db.repairSequenceGCLocked(folder, meta)
+		if fixed != 0 {
+			l.Infoln("Repaired %v sequence entries in database", fixed)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if backend.IsClosed(err) {
+		return nil
+	} else if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
+	return meta
+}
+
+func (db *Lowlevel) loadMetadataTracker(folder string) *metadataTracker {
+	meta := newMetadataTracker()
+	if err := meta.fromDB(db, []byte(folder)); err != nil {
+		l.Infof("No stored folder metadata for %q; recalculating", folder)
+		return db.getMetaAndCheck(folder)
+	}
+
+	curSeq := meta.Sequence(protocol.LocalDeviceID)
+	if metaOK := db.verifyLocalSequence(curSeq, folder); !metaOK {
+		l.Infof("Stored folder metadata for %q is out of date after crash; recalculating", folder)
+		return db.getMetaAndCheck(folder)
+	}
+
+	if age := time.Since(meta.Created()); age > databaseRecheckInterval {
+		l.Infof("Stored folder metadata for %q is %v old; recalculating", folder, age)
+		return db.getMetaAndCheck(folder)
+	}
+
+	return meta
+}
+
+func (db *Lowlevel) recalcMeta(folder string) (*metadataTracker, error) {
+	meta := newMetadataTracker()
+	if err := db.checkGlobals([]byte(folder), meta); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	t, err := db.newReadWriteTransaction()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer t.close()
+
+	var deviceID protocol.DeviceID
+	err = t.withAllFolderTruncated([]byte(folder), func(device []byte, f FileInfoTruncated) bool {
+		copy(deviceID[:], device)
+		meta.addFile(deviceID, f)
+		return true
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	meta.SetCreated()
+	if err := meta.toDB(t, []byte(folder)); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if err := t.Commit(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return meta, nil
+}
+
+// Verify the local sequence number from actual sequence entries. Returns
+// true if it was all good, or false if a fixup was necessary.
+func (db *Lowlevel) verifyLocalSequence(curSeq int64, folder string) bool {
+	// Walk the sequence index from the current (supposedly) highest
+	// sequence number and raise the alarm if we get anything. This recovers
+	// from the occasion where we have written sequence entries to disk but
+	// not yet written new metadata to disk.
+	//
+	// Note that we can have the same thing happen for remote devices but
+	// there it's not a problem -- we'll simply advertise a lower sequence
+	// number than we've actually seen and receive some duplicate updates
+	// and then be in sync again.
+
+	t, err := db.newReadOnlyTransaction()
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	ok := true
+	if err := t.withHaveSequence([]byte(folder), curSeq+1, func(fi FileIntf) bool {
+		ok = false // we got something, which we should not have
+		return false
+	}); err != nil && !backend.IsClosed(err) {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	t.close()
+
+	return ok
+}
+
 // repairSequenceGCLocked makes sure the sequence numbers in the sequence keys
 // match those in the corresponding file entries. It returns the amount of fixed
 // entries.
diff --git a/lib/db/set.go b/lib/db/set.go
index d5e38da97..226bb1527 100644
--- a/lib/db/set.go
+++ b/lib/db/set.go
@@ -75,112 +75,11 @@ func NewFileSet(folder string, fs fs.Filesystem, db *Lowlevel) *FileSet {
 		folder:      folder,
 		fs:          fs,
 		db:          db,
-		meta:        loadMetadataTracker(db, folder),
+		meta:        db.loadMetadataTracker(folder),
 		updateMutex: sync.NewMutex(),
 	}
 }
 
