diff --git a/distros/ubuntu1604/zoneminder.postinst b/distros/ubuntu1604/zoneminder.postinst
index c9fbe245e..27d31953c 100644
--- a/distros/ubuntu1604/zoneminder.postinst
+++ b/distros/ubuntu1604/zoneminder.postinst
@@ -25,29 +25,31 @@ if [ "$1" = "configure" ]; then
     if [ -e "/lib/systemd/system/mysql.service" ] || [ -e "/lib/systemd/system/mariadb.service" ]; then
       # Ensure zoneminder is stopped
       deb-systemd-invoke stop zoneminder.service || exit $?
-
+          
+      #
       # Get mysql started if it isn't running
       #
-      $(systemctl status mysql.service >/dev/null 2>&1); MYSQL_STATUS=$?
-      $(systemctl status mariadb.service >/dev/null 2>&1); MARIADB_STATUS=$?
       
-      # 3 = inactive, 4 = nonexistant
-      if [ "$MARIADB_STATUS" != "4" ]; then
+      if [ -e "/lib/systemd/system/mariadb.service" ]; then
         DBSERVICE="mariadb.service"
       else
         DBSERVICE="mysql.service"
       fi
+      if systemctl is-failed --quiet $DBSERVICE; then
+        echo "$DBSERVICE is in a failed state; it will not be started."
+        echo "If you have already resolved the problem preventing $DBSERVICE from running,"
+        echo "run sudo systemctl restart $DBSERVICE then run sudo dpkg-reconfigure zoneminder."
+        exit 1
+      fi
       
-      if [ "$MYSQL_STATUS" != "0" ] && [ "$MARIADB_STATUS" != "0" ]; then
-        # 3 = inactive, 4 = nonexistant
+      if ! systemctl is-active --quiet mysql.service mariadb.service; then
         # Due to /etc/init.d service autogeneration, mysql.service always returns the status of mariadb.service
         # However, mariadb.service will not return the status of mysql.service.
         deb-systemd-invoke start $DBSERVICE
       fi
-    
+      
       # Make sure systemctl status exit code is 0; i.e. the DB is running
-      if systemctl status "$DBSERVICE" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-
+      if systemctl is-active --quiet "$DBSERVICE"; then
         mysqladmin --defaults-file=/etc/mysql/debian.cnf -f reload
         # test if database if already present...
         if ! $(echo quit | mysql --defaults-file=/etc/mysql/debian.cnf zm > /dev/null 2> /dev/null) ; then
diff --git a/src/zm_db.cpp b/src/zm_db.cpp
index 1b568e61e..36a7edbac 100644
--- a/src/zm_db.cpp
+++ b/src/zm_db.cpp
@@ -107,34 +107,34 @@ MYSQL_RES * zmDbFetch(const char * query) {
   }
   db_mutex.unlock();
   return result;
-} // end MYSQL_RES * zmDbFetch( const char * query );
+} // end MYSQL_RES * zmDbFetch(const char * query);
 
-zmDbRow *zmDbFetchOne( const char *query ) {
+zmDbRow *zmDbFetchOne(const char *query) {
   zmDbRow *row = new zmDbRow();
-  if ( row->fetch( query ) ) {
+  if ( row->fetch(query) ) {
     return row;
   } 
   delete row;
   return NULL;
 }
 
-MYSQL_RES *zmDbRow::fetch( const char *query ) {
-  result_set = zmDbFetch( query );
+MYSQL_RES *zmDbRow::fetch(const char *query) {
+  result_set = zmDbFetch(query);
   if ( ! result_set ) return result_set;
 
   int n_rows = mysql_num_rows( result_set );
   if ( n_rows != 1 ) {
-    Error( "Bogus number of lines return from query, %d returned for query %s.", n_rows, query );
-    mysql_free_result( result_set );
+    Error("Bogus number of lines return from query, %d returned for query %s.", n_rows, query);
+    mysql_free_result(result_set);
     result_set = NULL;
     return result_set;
   }
 
-  row = mysql_fetch_row( result_set );
+  row = mysql_fetch_row(result_set);
   if ( ! row ) {
-    mysql_free_result( result_set );
+    mysql_free_result(result_set);
     result_set = NULL;
-    Error("Error getting row from query %s. Error is %s", query, mysql_error( &dbconn ) );
+    Error("Error getting row from query %s. Error is %s", query, mysql_error(&dbconn));
   } else {
     Debug(5, "Success");
   }