@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ return fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("Failed to create store"))
 	}
 	defer store.Close()
 
-	_, write, exists, err := index.OpenOrCreate(
+	_, write, err := index.OpenOrCreate(
 		&index.Options{
 			Config:    cfg,
 			Force:     opts.Reindex,
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ if err != nil {
 		return fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("Failed to create importer"))
 	}
 
-	if !exists || opts.Replace || opts.Fetch {
+	updateStore := store.IsNew() || opts.Replace || opts.Fetch
+	if updateStore {
 		importer.MarkImportStarted()
 
 		err = imp.Fetch(ctx, true, opts.Fetch && !opts.Replace, nil)
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ return fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("Failed to save index metadata"))
 		}
 	}
 
-	if !exists || opts.Reindex {
+	if !write.Exists() || updateStore {
 		err = imp.Index(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("Failed to index data"))

@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ return fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("Failed to create store"))
 	}
 	defer store.Close()
 
-	read, write, exists, err := index.OpenOrCreate(
+	read, write, err := index.OpenOrCreate(
 		&index.Options{
 			Config:    cfg,
 			LowMemory: cfg.Importer.LowMemory,
@@ -87,12 +87,14 @@ if err != nil {
 		return fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("Failed to create importer"))
 	}
 
-	if !exists {
+	if store.IsNew() {
 		err = imp.Fetch(ctx, true, false, nil)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("Failed to start importer"))
 		}
+	}
 
+	if store.IsNew() || !write.Exists() {
 		err = imp.Index(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("Failed to index data"))

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ b.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
 	logger := log.Configure(false)
-	_, write, _, err := index.OpenOrCreate(&index.Options{
+	_, write, err := index.OpenOrCreate(&index.Options{
 		Config:    &cfg,
 		Force:     false,
 		LowMemory: true,

@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ batchSize int
 	index     bleve.Index
 	log       *log.Logger
 	store     *storage.Store
+	exists    bool
 	Meta      *Meta
 }
 
@@ -220,14 +221,14 @@
 	return nil
 }
 
-func OpenOrCreate(options *Options) (*ReadIndex, *WriteIndex, bool, error) {
+func OpenOrCreate(options *Options) (*ReadIndex, *WriteIndex, error) {
 	var err error
 	bleve.SetLog(zap.NewStdLog(options.Logger.Named("bleve").GetLogger()))
 
 	root := options.Root
 	exists, err := root.Exists(indexBaseName)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, exists, fault.Wrap(
+		return nil, nil, fault.Wrap(
 			err, fmsg.Withf("could not check if index exists at path %s", indexBaseName))
 	}
 
@@ -237,17 +238,17 @@ if !exists || options.Force {
 		if options.Force {
 			err = deleteIndex(root)
 			if err != nil {
-				return nil, nil, false, err
+				return nil, nil, err
 			}
 		}
 		idx, err = createIndex(root, options)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, false, err
+			return nil, nil, err
 		}
 
 		meta, err = createMeta(root, options.Logger)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, false, err
+			return nil, nil, err
 		}
 
 	} else {
@@ -256,12 +257,12 @@ //nolint:forbidigo // external package
 		indexPath := root.JoinPath(indexBaseName)
 		idx, baseErr = bleve.Open(indexPath)
 		if baseErr != nil {
-			return nil, nil, exists, fault.Wrap(baseErr, fmsg.Withf("could not open index at path %s", indexPath))
+			return nil, nil, fault.Wrap(baseErr, fmsg.Withf("could not open index at path %s", indexPath))
 		}
 
 		meta, err = openMeta(root, options.Logger)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, exists, err
+			return nil, nil, err
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -277,18 +278,23 @@ return &ReadIndex{
 			config: options.Config,
 			log:    options.Logger,
 			store:  options.Store,
+			exists: exists,
 			index:  idx,
 			meta:   meta,
 		},
 		&WriteIndex{
+			exists:    exists,
 			index:     idx,
 			batchSize: options.BatchSize,
 			log:       options.Logger,
 			store:     options.Store,
 			Meta:      meta,
 		},
-		exists,
 		nil
+}
+
+func (i *WriteIndex) Exists() bool {
+	return i.exists
 }
 
 func (i *WriteIndex) SaveMeta() error {

@@ -36,7 +36,12 @@ index  bleve.Index
 	config *config.Config
 	store  *storage.Store
 	log    *log.Logger
+	exists bool
 	meta   *Meta
+}
+
+func (index *ReadIndex) Exists() bool {
+	return index.exists
 }
 
 func (index *ReadIndex) LastUpdated() time.Time {

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	defer store.Close()
 
-	read, _, exists, err := index.OpenOrCreate(&index.Options{
+	read, _, err := index.OpenOrCreate(&index.Options{
 		Logger:    log.Named("index"),
 		Root:      root,
 		BatchSize: cfg.Importer.BatchSize,
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	defer read.Close()
-	if !exists {
+	if !read.Exists() {
 		t.Fatal("expected index to exist")
 	}
 
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	defer store.Close()
 
-	read, _, exists, err := index.OpenOrCreate(&index.Options{
+	read, _, err := index.OpenOrCreate(&index.Options{
 		Force:     false,
 		LowMemory: false,
 		Logger:    log.Named("index"),
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	defer read.Close()
-	if !exists {
+	if !read.Exists() {
 		t.Fatal("expected index to exist")
 	}
 

@@ -26,12 +26,20 @@ }
 
 type Store struct {
 	*storm.DB
+	new bool
 	log *log.Logger
 }
 
+const filename = "searchix.bolt"
+
 func New(opts *Options) (*Store, error) {
+	exists, err := opts.Root.Exists(filename)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("failed to check if file exists"))
+	}
+
 	//nolint:forbidigo // external package
-	path := opts.Root.JoinPath("searchix.bolt")
+	path := opts.Root.JoinPath(filename)
 	bb, err := storm.Open(path,
 		storm.Codec(gob.Codec),
 		storm.BoltOptions(0o600, &bbolt.Options{
@@ -44,8 +52,13 @@ }
 
 	return &Store{
 		DB:  bb,
+		new: !exists,
 		log: opts.Logger,
 	}, nil
+}
+
+func (s *Store) IsNew() bool {
+	return s.new
 }
 
 func (s *Store) Close() error {