-func loadMetadataTracker(db *Lowlevel, folder string) *metadataTracker {
-	recalc := func() *metadataTracker {
-		db.gcMut.RLock()
-		defer db.gcMut.RUnlock()
-		meta, err := recalcMeta(db, folder)
-		if err == nil {
-			var fixed int
-			fixed, err = db.repairSequenceGCLocked(folder, meta)
-			if fixed != 0 {
-				l.Infoln("Repaired %v sequence entries in database", fixed)
-			}
-		}
-		if backend.IsClosed(err) {
-			return nil
-		} else if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
-		}
-		return meta
-	}
-
-	meta := newMetadataTracker()
-	if err := meta.fromDB(db, []byte(folder)); err != nil {
-		l.Infof("No stored folder metadata for %q; recalculating", folder)
-		return recalc()
-	}
-
-	curSeq := meta.Sequence(protocol.LocalDeviceID)
-	if metaOK := verifyLocalSequence(curSeq, db, folder); !metaOK {
-		l.Infof("Stored folder metadata for %q is out of date after crash; recalculating", folder)
-		return recalc()
-	}
-
-	if age := time.Since(meta.Created()); age > databaseRecheckInterval {
-		l.Infof("Stored folder metadata for %q is %v old; recalculating", folder, age)
-		return recalc()
-	}
-
-	return meta
-}
-
-func recalcMeta(db *Lowlevel, folder string) (*metadataTracker, error) {
-	meta := newMetadataTracker()
-	if err := db.checkGlobals([]byte(folder), meta); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	t, err := db.newReadWriteTransaction()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	defer t.close()
-
-	var deviceID protocol.DeviceID
-	err = t.withAllFolderTruncated([]byte(folder), func(device []byte, f FileInfoTruncated) bool {
-		copy(deviceID[:], device)
-		meta.addFile(deviceID, f)
-		return true
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	meta.SetCreated()
-	if err := meta.toDB(t, []byte(folder)); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	if err := t.Commit(); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	return meta, nil
-}
-
-// Verify the local sequence number from actual sequence entries. Returns
-// true if it was all good, or false if a fixup was necessary.
-func verifyLocalSequence(curSeq int64, db *Lowlevel, folder string) bool {
-	// Walk the sequence index from the current (supposedly) highest
-	// sequence number and raise the alarm if we get anything. This recovers
-	// from the occasion where we have written sequence entries to disk but
-	// not yet written new metadata to disk.
-	//
-	// Note that we can have the same thing happen for remote devices but
-	// there it's not a problem -- we'll simply advertise a lower sequence
-	// number than we've actually seen and receive some duplicate updates
-	// and then be in sync again.
-
-	t, err := db.newReadOnlyTransaction()
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	ok := true
-	if err := t.withHaveSequence([]byte(folder), curSeq+1, func(fi FileIntf) bool {
-		ok = false // we got something, which we should not have
-		return false
-	}); err != nil && !backend.IsClosed(err) {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	t.close()
-
-	return ok
-}
-
 func (s *FileSet) Drop(device protocol.DeviceID) {
 	l.Debugf("%s Drop(%v)", s.folder, device)
 
diff --git a/lib/syncthing/syncthing.go b/lib/syncthing/syncthing.go
index 3bce1f962..15faed57f 100644
--- a/lib/syncthing/syncthing.go
+++ b/lib/syncthing/syncthing.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/syncthing/syncthing/lib/rand"
 	"github.com/syncthing/syncthing/lib/sha256"
 	"github.com/syncthing/syncthing/lib/tlsutil"
+	"github.com/syncthing/syncthing/lib/upgrade"
 	"github.com/syncthing/syncthing/lib/ur"
 )
 
@@ -224,7 +225,7 @@ func (a *App) startup() error {
 
 	prevParts := strings.Split(prevVersion, "-")
 	curParts := strings.Split(build.Version, "-")
-	if prevParts[0] != curParts[0] {
+	if rel := upgrade.CompareVersions(prevParts[0], curParts[0]); rel != upgrade.Equal {
 		if prevVersion != "" {
 			l.Infoln("Detected upgrade from", prevVersion, "to", build.Version)
 		}
@@ -237,6 +238,14 @@ func (a *App) startup() error {
 		miscDB.PutString("prevVersion", build.Version)
 	}
 
+	// Check and repair metadata and sequences on every upgrade including RCs.
+	prevParts = strings.Split(prevVersion, "+")
+	curParts = strings.Split(build.Version, "+")
+	if rel := upgrade.CompareVersions(prevParts[0], curParts[0]); rel != upgrade.Equal {
+		l.Infoln("Checking db due to upgrade - this may take a while...")
+		a.ll.CheckRepair()
+	}
+
 	m := model.NewModel(a.cfg, a.myID, "syncthing", build.Version, a.ll, protectedFiles, a.evLogger)
 
 	if a.opts.DeadlockTimeoutS > 0 {