@@ -45,11 +45,6 @@ imp.options.Logger.Info(
 			"indexing last ran more than 24 hours ago, scheduling immediate update",
 		)
 		nextRun = time.Now()
-	case imp.options.WriteIndex.Meta.IsSchemaOutdated():
-		imp.options.Logger.Info(
-			"indexing schema version is out of date, scheduling immediate update",
-		)
-		nextRun = time.Now()
 	default:
 		nextRun = nextUTCOccurrenceOfTime(imp.config.Importer.UpdateAt)
 	}

@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ type WriteIndex struct {
 	batchSize int
 	index     bleve.Index
 	log       *log.Logger
-	exists    bool
 	Meta      *meta.Meta
 }
 
@@ -245,9 +244,21 @@ }
 	}
 
 	var idx bleve.Index
-	var m *meta.Meta
-	if !exists || options.Force {
-		if options.Force {
+	m, err := meta.OpenOrCreate(root, options.Logger)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("could not open index metadata file"))
+	}
+
+	if !exists || options.Force || m.IsSchemaOutdated() {
+		if exists {
+			options.Logger.Warn(
+				"deleting existing index",
+				"force_flag",
+				options.Force,
+				"schema_outdated",
+				m.IsSchemaOutdated(),
+			)
+
 			err = deleteIndex(root)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, nil, err
@@ -258,11 +269,6 @@ if err != nil {
 			return nil, nil, err
 		}
 
-		m, err = meta.Create(root, options.Logger)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("could not create index metadata file"))
-		}
-
 	} else {
 		var baseErr error
 		//nolint:forbidigo // external package
@@ -271,11 +277,6 @@ idx, baseErr = bleve.OpenUsing(indexPath, kvconfig)
 		if baseErr != nil {
 			return nil, nil, fault.Wrap(baseErr, fmsg.Withf("could not open index at path %s", indexPath))
 		}
-
-		m, err = meta.Open(root, options.Logger)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("could not open index metadata file"))
-		}
 	}
 
 	if options.BatchSize == 0 {
@@ -289,12 +290,10 @@
 	return &ReadIndex{
 			config: options.Config,
 			log:    options.Logger,
-			exists: exists,
 			index:  idx,
 			meta:   m,
 		},
 		&WriteIndex{
-			exists:    exists,
 			index:     idx,
 			batchSize: options.BatchSize,
 			log:       options.Logger,
@@ -304,7 +303,7 @@ nil
 }
 
 func (i *WriteIndex) Exists() bool {
-	return i.exists
+	return i.Meta.Exists()
 }
 
 func (i *WriteIndex) SaveMeta() error {

@@ -34,8 +34,9 @@ Sources map[string]*SourceMeta
 }
 
 type Meta struct {
-	root *file.Root
-	log  *log.Logger
+	root   *file.Root
+	log    *log.Logger
+	exists bool
 	data
 }
 
@@ -43,6 +44,10 @@ func (i *Meta) IsSchemaOutdated() bool {
 	return i.SchemaVersion < CurrentSchemaVersion
 }
 
+func (i *Meta) Exists() bool {
+	return i.exists
+}
+
 func (i *Meta) Save() error {
 	i.SchemaVersion = CurrentSchemaVersion
 	j, err := json.MarshalIndent(i.data, "", "  ")
@@ -54,6 +59,8 @@ err = i.root.WriteFile(BaseName, j, 0o600)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("could not save index metadata"))
 	}
+
+	i.exists = true
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -112,7 +119,7 @@ },
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func Open(root *file.Root, log *log.Logger) (*Meta, error) {
+func OpenOrCreate(root *file.Root, log *log.Logger) (*Meta, error) {
 	exists, err := root.Exists(BaseName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fault.Wrap(err, fmsg.With("could not check for existence of index metadata"))

@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ type ReadIndex struct {
 	index  bleve.Index
 	config *config.Config
 	log    *log.Logger
-	exists bool
 	meta   *meta.Meta
 }
 
@@ -52,7 +51,7 @@ Keyword  string
 }
 
 func (index *ReadIndex) Exists() bool {
-	return index.exists
+	return index.meta.Exists()
 }
 
 func (index *ReadIndex) LastUpdated() time.Time {