diff --git a/src/checks.h b/src/checks.h
index 2728178..9673de3 100644
--- a/src/checks.h
+++ b/src/checks.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
+#include "sqlite.h"
+
 /* Fix - This is an abstract datatype representing an executable action to fix
  * an incosistency in the filesystem or metadata database.
  */
@@ -40,12 +42,16 @@ class Check {
   const std::string check_name;
   enum Fatality { FATAL, NONFATAL } fatality;
   const std::filesystem::path& root_path;
+  std::unique_ptr<Database> metadata;
   virtual bool do_check() = 0;
   void log_verbose(const std::string& msg) const;
 
  public:
   Check(const std::string& name, Fatality f, const std::filesystem::path& path)
-      : check_name(name), fatality(f), root_path(path) {}
+      : check_name(name),
+        fatality(f),
+        root_path(path),
+        metadata(std::make_unique<Database>(path / "s3gw.db")) {}
   virtual ~Check(){};
   enum LogLevel { SILENT, NORMAL, VERBOSE };
   bool check(LogLevel log_level = NORMAL);
diff --git a/src/checks/metadata_integrity.cc b/src/checks/metadata_integrity.cc
index 028686c..957e98b 100644
--- a/src/checks/metadata_integrity.cc
+++ b/src/checks/metadata_integrity.cc
@@ -33,14 +33,6 @@ std::string MetadataIntegrityFix::to_string() const {
   return msg;
 }
 
-MetadataIntegrityCheck::MetadataIntegrityCheck(const std::filesystem::path& path
-)
-    : Check("metadata integrity", FATAL, path) {
-  metadata = std::make_unique<Database>(root_path / "s3gw.db");
-}
-
-MetadataIntegrityCheck::~MetadataIntegrityCheck() {}
-
 bool MetadataIntegrityCheck::do_check() {
   std::vector<std::string> errors;
   auto callback = [](void* arg, int num_columns, char** column_data, char**) {
diff --git a/src/checks/metadata_integrity.h b/src/checks/metadata_integrity.h
index d7d021a..0dba6f7 100644
--- a/src/checks/metadata_integrity.h
+++ b/src/checks/metadata_integrity.h
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 #include <memory>
 
 #include "checks.h"
-#include "sqlite.h"
 
 class MetadataIntegrityFix : public Fix {
  private:
@@ -30,15 +29,13 @@ class MetadataIntegrityFix : public Fix {
 };
 
 class MetadataIntegrityCheck : public Check {
- private:
-  std::unique_ptr<Database> metadata;
-
  protected:
   virtual bool do_check() override;
 
  public:
-  MetadataIntegrityCheck(const std::filesystem::path& path);
-  virtual ~MetadataIntegrityCheck() override;
+  MetadataIntegrityCheck(const std::filesystem::path& path)
+      : Check("metadata integrity", FATAL, path) {}
+  virtual ~MetadataIntegrityCheck() override{};
 };
 
 #endif  // FSCK_SFS_SRC_CHECKS_METADATA_INTEGRITY_H__
diff --git a/src/checks/metadata_schema_version.cc b/src/checks/metadata_schema_version.cc
index 5bd719f..814cb95 100644
--- a/src/checks/metadata_schema_version.cc
+++ b/src/checks/metadata_schema_version.cc
@@ -26,15 +26,6 @@ std::string MetadataSchemaVersionFix::to_string() const {
          "; expected: " + std::to_string(EXPECTED_METADATA_SCHEMA_VERSION);
 }
 
-MetadataSchemaVersionCheck::MetadataSchemaVersionCheck(
-    const std::filesystem::path& path
-)
-    : Check("metadata schema version", FATAL, path) {
-  metadata = std::make_unique<Database>(root_path / "s3gw.db");
-}
-
-MetadataSchemaVersionCheck::~MetadataSchemaVersionCheck() {}
-
 bool MetadataSchemaVersionCheck::do_check() {
   std::string query = "PRAGMA user_version;";
   int version = 0;
diff --git a/src/checks/metadata_schema_version.h b/src/checks/metadata_schema_version.h
index 87ae84b..7121d57 100644
--- a/src/checks/metadata_schema_version.h
+++ b/src/checks/metadata_schema_version.h
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 #include <memory>
 
 #include "checks.h"
-#include "sqlite.h"
 
 class MetadataSchemaVersionFix : public Fix {
  private:
@@ -34,15 +33,13 @@ class MetadataSchemaVersionFix : public Fix {
 };
 
 class MetadataSchemaVersionCheck : public Check {
- private:
-  std::unique_ptr<Database> metadata;
-
  protected:
   virtual bool do_check() override;
 
  public:
-  MetadataSchemaVersionCheck(const std::filesystem::path& path);
-  virtual ~MetadataSchemaVersionCheck() override;
+  MetadataSchemaVersionCheck(const std::filesystem::path& path)
+      : Check("metadata schema version", FATAL, path) {}
+  virtual ~MetadataSchemaVersionCheck() override {}
 };
 
 const int EXPECTED_METADATA_SCHEMA_VERSION = 4;
diff --git a/src/checks/object_integrity.cc b/src/checks/object_integrity.cc
index 12f6edb..a2257cd 100644
--- a/src/checks/object_integrity.cc
+++ b/src/checks/object_integrity.cc
@@ -27,13 +27,6 @@ std::string ObjectIntegrityFix::to_string() const {
          reason;
 }
 
