diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8760c350e..a85ad22f1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -72,16 +72,12 @@ fake-s3-server-persistent:
 migrations: node_version
 	node lib/bin/run-migrations.js
 
-.PHONY: check-migrations
-check-migrations: node_version
-	node lib/bin/check-migrations.js
-
 
 ################################################################################
 # RUN SERVER
 
 .PHONY: base
-base: node_modules node_version migrations check-migrations
+base: node_modules node_version migrations
 
 .PHONY: dev
 dev: base
diff --git a/lib/bin/check-migrations.js b/lib/bin/check-migrations.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 8608c587a..000000000
--- a/lib/bin/check-migrations.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2022 ODK Central Developers
-// See the NOTICE file at the top-level directory of this distribution and at
-// https://github.com/getodk/central-backend/blob/master/NOTICE.
-// This file is part of ODK Central. It is subject to the license terms in
-// the LICENSE file found in the top-level directory of this distribution and at
-// https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0. No part of ODK Central,
-// including this file, may be copied, modified, propagated, or distributed
-// except according to the terms contained in the LICENSE file.
-
-const { withKnex, checkMigrations } = require('../model/knex-migrator');
-
-(async () => {
-  try {
-    await withKnex(require('config').get('default.database'))(checkMigrations);
-  } catch (err) {
-    console.error('Error:', err.message);
-    process.exit(1);
-  }
-})();
diff --git a/lib/model/knex-migrator.js b/lib/model/knex-migrator.js
index 0fc5a3c03..d2c3f8bd7 100644
--- a/lib/model/knex-migrator.js
+++ b/lib/model/knex-migrator.js
@@ -25,13 +25,5 @@ const withKnex = (config) => (mutator) => {
 // Given a database, initiates migrations on it.
 const migrate = (db) => db.migrate.latest({ directory: `${__dirname}/migrations` });
 
-// Checks for pending migrations and returns an exit code of 1 if any are
-// still pending/unapplied (e.g. automatically running migrations just failed).
-const checkMigrations = (db) => db.migrate.list({ directory: `${__dirname}/migrations` })
-  .then((res) => {
-    if (res[1].length > 0)
-      process.exitCode = 1;
-  });
-
-module.exports = { checkMigrations, knexConnect, withKnex, migrate };
+module.exports = { knexConnect, withKnex, migrate };