diff --git a/ceilometer/alarm/storage/impl_hbase.py b/ceilometer/alarm/storage/impl_hbase.py
index 27311c661..8a50bcae7 100644
--- a/ceilometer/alarm/storage/impl_hbase.py
+++ b/ceilometer/alarm/storage/impl_hbase.py
@@ -98,9 +98,10 @@ class Connection(base.Connection):
             self.conn_pool = self._get_connection_pool(opts)
 
     def upgrade(self):
+        tables = [self.ALARM_HISTORY_TABLE, self.ALARM_TABLE]
+        column_families = {'f': dict()}
         with self.conn_pool.connection() as conn:
-            conn.create_table(self.ALARM_TABLE, {'f': dict()})
-            conn.create_table(self.ALARM_HISTORY_TABLE, {'f': dict()})
+            hbase_utils.create_tables(conn, tables, column_families)
 
     def clear(self):
         LOG.debug(_('Dropping HBase schema...'))
diff --git a/ceilometer/storage/hbase/utils.py b/ceilometer/storage/hbase/utils.py
index 4a2a0b080..1fe4a3a4e 100644
--- a/ceilometer/storage/hbase/utils.py
+++ b/ceilometer/storage/hbase/utils.py
@@ -17,9 +17,14 @@ import datetime
 import json
 
 import bson.json_util
+from happybase.hbase import ttypes
 
+from ceilometer.openstack.common.gettextutils import _
+from ceilometer.openstack.common import log
 from ceilometer import utils
 
+LOG = log.getLogger(__name__)
+
 EVENT_TRAIT_TYPES = {'none': 0, 'string': 1, 'integer': 2, 'float': 3,
                      'datetime': 4}
 OP_SIGN = {'eq': '=', 'lt': '<', 'le': '<=', 'ne': '!=', 'gt': '>', 'ge': '>='}
@@ -416,3 +421,21 @@ def object_hook(dct):
         dt = bson.json_util.object_hook(dct)
         return dt.replace(tzinfo=None)
     return bson.json_util.object_hook(dct)
+
+
+def create_tables(conn, tables, column_families):
+    for table in tables:
+        try:
+            conn.create_table(table, column_families)
+        except ttypes.AlreadyExists:
+            if conn.table_prefix:
+                table = ("%(table_prefix)s"
+                         "%(separator)s"
+                         "%(table_name)s" %
+                         dict(table_prefix=conn.table_prefix,
+                              separator=conn.table_prefix_separator,
+                              table_name=table))
+
+            LOG.warn(_("Cannot create table %(table_name)s   "
+                       "it already exists. Ignoring error")
+                     % {'table_name': table})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ceilometer/storage/impl_hbase.py b/ceilometer/storage/impl_hbase.py
index 3899f4825..4a3a4e6fc 100644
--- a/ceilometer/storage/impl_hbase.py
+++ b/ceilometer/storage/impl_hbase.py
@@ -161,10 +161,10 @@ class Connection(base.Connection):
             self.conn_pool = self._get_connection_pool(opts)
 
     def upgrade(self):
+        tables = [self.RESOURCE_TABLE, self.METER_TABLE, self.EVENT_TABLE]
+        column_families = {'f': dict(max_versions=1)}
         with self.conn_pool.connection() as conn:
-            conn.create_table(self.RESOURCE_TABLE, {'f': dict(max_versions=1)})
-            conn.create_table(self.METER_TABLE, {'f': dict(max_versions=1)})
-            conn.create_table(self.EVENT_TABLE, {'f': dict(max_versions=1)})
+            hbase_utils.create_tables(conn, tables, column_families)
 
     def clear(self):
         LOG.debug(_('Dropping HBase schema...'))