diff --git a/ChangeLog.md b/ChangeLog.md
--- a/ChangeLog.md
+++ b/ChangeLog.md
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+# 0.5.3.1
+
+## Bug fixes
+
+* Removed the `IsString` instance for `DatabaseSchema`, which allowed for the use of database schemas that did not exist.
+
 # 0.5.3.0
 
 ## Added features
diff --git a/Database/Beam/Migrate/SQL/Tables.hs b/Database/Beam/Migrate/SQL/Tables.hs
--- a/Database/Beam/Migrate/SQL/Tables.hs
+++ b/Database/Beam/Migrate/SQL/Tables.hs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
   , addColumn, dropColumn
 
     -- * Schema manipulation
-  , createDatabaseSchema, dropDatabaseSchema, existingDatabaseSchema
+  , DatabaseSchema(databaseSchemaName), createDatabaseSchema, dropDatabaseSchema, existingDatabaseSchema
 
     -- * Field specification
   , DefaultValue, Constraint(..), NotNullConstraint
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@
 
 import Data.Coerce (coerce)
 import Data.Kind (Type)
-import Data.String (IsString)
 import Data.Text (Text)
 import Data.Typeable
 import qualified Data.Kind as Kind (Constraint)
@@ -82,10 +81,11 @@
 
 -- * Schema manipulation
 
--- | Represents a database schema. To create one, see 'createDatabaseSchema'.
+-- | Represents a database schema. To create one, see 'createDatabaseSchema'; 
+--   to materialize one, see 'existingDatabaseSchema'.
 newtype DatabaseSchema 
-  = MkDatabaseSchema Text
-  deriving (Eq, Show, IsString)
+  = DatabaseSchema{databaseSchemaName :: Text}
+  deriving (Eq, Show)
 
 -- | Add a @CREATE SCHEMA@ statement to this migration
 --
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@
                      -> Migration be DatabaseSchema
 createDatabaseSchema nm = do
   upDown (createSchemaCmd (createSchemaSyntax (schemaName nm))) Nothing
-  pure $ MkDatabaseSchema nm
+  pure $ DatabaseSchema nm
 
 -- | Add a @DROP SCHEMA@ statement to this migration.
 --
@@ -108,12 +108,23 @@
 dropDatabaseSchema :: BeamMigrateSchemaSqlBackend be
                    => DatabaseSchema
                    -> Migration be ()
-dropDatabaseSchema (MkDatabaseSchema nm) 
+dropDatabaseSchema (DatabaseSchema nm) 
   = upDown (dropSchemaCmd (dropSchemaSyntax (schemaName nm))) Nothing
 
--- | Materialize a schema for use during a migration (for example, to drop it).
+-- | Materialize a schema for use during a migration.
+--
+--   Example usage, where @NewDB@ has one more table than @OldDB@ in the @my_schema@ schema:
+--
+-- @
+-- migrationStep :: 'CheckedDatabaseSettings' be OldDB
+--               -> 'Migration' be ('CheckedDatabaseSettings' be NewDB)
+-- migrationStep (OldDB oldtable)= do
+--   schema <- 'existingDatabaseSchema' "my_schema"
+--   pure $ NewDb <$> pure oldtable
+--                <*> 'createTableWithSchema' (Just schema) "my_table"
+-- @
 existingDatabaseSchema :: Text -> Migration be DatabaseSchema
-existingDatabaseSchema = pure . MkDatabaseSchema
+existingDatabaseSchema = pure . DatabaseSchema
 
 -- | Add a @CREATE TABLE@ statement to this migration, with an explicit schema
 --
@@ -155,7 +166,7 @@
          schemaCheck = 
             case maybeSchemaName of
               Nothing -> []
-              Just (MkDatabaseSchema sn) -> [ SomeDatabasePredicate (SchemaExistsPredicate sn) ] 
+              Just (DatabaseSchema sn) -> [ SomeDatabasePredicate (SchemaExistsPredicate sn) ] 
 
      upDown command Nothing
      pure (CheckedDatabaseEntity 
diff --git a/beam-migrate.cabal b/beam-migrate.cabal
--- a/beam-migrate.cabal
+++ b/beam-migrate.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                beam-migrate
-version:             0.5.3.0
+version:             0.5.3.1
 synopsis:            SQL DDL support and migrations support library for Beam
 description:         This package provides type classes to allow backends to implement
                      SQL DDL support for beam. This allows you to use beam syntax to