diff --git a/src/main/java/com/netflix/simianarmy/aws/SimpleDBRecorder.java b/src/main/java/com/netflix/simianarmy/aws/SimpleDBRecorder.java
index 631217f2..69d4de2f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/netflix/simianarmy/aws/SimpleDBRecorder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/netflix/simianarmy/aws/SimpleDBRecorder.java
@@ -28,10 +28,15 @@
 import java.util.Set;
 
 import org.apache.commons.lang.Validate;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import com.amazonaws.AmazonClientException;
 import com.amazonaws.services.simpledb.AmazonSimpleDB;
 import com.amazonaws.services.simpledb.model.Attribute;
+import com.amazonaws.services.simpledb.model.CreateDomainRequest;
 import com.amazonaws.services.simpledb.model.Item;
+import com.amazonaws.services.simpledb.model.ListDomainsResult;
 import com.amazonaws.services.simpledb.model.PutAttributesRequest;
 import com.amazonaws.services.simpledb.model.ReplaceableAttribute;
 import com.amazonaws.services.simpledb.model.SelectRequest;
@@ -45,6 +50,8 @@
  */
 @SuppressWarnings("serial")
 public class SimpleDBRecorder implements MonkeyRecorder {
+    /** The Constant LOGGER. */
+    private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(SimpleDBRecorder.class);
 
     private final AmazonSimpleDB simpleDBClient;
 
@@ -244,4 +251,25 @@ public List<Event> findEvents(Enum monkeyType, Enum eventType, Map<String, Strin
         copy.put(Keys.eventType.name(), enumToValue(eventType));
         return findEvents(copy, after);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates the SimpleDB domain, if it does not already exist.
+     */
+    public void init() {
+        try {
+            ListDomainsResult listDomains = sdbClient().listDomains();
+            for (String d : listDomains.getDomainNames()) {
+                if (d.equals(domain)) {
+                    LOGGER.debug("SimpleDB domain found: {}", domain);
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+            LOGGER.info("Creating SimpleDB domain: {}", domain);
+            CreateDomainRequest createDomainRequest = new CreateDomainRequest(
+                    domain);
+            sdbClient().createDomain(createDomainRequest);
+        } catch (AmazonClientException e) {
+            LOGGER.warn("Error while trying to auto-create SimpleDB domain", e);
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/netflix/simianarmy/basic/BasicSimianArmyContext.java b/src/main/java/com/netflix/simianarmy/basic/BasicSimianArmyContext.java
index 01ef00fb..c40692d9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/netflix/simianarmy/basic/BasicSimianArmyContext.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/netflix/simianarmy/basic/BasicSimianArmyContext.java
@@ -150,7 +150,9 @@ private void createScheduler() {
     private void createRecorder() {
         String domain = config.getStrOrElse("simianarmy.recorder.sdb.domain", "SIMIAN_ARMY");
         if (client != null) {
-            setRecorder(new SimpleDBRecorder(client, domain));
+            SimpleDBRecorder simpleDbRecorder = new SimpleDBRecorder(client, domain);
+            simpleDbRecorder.init();
+            setRecorder(simpleDbRecorder);
         }
     }