diff --git a/MCServer/Plugins/ProtectionAreas/ProtectionAreas.lua b/MCServer/Plugins/ProtectionAreas/ProtectionAreas.lua
index d816f578f..603b7a87f 100644
--- a/MCServer/Plugins/ProtectionAreas/ProtectionAreas.lua
+++ b/MCServer/Plugins/ProtectionAreas/ProtectionAreas.lua
@@ -6,11 +6,23 @@
 
 
 
+--- Prefix for all messages logged to the server console
+PluginPrefix = "ProtectionAreas: ";
+
+
+
+
+
+--- Called by MCS when the plugin loads
+-- Returns true if initialization successful, false otherwise
 function Initialize(a_Plugin)
 	a_Plugin:SetName("ProtectionAreas");
 	a_Plugin:SetVersion(1);
 	
-	InitializeStorage();
+	if (not(InitializeStorage())) then
+		LOGWARNING(PluginPrefix .. "failed to initialize Storage, plugin is disabled");
+		return false;
+	end
 	InitializeHooks(a_Plugin);
 	InitializeCommandHandlers();
 	
diff --git a/MCServer/Plugins/ProtectionAreas/Storage.lua b/MCServer/Plugins/ProtectionAreas/Storage.lua
index 8aebae0c7..21c147300 100644
--- a/MCServer/Plugins/ProtectionAreas/Storage.lua
+++ b/MCServer/Plugins/ProtectionAreas/Storage.lua
@@ -23,8 +23,14 @@ g_Storage = {};
 
 
 --- Initializes the storage subsystem, creates the g_Storage object
+-- Returns true if successful, false if not
 function InitializeStorage()
 	g_Storage = cStorage:new();
+	if (not(g_Storage:OpenDB())) then
+		return false;
+	end
+	
+	return true;
 end
 
 
@@ -54,3 +60,102 @@ end
 
 
 
+
+--- Opens the DB and makes sure it has all the columns needed
+-- Returns true if successful, false otherwise
+function cStorage:OpenDB()
+	local ErrCode, ErrMsg;
+	self.DB, ErrCode, ErrMsg = sqlite3.open("ProtectionAreas.sqlite");
+	if (self.DB == nil) then
+		LOGWARNING(PluginPrefix .. "Cannot open ProtectionAreas.sqlite, error " .. ErrCode .. " (" .. ErrMsg ..")");
+		return false;
+	end
+	
+	if (
+		not(self:CreateTable("Area", {"ID INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT", "MinX", "MaxX", "MinZ", "MaxZ", "CreatorUserName"})) or
+		not(self:CreateTable("AllowedUsers", {"AreaID", "UserName"}))
+	) then
+		LOGWARNING(PluginPrefix .. "Cannot create DB tables!");
+		return false;
+	end
+	
+	return true;
+end
+
+
+
+
+
+--- Creates the table of the specified name and columns[]
+-- If the table exists, any columns missing are added; existing data is kept
+function cStorage:CreateTable(a_TableName, a_Columns)
+
+	local sql = "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS '" .. a_TableName .. "' (";
+	sql = sql .. table.concat(a_Columns, ", ");
+	sql = sql .. ")";
+	local ErrCode = self.DB:exec(sql);
+	if (ErrCode ~= sqlite3.OK) then
+		LOGWARNING(PluginPrefix .. "Cannot create DB Table, error " .. ErrCode .. " (" .. self.DB:errmsg() .. ")");
+		return false;
+	end
+	
+	-- Check each column whether it exists
+	-- Remove all the existing columns from a_Columns:
+	local RemoveExistingColumn = function(UserData, NumCols, Values, Names)
+		-- Remove the received column from a_Columns. Search for column name in the Names[] / Values[] pairs
+		for i = 1, NumCols do
+			if (Names[i] == "name") then
+				local ColumnName = Values[i]:lower();
+				-- Search the a_Columns if they have that column:
+				for j = 1, #a_Columns do
+					-- Cut away all column specifiers (after the first space), if any:
+					local SpaceIdx = string.find(a_Columns[j], " ");
+					if (SpaceIdx ~= nil) then
+						SpaceIdx = SpaceIdx - 1;
+					end
+					local ColumnTemplate = string.lower(string.sub(a_Columns[j], 1, SpaceIdx));
+					-- If it is a match, remove from a_Columns:
+					if (ColumnTemplate == ColumnName) then
+						table.remove(a_Columns, j);
+						break;  -- for j
+					end
+				end  -- for j - a_Columns[]
+			end
+		end  -- for i - Names[] / Values[]
+		return 0;
+	end
+	local ErrCode = self.DB:exec("PRAGMA table_info(" .. a_TableName .. ")", RemoveExistingColumn);
+	if (ErrCode ~= sqlite3.OK) then
+		LOGWARNING(PluginPrefix .. "Cannot query DB table structure, error " .. ErrCode .. " (" .. self.DB:errmsg() ..")");
+		return false;
+	end
+	
+	-- Create the missing columns
+	-- a_Columns now contains only those columns that are missing in the DB
+	if (#a_Columns > 0) then
+		LOGINFO(PluginPrefix .. "Database table \"" .. a_TableName .. "\" is missing " .. #a_Columns .. " columns, fixing now.");
+		for idx, ColumnName in ipairs(a_Columns) do
+			local ErrCode = self.DB:exec("ALTER TABLE '" .. a_TableName .. "' ADD COLUMN " .. ColumnName);
+			if (ErrCode ~= sqlite3.OK) then
+				LOGWARNING(PluginPrefix .. "Cannot add DB table \"" .. a_TableName .. "\" column \"" .. ColumnName .. "\", error " .. ErrCode .. " (" .. self.DB:errmsg() ..")");
+				return false;
+			end
+		end
+		LOGINFO(PluginPrefix .. "Database table \"" .. a_TableName .. "\" columns fixed.");
+	end
+	
+	return true;
+end
+
+
+
+
+
+
+function cStorage:AddArea(a_Cuboid, a_Creator, a_AllowedPlayers)
+	-- TODO
+end
+
+
+
+