diff --git a/pkg/db/db.go b/pkg/db/db.go
index 4bf5006775..7811b5a8af 100644
--- a/pkg/db/db.go
+++ b/pkg/db/db.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strconv"
 
 	"github.com/aquasecurity/trivy/pkg/log"
 
@@ -14,13 +15,17 @@ import (
 	bolt "github.com/etcd-io/bbolt"
 )
 
+const (
+	SchemaVersion = 1
+)
+
 var (
 	db    *bolt.DB
 	dbDir string
 )
 
 type Operations interface {
-	SetVersion(string) error
+	SetVersion(int) error
 	Update(string, string, string, interface{}) error
 	BatchUpdate(func(*bolt.Tx) error) error
 	PutNestedBucket(*bolt.Tx, string, string, string, interface{}) error
@@ -67,19 +72,22 @@ func Reset() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func GetVersion() string {
-	var version string
+func GetVersion() int {
 	value, err := Get("trivy", "metadata", "version")
-	if err != nil {
-		return ""
+	if err != nil || len(value) == 0 {
+		// initial run
+		return 0
 	}
-	if err = json.Unmarshal(value, &version); err != nil {
-		return ""
+
+	version, err := strconv.Atoi(string(value))
+	if err != nil {
+		// old trivy version
+		return 1
 	}
 	return version
 }
 
-func (dbc Config) SetVersion(version string) error {
+func (dbc Config) SetVersion(version int) error {
 	err := dbc.Update("trivy", "metadata", "version", version)
 	if err != nil {
 		return xerrors.Errorf("failed to save DB version: %w", err)
diff --git a/pkg/db/db_mock.go b/pkg/db/db_mock.go
index c6e0bbba66..2a3f770a64 100644
--- a/pkg/db/db_mock.go
+++ b/pkg/db/db_mock.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ type MockDBConfig struct {
 	mock.Mock
 }
 
-func (_m *MockDBConfig) SetVersion(version string) error {
+func (_m *MockDBConfig) SetVersion(version int) error {
 	ret := _m.Called(version)
 	return ret.Error(0)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/git/git.go b/pkg/git/git.go
index e3d45c2839..14951b015b 100644
--- a/pkg/git/git.go
+++ b/pkg/git/git.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func CloneOrPull(url, repoPath string) (map[string]struct{}, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Need to refresh all vulnerabilities
-	if db.GetVersion() == "" {
+	if db.GetVersion() == 0 {
 		err = filepath.Walk(repoPath, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
diff --git a/pkg/run.go b/pkg/run.go
index 460741793d..93e41256a1 100644
--- a/pkg/run.go
+++ b/pkg/run.go
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 func Run(c *cli.Context) (err error) {
-	cliVersion := c.App.Version
-
 	if c.Bool("quiet") || c.Bool("no-progress") {
 		utils.Quiet = true
 	}
@@ -87,7 +85,7 @@ func Run(c *cli.Context) (err error) {
 
 	needRefresh := false
 	dbVersion := db.GetVersion()
-	if dbVersion != "" && dbVersion != cliVersion {
+	if 0 < dbVersion && dbVersion < db.SchemaVersion {
 		if !refresh && !autoRefresh {
 			return xerrors.New("Detected version update of trivy. Please try again with --refresh or --auto-refresh option")
 		}
@@ -114,7 +112,7 @@ func Run(c *cli.Context) (err error) {
 	}
 
 	dbc := db.Config{}
-	if err = dbc.SetVersion(cliVersion); err != nil {
+	if err = dbc.SetVersion(db.SchemaVersion); err != nil {
 		return xerrors.Errorf("unexpected error: %w", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/vulnsrc/vulnsrc_test.go b/pkg/vulnsrc/vulnsrc_test.go
index 58517e5f8f..bea5e75dc1 100644
--- a/pkg/vulnsrc/vulnsrc_test.go
+++ b/pkg/vulnsrc/vulnsrc_test.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func BenchmarkUpdate(b *testing.B) {
 	b.Run("NVD", func(b *testing.B) {
 		dbc := db.Config{}
 		for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
-			if err := dbc.SetVersion(""); err != nil {
+			if err := dbc.SetVersion(db.SchemaVersion); err != nil {
 				b.Fatal(err)
 			}
 			if err := Update([]string{vulnerability.Nvd}); err != nil {