-ObjectIntegrityCheck::ObjectIntegrityCheck(const std::filesystem::path& path)
-    : Check("object integrity", NONFATAL, path) {
-  metadata = std::make_unique<Database>(root_path / "s3gw.db");
-}
-
-ObjectIntegrityCheck::~ObjectIntegrityCheck() {}
-
 bool ObjectIntegrityCheck::do_check() {
   int fail_count = 0;
   // TODO: is there any sense in implementing this as a separate check
diff --git a/src/checks/object_integrity.h b/src/checks/object_integrity.h
index 3a2dfa6..6802636 100644
--- a/src/checks/object_integrity.h
+++ b/src/checks/object_integrity.h
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 #define FSCK_SFS_SRC_CHECKS_OBJECT_INTEGRITY_H__
 
 #include "checks.h"
-#include "sqlite.h"
 
 class ObjectIntegrityFix : public Fix {
  private:
@@ -35,15 +34,13 @@ class ObjectIntegrityFix : public Fix {
 };
 
 class ObjectIntegrityCheck : public Check {
- private:
-  std::unique_ptr<Database> metadata;
-
  protected:
   virtual bool do_check() override;
 
  public:
-  ObjectIntegrityCheck(const std::filesystem::path& path);
-  virtual ~ObjectIntegrityCheck() override;
+  ObjectIntegrityCheck(const std::filesystem::path& path)
+      : Check("object integrity", NONFATAL, path) {}
+  virtual ~ObjectIntegrityCheck() override{};
 };
 
 #endif  // FSCK_SFS_SRC_CHECKS_OBJECT_INTEGRITY_H__
diff --git a/src/checks/orphaned_metadata.cc b/src/checks/orphaned_metadata.cc
index 87dde6e..0eb0e58 100644
--- a/src/checks/orphaned_metadata.cc
+++ b/src/checks/orphaned_metadata.cc
@@ -29,13 +29,6 @@ std::string OrphanedMetadataFix::to_string() const {
   return "orphaned metadata: " + obj_path.string();
 }
 
-OrphanedMetadataCheck::OrphanedMetadataCheck(const std::filesystem::path& path)
-    : Check("orphaned metadata", NONFATAL, path) {
-  metadata = std::make_unique<Database>(root_path / "s3gw.db");
-}
-
-OrphanedMetadataCheck::~OrphanedMetadataCheck() {}
-
 bool OrphanedMetadataCheck::do_check() {
   int orphan_count = 0;
   // TODO: Should we do a join here with the objects table in order
diff --git a/src/checks/orphaned_metadata.h b/src/checks/orphaned_metadata.h
index c2da583..889360d 100644
--- a/src/checks/orphaned_metadata.h
+++ b/src/checks/orphaned_metadata.h
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 #include <memory>
 
 #include "checks.h"
-#include "sqlite.h"
 
 class OrphanedMetadataFix : public Fix {
  private:
@@ -39,15 +38,13 @@ class OrphanedMetadataFix : public Fix {
 };
 
 class OrphanedMetadataCheck : public Check {
- private:
-  std::unique_ptr<Database> metadata;
-
  protected:
   virtual bool do_check() override;
 
  public:
-  OrphanedMetadataCheck(const std::filesystem::path& path);
-  virtual ~OrphanedMetadataCheck() override;
+  OrphanedMetadataCheck(const std::filesystem::path& path)
+      : Check("orphaned metadata", NONFATAL, path) {}
+  virtual ~OrphanedMetadataCheck() override {}
 };
 
 #endif  // FSCK_SFS_SRC_CHECKS_ORPHANED_METADATA_H__
diff --git a/src/checks/orphaned_objects.cc b/src/checks/orphaned_objects.cc
index 8d703a4..bf48f01 100644
--- a/src/checks/orphaned_objects.cc
+++ b/src/checks/orphaned_objects.cc
@@ -69,13 +69,6 @@ std::string UnexpectedFileFix::to_string() const {
   return "Found unexpected mystery file: " + obj_path.string();
 }
 
-OrphanedObjectsCheck::OrphanedObjectsCheck(const std::filesystem::path& path)
-    : Check("orphaned objects", NONFATAL, path) {
-  metadata = std::make_unique<Database>(root_path / "s3gw.db");
-}
-
-OrphanedObjectsCheck::~OrphanedObjectsCheck() {}
-
 bool OrphanedObjectsCheck::do_check() {
   int orphan_count = 0;
   std::stack<std::filesystem::path> stack;
diff --git a/src/checks/orphaned_objects.h b/src/checks/orphaned_objects.h
index a602a64..2288796 100644
--- a/src/checks/orphaned_objects.h
+++ b/src/checks/orphaned_objects.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 #include <memory>
 
 #include "checks.h"
-#include "sqlite.h"
 
 class OrphanedObjectsFix : public Fix {
  private:
@@ -55,15 +54,13 @@ class UnexpectedFileFix : public Fix {
 };
 
 class OrphanedObjectsCheck : public Check {
- private:
-  std::unique_ptr<Database> metadata;
-
  protected:
   virtual bool do_check() override;
 
  public:
-  OrphanedObjectsCheck(const std::filesystem::path& path);
-  virtual ~OrphanedObjectsCheck() override;
+  OrphanedObjectsCheck(const std::filesystem::path& path)
+      : Check("orphaned objects", NONFATAL, path) {}
+  virtual ~OrphanedObjectsCheck() override {}
 };
 
 #endif  // FSCK_SFS_SRC_CHECKS_ORPHANED_OBJECTS_H__