diff --git a/lib/extensions/ar_migration.rb b/lib/extensions/ar_migration.rb
index e952bad150b..4d71da6d228 100644
--- a/lib/extensions/ar_migration.rb
+++ b/lib/extensions/ar_migration.rb
@@ -1,48 +1,36 @@
-module ArPglogicalMigration
-  module PglogicalMigrationHelper
-    def self.migrations_column_present?
-      ActiveRecord::Base.connection.columns("miq_regions").any? { |c| c.name == "migrations_ran" }
-    end
-
-    def self.my_region_number
-      # Use ApplicationRecord here because we need to query region information
-      @my_region_number ||= ApplicationRecord.my_region_number
-    end
-
-    def self.my_region_created?
-      ActiveRecord::Base.connection.exec_query(<<~SQL).first["exists"]
-        SELECT EXISTS(
-          SELECT id FROM miq_regions WHERE region = #{ActiveRecord::Base.connection.quote(my_region_number)}
-        )
-      SQL
+module ArPglogicalMigrationHelper
+  def self.discover_schema_migrations_ran_class
+    return unless ActiveRecord::Base.connection.table_exists?("schema_migrations_ran")
+    Class.new(ActiveRecord::Base) do
+      require 'active_record-id_regions'
+      include ActiveRecord::IdRegions
+      self.table_name = "schema_migrations_ran"
+      default_scope { in_my_region }
     end
+  end
 
-    def self.update_local_migrations_ran(version, direction)
-      return unless migrations_column_present?
-      return unless my_region_created?
+  def self.update_local_migrations_ran(version, direction)
+    return unless schema_migrations_ran_class = discover_schema_migrations_ran_class
 
-      new_migrations = ActiveRecord::SchemaMigration.normalized_versions
-      new_migrations << version if direction == :up
-      migrations_value = ActiveRecord::Base.connection.quote(PG::TextEncoder::Array.new.encode(new_migrations))
+    new_migrations = ActiveRecord::SchemaMigration.normalized_versions
+    new_migrations << version if direction == :up
 
-      ActiveRecord::Base.connection.exec_query(<<~SQL)
-        UPDATE miq_regions
-        SET migrations_ran = #{migrations_value}
-        WHERE region = #{ActiveRecord::Base.connection.quote(my_region_number)}
-      SQL
+    (new_migrations - schema_migrations_ran_class.pluck(:version)).each do |v|
+      schema_migrations_ran_class.find_or_create_by(:version => v)
     end
+
+    schema_migrations_ran_class.where(:version => version).delete_all if direction == :down
   end
 
   class RemoteRegionMigrationWatcher
-    class HelperARClass < ActiveRecord::Base; end
+    class SubscriptionHelper < ActiveRecord::Base; end
 
-    attr_reader :region, :subscription, :version
+    attr_reader :subscription, :version, :schema_migrations_ran_class
 
     def initialize(subscription, version)
-      region_class  = Class.new(ActiveRecord::Base) { self.table_name = "miq_regions" }
-      @region       = region_class.find_by(:region => subscription.provider_region)
-      @subscription = subscription
-      @version      = version
+      @schema_migrations_ran_class = ArPglogicalMigrationHelper.discover_schema_migrations_ran_class
+      @subscription                = subscription
+      @version                     = version
     end
 
     def wait_for_remote_region_migration(wait_time = 1)
@@ -55,7 +43,6 @@ def wait_for_remote_region_migration(wait_time = 1)
         print(".")
         restart_subscription
         sleep(wait_time)
-        region.reload
       end
 
       puts("\n")
@@ -63,34 +50,38 @@ def wait_for_remote_region_migration(wait_time = 1)
 
     private
 
-    def wait_for_migration?
-      migrations_column_present? ? !region.migrations_ran&.include?(version) : false
+    def region_number
+      subscription.provider_region
     end
 
-    def migrations_column_present?
-      @migrations_column_present ||= PglogicalMigrationHelper.migrations_column_present?
+    def wait_for_migration?
+      return false unless schema_migrations_ran_class
+      # We need to unscope here since in_region doesn't override the default scope of in_my_region
+      # see https://github.com/ManageIQ/activerecord-id_regions/issues/11
+      !schema_migrations_ran_class.unscoped.in_region(region_number).where(:version => version).exists?
     end
 
     def wait_message
-      @wait_message ||= "Waiting for remote region #{region.region} to run migration #{version}"
+      @wait_message ||= "Waiting for remote region #{region_number} to run migration #{version}"
     end
 
     def restart_subscription
-      c = HelperARClass.establish_connection.connection
+      c = SubscriptionHelper.establish_connection.connection
       c.pglogical.subscription_disable(subscription.id)
       c.pglogical.subscription_enable(subscription.id)
     ensure
-      HelperARClass.remove_connection
+      SubscriptionHelper.remove_connection
     end
   end
+end
 
