diff --git a/hub/db/db.py b/hub/db/db.py
index e3e5e40..6ca8685 100644
--- a/hub/db/db.py
+++ b/hub/db/db.py
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ class SecondaryDB:
         self._reorg_limit = reorg_limit
         self._cache_all_tx_hashes = cache_all_tx_hashes
         self._secondary_name = secondary_name
+        self._need_restart_path = os.path.join(self._db_dir, 'NEED_SCRIBE_RESTART')
         if secondary_name:
             assert max_open_files == -1, 'max open files must be -1 for secondary readers'
         self._db_max_open_files = max_open_files
@@ -1000,6 +1001,27 @@ class SecondaryDB:
         secondary_path = '' if not self._secondary_name else os.path.join(
             self._db_dir, self._secondary_name
         )
+        open_db_canary = None
+
+        if self._secondary_name:
+            open_db_canary = os.path.join(self._db_dir, f'{self._secondary_name}-db-canary')
+            if os.path.exists(open_db_canary):
+                with open(self._need_restart_path, 'w+') as f:
+                    f.write(f"{time.strftime(f'%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')} {self._secondary_name}\n")
+                raise RuntimeError('scribe restart is needed')
+            else:
+                with open(open_db_canary, 'w'):
+                    pass
+        else:
+            herald_db_canary = os.path.join(self._db_dir, 'lbry-reader-db-canary')
+            es_sync_db_canary = os.path.join(self._db_dir, 'lbry-elastic-writer-db-canary')
+            if os.path.exists(herald_db_canary):
+                os.remove(herald_db_canary)
+            if os.path.exists(es_sync_db_canary):
+                os.remove(es_sync_db_canary)
+            if os.path.exists(self._need_restart_path):
+                os.remove(self._need_restart_path)
+
         db_path = os.path.join(self._db_dir, 'lbry-rocksdb')
         self.prefix_db = PrefixDB(
             db_path, reorg_limit=self._reorg_limit, max_open_files=self._db_max_open_files,
@@ -1008,6 +1030,7 @@ class SecondaryDB:
         )
 
         if secondary_path != '':
+            os.remove(open_db_canary)
             self.logger.info(f'opened db for read only: lbry-rocksdb (%s)', db_path)
         else:
             self.logger.info(f'opened db for writing: lbry-rocksdb (%s)', db_path)
diff --git a/hub/scribe/service.py b/hub/scribe/service.py
index ac21752..b6579cc 100644
--- a/hub/scribe/service.py
+++ b/hub/scribe/service.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import os
 import time
 import asyncio
 import typing
@@ -2069,6 +2070,8 @@ class BlockchainProcessorService(BlockchainService):
         """Loop forever processing blocks as they arrive."""
         self._caught_up_event = caught_up_event
         try:
+            if os.path.exists(self.db._need_restart_path):
+                raise MemoryError()
             if self.height != self.daemon.cached_height() and not self.db.catching_up:
                 await self._need_catch_up()  # tell the readers that we're still catching up with lbrycrd/lbcd
             while not self._stopping: