diff --git a/subunit2sql/migrations/versions/1679b5bc102c_add_subsecond_columns_to_test_runs_table.mysql_upgrade.sql b/subunit2sql/migrations/versions/1679b5bc102c_add_subsecond_columns_to_test_runs_table.mysql_upgrade.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c66b5ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subunit2sql/migrations/versions/1679b5bc102c_add_subsecond_columns_to_test_runs_table.mysql_upgrade.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+--
+-- This file is necessary because of an issue with a large MySQL DB having
+-- issues with the alter table to add a column
+--
+
+CREATE TABLE test_runs_migration LIKE test_runs;
+ALTER TABLE test_runs_migration ADD COLUMN start_time_microsecond INTEGER default 0;
+ALTER TABLE test_runs_migration ADD COLUMN stop_time_microsecond INTEGER default 0;
+LOCK TABLES test_runs write, test_runs_migration write, test_run_metadata write;
+INSERT INTO test_runs_migration SELECT id, test_id, run_id, status, start_time, stop_time, MICROSECOND(start_time), MICROSECOND(stop_time) from test_runs;
+ALTER TABLE test_run_metadata drop foreign key test_run_metadata_ibfk_1;
+UNLOCK TABLES;
+-- race condition here - but at worst you'll lose a microsecond of data as rename is very fast and atomic
+RENAME TABLE test_runs to test_runs_old, test_runs_migration to test_runs;
+ALTER TABLE test_run_metadata ADD CONSTRAINT test_run_metadata_ibfk_1 FOREIGN KEY(test_run_id) REFERENCES test_runs(id);
+DROP TABLE test_runs_old;
diff --git a/subunit2sql/migrations/versions/1679b5bc102c_add_subsecond_columns_to_test_runs_table.py b/subunit2sql/migrations/versions/1679b5bc102c_add_subsecond_columns_to_test_runs_table.py
index 0a463e8..bf292ce 100644
--- a/subunit2sql/migrations/versions/1679b5bc102c_add_subsecond_columns_to_test_runs_table.py
+++ b/subunit2sql/migrations/versions/1679b5bc102c_add_subsecond_columns_to_test_runs_table.py
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ Create Date: 2015-02-27 18:39:13.275801
 revision = '1679b5bc102c'
 down_revision = '5332fe255095'
 
+import os
+
+from alembic import context
 from alembic import op
 from oslo.config import cfg
 from oslo.db.sqlalchemy import utils as db_utils
@@ -37,22 +40,28 @@ CONF = cfg.CONF
 
 
 def upgrade():
-    op.add_column('test_runs', sa.Column('start_time_microsecond',
-                                         sa.Integer(), default=0))
-    op.add_column('test_runs', sa.Column('stop_time_microsecond',
-                                         sa.Integer(), default=0))
-    if not CONF.disable_microsecond_data_migration:
-        session = db_api.get_session()
-        query = db_utils.model_query(models.TestRun, session).values(
-            models.TestRun.id, models.TestRun.start_time,
-            models.TestRun.stop_time)
-        for test_run in query:
-            start_micro = test_run[1].microsecond
-            stop_micro = test_run[2].microsecond
-            values = {'start_time_microsecond': start_micro,
-                      'stop_time_microsecond': stop_micro}
-            db_api.update_test_run(values, test_run[0], session)
-        session.close()
+    sql_path = os.path.realpath(__file__).split('.')[0] + '.mysql_upgrade.sql'
+    migration_context = context.get_context()
+    if migration_context.dialect.name == 'mysql':
+        with open(sql_path, 'r') as sql_file:
+            op.execute(sql_file.read())
+    else:
+        op.add_column('test_runs', sa.Column('start_time_microsecond',
+                                             sa.Integer(), default=0))
+        op.add_column('test_runs', sa.Column('stop_time_microsecond',
+                                             sa.Integer(), default=0))
+        if not CONF.disable_microsecond_data_migration:
+            session = db_api.get_session()
+            query = db_utils.model_query(models.TestRun, session).values(
+                models.TestRun.id, models.TestRun.start_time,
+                models.TestRun.stop_time)
+            for test_run in query:
+                start_micro = test_run[1].microsecond
+                stop_micro = test_run[2].microsecond
+                values = {'start_time_microsecond': start_micro,
+                          'stop_time_microsecond': stop_micro}
+                db_api.update_test_run(values, test_run[0], session)
+            session.close()
 
 
 def downgrade():