diff --git a/Changelog.markdown b/Changelog.markdown
--- a/Changelog.markdown
+++ b/Changelog.markdown
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 0.1.11.0
+* Improved documentation
+* Fixed exists_table
+
 ## 0.1.10.1
 * Fixed hackage warnings
 
diff --git a/postgresql-simple-migration.cabal b/postgresql-simple-migration.cabal
--- a/postgresql-simple-migration.cabal
+++ b/postgresql-simple-migration.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                       postgresql-simple-migration
-version:                    0.1.10.1
+version:                    0.1.11.0
 synopsis:                   PostgreSQL Schema Migrations
 homepage:                   https://github.com/ameingast/postgresql-simple-migration
 Bug-reports:                https://github.com/ameingast/postgresql-simple-migration/issues
diff --git a/src/Database/PostgreSQL/Simple/Migration.hs b/src/Database/PostgreSQL/Simple/Migration.hs
--- a/src/Database/PostgreSQL/Simple/Migration.hs
+++ b/src/Database/PostgreSQL/Simple/Migration.hs
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@
 import qualified Data.ByteString                    as BS (ByteString, readFile)
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Base64             as B64 (encode)
 import           Data.Foldable                      (Foldable)
-import           Data.Traversable                   (Traversable)
 import           Data.List                          (isPrefixOf, sort)
+import           Data.Traversable                   (Traversable)
 #if __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ < 710
 import           Data.Monoid                        (Monoid (..))
 #endif
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@
     | MigrationScript ScriptName BS.ByteString
     -- ^ Executes a migration based on the provided bytestring.
     | MigrationValidation MigrationCommand
-    -- ^ Validates the provided MigrationCommand.
+    -- ^ Validates that the provided MigrationCommand has been executed.
     | MigrationCommands [MigrationCommand]
     -- ^ Performs a series of 'MigrationCommand's in sequence.
     deriving (Show, Eq, Read, Ord)
diff --git a/src/Database/PostgreSQL/Simple/Util.hs b/src/Database/PostgreSQL/Simple/Util.hs
--- a/src/Database/PostgreSQL/Simple/Util.hs
+++ b/src/Database/PostgreSQL/Simple/Util.hs
@@ -25,9 +25,13 @@
 -- | Checks if the table with the given name exists in the database.
 existsTable :: Connection -> String -> IO Bool
 existsTable con table =
-    fmap (not . null) (query con q (Only table) :: IO [[Int]])
+    fmap checkRowCount (query con q (Only table) :: IO [[Int]])
     where
         q = "select count(relname) from pg_class where relname = ?"
+
+        checkRowCount :: [[Int]] -> Bool
+        checkRowCount ((1:_):_) = True
+        checkRowCount _         = False
 
 -- | Executes the given IO monad inside a transaction and performs a roll-back
 -- afterwards (even if exceptions occur).
diff --git a/test/Database/PostgreSQL/Simple/MigrationTest.hs b/test/Database/PostgreSQL/Simple/MigrationTest.hs
--- a/test/Database/PostgreSQL/Simple/MigrationTest.hs
+++ b/test/Database/PostgreSQL/Simple/MigrationTest.hs
@@ -33,12 +33,21 @@
     let migrationDir = MigrationDirectory "share/test/scripts"
     let migrationFile = MigrationFile "s.sql" "share/test/script.sql"
 
+    it "asserts that the schema_migrations table does not exist" $ do
+        r <- existsTable con "schema_migrations"
+        r `shouldBe` False
+
+    it "validates an initialization on an empty database" $ do
+        r <- runMigration $ MigrationContext
+            (MigrationValidation MigrationInitialization) False con
+        r `shouldBe` MigrationError "No such table: schema_migrations"
+
     it "initializes a database" $ do
         r <- runMigration $ MigrationContext MigrationInitialization False con
         r `shouldBe` MigrationSuccess
 
     it "creates the schema_migrations table" $ do
-        r <- existsTable con "schema_migration"
+        r <- existsTable con "schema_migrations"
         r `shouldBe` True
 
     it "executes a migration script" $ do