diff --git a/devstack/upgrade/upgrade.sh b/devstack/upgrade/upgrade.sh
index 8c6096da83..7801ccd269 100755
--- a/devstack/upgrade/upgrade.sh
+++ b/devstack/upgrade/upgrade.sh
@@ -81,7 +81,12 @@ if [ $ret_val -gt 1 ] ; then
     # Warnings are permissible and returned as status code 1, errors are
     # returned as greater than 1 which means there is a major upgrade
     # stopping issue which needs to be addressed.
-    die $LINENO "Ironic DB Status check failed, returned: $ret_val"
+    echo "WARNING: Status check failed, we're going to attempt to apply the schema update and then re-evaluate."
+    $IRONIC_BIN_DIR/ironic-dbsync --config-file=$IRONIC_CONF_FILE upgrade
+    $IRONIC_BIN_DIR/ironic-status upgrade check && ret_val=$? || ret_val=$?
+    if [ $ret_val -gt 1 ] ; then
+        die $LINENO "Ironic DB Status check failed, returned: $ret_val"
+    fi
 fi
 
 $IRONIC_BIN_DIR/ironic-dbsync --config-file=$IRONIC_CONF_FILE
diff --git a/ironic/cmd/status.py b/ironic/cmd/status.py
index 37fdbaf7dd..10c8a5bfd8 100644
--- a/ironic/cmd/status.py
+++ b/ironic/cmd/status.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from oslo_db.sqlalchemy import enginefacade
 from oslo_db.sqlalchemy import utils
 from oslo_upgradecheck import common_checks
 from oslo_upgradecheck import upgradecheck
+from sqlalchemy import exc as sa_exc
 
 from ironic.cmd import dbsync
 from ironic.common.i18n import _
@@ -44,7 +45,15 @@ class Checks(upgradecheck.UpgradeCommands):
         .version field in the database, with the expected versions
         of these objects.
         """
-        msg = dbsync.DBCommand().check_obj_versions(ignore_missing_tables=True)
+        try:
+            # NOTE(TheJulia): Seems an exception is raised by sqlalchemy
+            # when a table is missing, so lets catch it, since it is fatal.
+            msg = dbsync.DBCommand().check_obj_versions(
+                ignore_missing_tables=True)
+        except sa_exc.NoSuchTableError as e:
+            msg = ('Database table missing. Please ensure you have '
+                   'updated the database schema. Not Found: %s' % e)
+            return upgradecheck.Result(upgradecheck.Code.FAILURE, details=msg)
 
         if not msg:
             return upgradecheck.Result(upgradecheck.Code.SUCCESS)
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/handle-missing-table-in-status-check-512c1732dec56f62.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/handle-missing-table-in-status-check-512c1732dec56f62.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..026b4386aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/handle-missing-table-in-status-check-512c1732dec56f62.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Handles excessively long errors when the status upgrade check is executed,
+    and simply indicates now if a table is missing, suggesting to update the
+    database schema before proceeding.