diff --git a/resources/metadata_sqlite.sql b/resources/metadata_sqlite.sql
index 454b271465..8409bc986a 100644
--- a/resources/metadata_sqlite.sql
+++ b/resources/metadata_sqlite.sql
@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ CREATE TABLE library_id ( id   INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
 CREATE TABLE metadata_dirtied(id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
                              book INTEGER NOT NULL,
                              UNIQUE(book));
+CREATE TABLE annotations_dirtied(id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
+                             book INTEGER NOT NULL,
+                             UNIQUE(book));
 CREATE TABLE preferences(id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
                                  key TEXT NOT NULL,
                                  val TEXT NOT NULL,
@@ -139,6 +142,19 @@ CREATE TABLE last_read_positions ( id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
 	UNIQUE(user, device, book, format)
 );
 
+CREATE TABLE annotations ( id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
+	book INTEGER NOT NULL,
+	format TEXT NOT NULL COLLATE NOCASE,
+	user_type TEXT NOT NULL,
+	user TEXT NOT NULL,
+	timestamp REAL NOT NULL,
+	annot_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+	annot_type TEXT NOT NULL,
+	annot_data TEXT NOT NULL,
+	searchable_text TEXT NOT NULL,
+    UNIQUE(book, user_type, user, format, annot_id)
+);
+
 CREATE VIEW meta AS
         SELECT id, title,
                (SELECT sortconcat(bal.id, name) FROM books_authors_link AS bal JOIN authors ON(author = authors.id) WHERE book = books.id) authors,
@@ -290,6 +306,7 @@ CREATE INDEX conversion_options_idx_b ON conversion_options (book);
 CREATE INDEX custom_columns_idx ON custom_columns (label);
 CREATE INDEX data_idx ON data (book);
 CREATE INDEX lrp_idx ON last_read_positions (book);
+CREATE INDEX annot_idx ON annotations (book);
 CREATE INDEX formats_idx ON data (format);
 CREATE INDEX languages_idx ON languages (lang_code COLLATE NOCASE);
 CREATE INDEX publishers_idx ON publishers (name COLLATE NOCASE);
@@ -306,6 +323,7 @@ CREATE TRIGGER books_delete_trg
                 DELETE FROM books_languages_link WHERE book=OLD.id;
                 DELETE FROM data WHERE book=OLD.id;
                 DELETE FROM last_read_positions WHERE book=OLD.id;
+                DELETE FROM annotations WHERE book=OLD.id;
                 DELETE FROM comments WHERE book=OLD.id;
                 DELETE FROM conversion_options WHERE book=OLD.id;
                 DELETE FROM books_plugin_data WHERE book=OLD.id;
@@ -369,6 +387,22 @@ CREATE TRIGGER fkc_lrp_update
                 THEN RAISE(ABORT, 'Foreign key violation: book not in books')
             END;
         END;
+CREATE TRIGGER fkc_annot_insert
+        BEFORE INSERT ON annotations
+        BEGIN
+            SELECT CASE
+                WHEN (SELECT id from books WHERE id=NEW.book) IS NULL
+                THEN RAISE(ABORT, 'Foreign key violation: book not in books')
+            END;
+        END;
+CREATE TRIGGER fkc_annot_update
+        BEFORE UPDATE OF book ON annotations
+        BEGIN
+            SELECT CASE
+                WHEN (SELECT id from books WHERE id=NEW.book) IS NULL
+                THEN RAISE(ABORT, 'Foreign key violation: book not in books')
+            END;
+        END;
 CREATE TRIGGER fkc_delete_on_authors
         BEFORE DELETE ON authors
         BEGIN
diff --git a/src/calibre/db/schema_upgrades.py b/src/calibre/db/schema_upgrades.py
index acd7a20178..f8fc5a0b50 100644
--- a/src/calibre/db/schema_upgrades.py
+++ b/src/calibre/db/schema_upgrades.py
@@ -696,3 +696,67 @@ CREATE TRIGGER fkc_lrp_update
         END;
 
         ''')
+
+    def upgrade_version_23(self):
+        ''' Create the annotations table '''
+        self.db.execute('''
+DROP TABLE IF EXISTS annotations_dirtied;
+CREATE TABLE annotations_dirtied(id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
+                             book INTEGER NOT NULL,
+                             UNIQUE(book));
+DROP TABLE IF EXISTS annotations;
+CREATE TABLE annotations ( id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
+    book INTEGER NOT NULL,
+    format TEXT NOT NULL COLLATE NOCASE,
+    user_type TEXT NOT NULL,
+    user TEXT NOT NULL,
+    timestamp REAL NOT NULL,
+    annot_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+    annot_type TEXT NOT NULL,
+    annot_data TEXT NOT NULL,
+    searchable_text TEXT NOT NULL,
+    UNIQUE(book, user_type, user, format, annot_id)
+);
+
+DROP INDEX IF EXISTS annot_idx;
+CREATE INDEX annot_idx ON annotations (book);
+
+DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS books_delete_trg;
+CREATE TRIGGER books_delete_trg
+    AFTER DELETE ON books
+    BEGIN
+        DELETE FROM books_authors_link WHERE book=OLD.id;
+        DELETE FROM books_publishers_link WHERE book=OLD.id;
+        DELETE FROM books_ratings_link WHERE book=OLD.id;
+        DELETE FROM books_series_link WHERE book=OLD.id;
+        DELETE FROM books_tags_link WHERE book=OLD.id;
+        DELETE FROM books_languages_link WHERE book=OLD.id;
+        DELETE FROM data WHERE book=OLD.id;
+        DELETE FROM last_read_positions WHERE book=OLD.id;
+        DELETE FROM annotations WHERE book=OLD.id;
+        DELETE FROM comments WHERE book=OLD.id;
+        DELETE FROM conversion_options WHERE book=OLD.id;
+        DELETE FROM books_plugin_data WHERE book=OLD.id;
+        DELETE FROM identifiers WHERE book=OLD.id;
+END;
+
+DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS fkc_annot_insert;
+DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS fkc_annot_update;
+CREATE TRIGGER fkc_annot_insert
+        BEFORE INSERT ON annotations
+        BEGIN
+            SELECT CASE
+                WHEN (SELECT id from books WHERE id=NEW.book) IS NULL
+                THEN RAISE(ABORT, 'Foreign key violation: book not in books')
+            END;
+        END;
+CREATE TRIGGER fkc_annot_update
+        BEFORE UPDATE OF book ON annotations
+        BEGIN
+            SELECT CASE
+                WHEN (SELECT id from books WHERE id=NEW.book) IS NULL
+                THEN RAISE(ABORT, 'Foreign key violation: book not in books')
+            END;
+        END;
+
+        ''')
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/integration.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/integration.py
index 6252cb5979..54eca1945b 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/integration.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/integration.py
@@ -20,5 +20,5 @@ def get_book_library_details(absolute_path_to_ebook):
     dbpath = os.path.join(library_dir, 'metadata.db')
     dbpath = os.environ.get('CALIBRE_OVERRIDE_DATABASE_PATH') or dbpath
     if not os.path.exists(dbpath):
-        return None
+        return
     return {'dbpath': dbpath, 'book_id': book_id, 'fmt': absolute_path_to_ebook.rpartition('.')[-1].upper()}