diff --git a/hscontrol/db/db.go b/hscontrol/db/db.go
index 4b8b3808596..94265c18bdf 100644
--- a/hscontrol/db/db.go
+++ b/hscontrol/db/db.go
@@ -127,12 +127,16 @@ func NewHeadscaleDatabase(
 					// changed ones, when machines where renamed to nodes, which is covered
 					// further up. This whole initial integration is a mess and if AutoMigrate
 					// is ran on a 0.22 to 0.23 update, it will wipe all the routes.
-					if !tx.Migrator().HasTable(&types.Route{}) {
-						err = tx.AutoMigrate(&types.Route{})
+					if tx.Migrator().HasTable(&types.Route{}) && tx.Migrator().HasTable(&types.Node{}) {
+						err := tx.Exec("delete from routes where node_id not in (select id from nodes)").Error
 						if err != nil {
 							return err
 						}
 					}
+					err = tx.AutoMigrate(&types.Route{})
+					if err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
 
 					err = tx.AutoMigrate(&types.Node{})
 					if err != nil {