diff --git a/cinderlib/persistence/dbms.py b/cinderlib/persistence/dbms.py
index 4eaef5c..4ace074 100644
--- a/cinderlib/persistence/dbms.py
+++ b/cinderlib/persistence/dbms.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ from cinder.db.sqlalchemy import api as sqla_api
 from cinder.db.sqlalchemy import models
 from cinder import exception as cinder_exception
 from cinder import objects as cinder_objs
+import migrate
 from oslo_config import cfg
 from oslo_db import exception
 from oslo_log import log
@@ -70,7 +71,15 @@ class DBPersistence(persistence_base.PersistenceDriverBase):
         self.original_get_by_id = self.db_instance.get_by_id
         self.db_instance.get_by_id = self.get_by_id
 
-        migration.db_sync()
+        try:
+            migration.db_sync()
+        except exception.DBMigrationError as exc:
+            # We can be running 2 Cinder versions at the same time on the same
+            # DB while we upgrade, so we must ignore the fact that the DB is
+            # now on a newer version.
+            if not isinstance(getattr(exc, 'inner_exception', None),
+                              migrate.exceptions.VersionNotFoundError):
+                raise
         self._create_key_value_table()
 
         # NOTE : At this point, the persistence isn't ready so we need to use
diff --git a/cinderlib/tests/unit/persistence/test_dbms.py b/cinderlib/tests/unit/persistence/test_dbms.py
index a42314c..1b40ca3 100644
--- a/cinderlib/tests/unit/persistence/test_dbms.py
+++ b/cinderlib/tests/unit/persistence/test_dbms.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #    under the License.
 
 import tempfile
+from unittest import mock
 
 from cinder.db.sqlalchemy import api as sqla_api
 from cinder import objects as cinder_ovos
@@ -136,5 +137,31 @@ class TestDBPersistence(base.BasePersistenceTest):
             self.assertEqual([], res)
 
 
+class TestDBPersistenceNewerSchema(base.helper.TestHelper):
+    """Test DBMS plugin can start when the DB has a newer schema."""
+    CONNECTION = 'sqlite:///' + tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile().name
+    PERSISTENCE_CFG = {'storage': 'db',
+                       'connection': CONNECTION}
+
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpClass(cls):
+        pass
+
+    def _raise_exc(self):
+        inner_exc = dbms.migrate.exceptions.VersionNotFoundError()
+        exc = dbms.exception.DBMigrationError(inner_exc)
+        self.original_db_sync()
+        raise(exc)
+
+    def test_newer_db_schema(self):
+        self.original_db_sync = dbms.migration.db_sync
+        with mock.patch.object(dbms.migration, 'db_sync',
+                               side_effect=self._raise_exc) as db_sync_mock:
+            super(TestDBPersistenceNewerSchema, self).setUpClass()
+            db_sync_mock.assert_called_once()
+            self.assertIsInstance(cinderlib.Backend.persistence,
+                                  dbms.DBPersistence)
+
+
 class TestMemoryDBPersistence(TestDBPersistence):
     PERSISTENCE_CFG = {'storage': 'memory_db'}
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/mysql-db-sync-8a9e50a12bbe724d.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/mysql-db-sync-8a9e50a12bbe724d.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b75e8d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/mysql-db-sync-8a9e50a12bbe724d.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Bug #1868145: Support rolling upgrades with the DBMS persistence plugin.
+    Can run an N release version even if we have already run once an N+1
+    release.