diff --git a/app/versiondb.go b/app/versiondb.go
index ccc7f5d0b6..1051324593 100644
--- a/app/versiondb.go
+++ b/app/versiondb.go
@@ -24,17 +24,17 @@ func (app *App) setupVersionDB(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	versionDB, err := tsrocksdb.NewStore(dataDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	// default to exposing all
 	exposeStoreKeys := make([]storetypes.StoreKey, 0, len(keys))
 	for _, storeKey := range keys {
 		exposeStoreKeys = append(exposeStoreKeys, storeKey)
 	}
 
-	versionDB, err := tsrocksdb.NewStore(dataDir)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
 	// see: https://github.com/crypto-org-chain/cronos/issues/1683
 	if err := versionDB.FixData(exposedKeys); err != nil {
 		return nil, err