diff --git a/cmd/notary-server/dev-config.json b/cmd/notary-server/dev-config.json
index e5680ab6df..b00d95f2be 100644
--- a/cmd/notary-server/dev-config.json
+++ b/cmd/notary-server/dev-config.json
@@ -11,5 +11,9 @@
 	},
 	"logging": {
 		"level": 5
+	},
+	"storage": {
+		"backend": "mysql",
+		"db_url": "root:@tcp(localhost:3306)/dockercondemo"
 	}
 }
diff --git a/notarymysql/initial.sql b/notarymysql/initial.sql
index 6f6d7fa441..52c7a8c497 100644
--- a/notarymysql/initial.sql
+++ b/notarymysql/initial.sql
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ CREATE TABLE `tuf_files` (
 DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `timestamp_keys`;
 CREATE TABLE `timestamp_keys` (
 	`gun` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
-	`cipher` int(11) NOT NULL,
+	`cipher` varchar(50) NOT NULL,
 	`public` blob NOT NULL,
 	PRIMARY KEY (`gun`)
 ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
diff --git a/server/handlers/default.go b/server/handlers/default.go
index 75e48d6744..0452d7b198 100644
--- a/server/handlers/default.go
+++ b/server/handlers/default.go
@@ -142,10 +142,12 @@ func GetTimestampHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Req
 
 	out, err := timestamp.GetOrCreateTimestamp(gun, store, cryptoService)
 	if err != nil {
-		if _, ok := err.(*storage.ErrNoKey); ok {
+		switch err.(type) {
+		case *storage.ErrNoKey, *storage.ErrNotFound:
 			return errors.ErrMetadataNotFound.WithDetail(nil)
+		default:
+			return errors.ErrUnknown.WithDetail(err)
 		}
-		return errors.ErrUnknown.WithDetail(err)
 	}
 
 	logrus.Debug("Writing data")
diff --git a/server/storage/database.go b/server/storage/database.go
index 4fa40a45ac..9748f099fb 100644
--- a/server/storage/database.go
+++ b/server/storage/database.go
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ func (db *MySQLStorage) Delete(gun string) error {
 
 // GetTimestampKey returns the timestamps Public Key data
 func (db *MySQLStorage) GetTimestampKey(gun string) (algorithm data.KeyAlgorithm, public []byte, err error) {
+	logrus.Debug("retrieving timestamp key for ", gun)
 	stmt := "SELECT `cipher`, `public` FROM `timestamp_keys` WHERE `gun`=?;"
 	row := db.QueryRow(stmt, gun)
 
@@ -164,6 +165,7 @@ func (db *MySQLStorage) GetTimestampKey(gun string) (algorithm data.KeyAlgorithm
 // SetTimestampKey attempts to write a TimeStamp key and returns an error if it already exists
 func (db *MySQLStorage) SetTimestampKey(gun string, algorithm data.KeyAlgorithm, public []byte) error {
 	stmt := "INSERT INTO `timestamp_keys` (`gun`, `cipher`, `public`) VALUES (?,?,?);"
+	logrus.Debug("Inserting timestamp key for ", gun)
 	_, err := db.Exec(stmt, gun, string(algorithm), public)
 	if err != nil {
 		if err, ok := err.(*mysql.MySQLError); ok && err.Number == 1022 {
diff --git a/server/timestamp/timestamp.go b/server/timestamp/timestamp.go
index d2ceb257b6..584379ac07 100644
--- a/server/timestamp/timestamp.go
+++ b/server/timestamp/timestamp.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ func GetOrCreateTimestampKey(gun string, store storage.MetaStore, crypto signed.
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
+		logrus.Debug("Creating new timestamp key for ", gun, ". With algo: ", key.Algorithm())
 		err = store.SetTimestampKey(gun, key.Algorithm(), key.Public())
 		if err == nil {
 			return key, nil
@@ -57,11 +58,10 @@ func GetOrCreateTimestamp(gun string, store storage.MetaStore, cryptoService sig
 	d, err := store.GetCurrent(gun, "timestamp")
 	if err != nil {
 		if _, ok := err.(*storage.ErrNotFound); !ok {
-			// If we received an ErrNotFound, we're going to
-			// generate the first timestamp, any other error
-			// should be returned here
+			logrus.Error("error retrieving timestamp: ", err.Error())
 			return nil, err
 		}
+		logrus.Debug("No timestamp found, will proceed to create first timestamp")
 	}
 	ts := &data.SignedTimestamp{}
 	if d != nil {