+module ArPglogicalMigration
   def migrate(direction)
     PglogicalSubscription.all.each do |s|
-      RemoteRegionMigrationWatcher.new(s, version.to_s).wait_for_remote_region_migration
+      ArPglogicalMigrationHelper::RemoteRegionMigrationWatcher.new(s, version.to_s).wait_for_remote_region_migration
     end
-
     ret = super
-    PglogicalMigrationHelper.update_local_migrations_ran(version.to_s, direction)
+    ArPglogicalMigrationHelper.update_local_migrations_ran(version.to_s, direction)
     ret
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/extensions/ar_migration_spec.rb b/spec/lib/extensions/ar_migration_spec.rb
index fc823f5af3f..041b828ec04 100644
--- a/spec/lib/extensions/ar_migration_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/extensions/ar_migration_spec.rb
@@ -1,109 +1,92 @@
-shared_context "without the migrations ran column" do
-  before do
-    column_list = %w(id region created_at updated_at description guid).map { |n| double(:name => n) }
-    allow(ActiveRecord::Base.connection).to receive(:columns).with("miq_regions").and_return(column_list)
+describe ArPglogicalMigrationHelper do
+  shared_context "without the schema_migrations_ran table" do
+    before do
+      allow(ActiveRecord::Base.connection).to receive(:table_exists?).with("schema_migrations_ran").and_return(false)
+    end
   end
-end
 
-shared_context "with a dummy version" do
-  let(:version) { "1234567890" }
-
-  # sanity check - if this is somehow a version we have, these tests will make no sense
-  before { expect(my_region.migrations_ran).not_to include(version) }
-end
+  shared_context "with a dummy version" do
+    let(:version) { "1234567890" }
 
-context "with a region seeded" do
-  let!(:my_region) do
-    MiqRegion.seed
-    MiqRegion.my_region
+    # sanity check - if this is somehow a version we have, these tests will make no sense
+    before { expect(ActiveRecord::SchemaMigration.normalized_versions).not_to include(version) }
   end
 
-  describe ArPglogicalMigration::PglogicalMigrationHelper do
-    context "without the migrations ran column" do
-      include_context "without the migrations ran column"
+  context "with a region seeded" do
+    let!(:my_region) do
+      MiqRegion.seed
+      MiqRegion.my_region
+    end
 
-      describe ".migrations_column_present?" do
-        it "is falsey" do
-          expect(described_class.migrations_column_present?).to be_falsey
-        end
-      end
+    describe ".update_local_migrations_ran" do
+      context "without the schema_migrations_ran table" do
+        include_context "without the schema_migrations_ran table"
 
-      describe ".update_local_migrations_ran" do
         it "does nothing" do
           expect(ActiveRecord::SchemaMigration).not_to receive(:normalized_versions)
           described_class.update_local_migrations_ran("12345", :up)
         end
       end
-    end
-
-    describe ".migrations_column_present?" do
-      it "is truthy" do
-        # we never want to remove this column so we can just test directly
-        expect(described_class.migrations_column_present?).to be_truthy
-      end
-    end
-
-    describe ".update_local_migrations_ran" do
-      include_context "with a dummy version"
-
-      it "adds the given version when the direction is :up" do
-        described_class.update_local_migrations_ran(version, :up)
-        expect(my_region.reload.migrations_ran).to match_array(ActiveRecord::SchemaMigration.normalized_versions << version)
-      end
-
-      it "doesn't blow up when there is no region" do
-        MiqRegion.destroy_all
-        MiqRegion.my_region_clear_cache
-        described_class.update_local_migrations_ran(version, :up)
-      end
-    end
-  end
 
-  describe ArPglogicalMigration::RemoteRegionMigrationWatcher do
-    include_context "with a dummy version"
+      context "with the schema_migrations_ran table" do
+        include_context "with a dummy version"
 
-    let(:subscription) { double("Subscription", :enable => nil, :disable => nil, :provider_region => my_region.region) }
+        it "adds the given version when the direction is :up" do
+          described_class.update_local_migrations_ran(version, :up)
+          expect(described_class.discover_schema_migrations_ran_class.where(:version => version).exists?).to eq(true)
+        end
 
-    subject do
-      described_class.new(subscription, version).tap do |s|
-        allow(s).to receive_messages(:puts => nil, :print => nil)
+        it "doesn't blow up when there is no region" do
+          MiqRegion.destroy_all
+          MiqRegion.my_region_clear_cache
+          described_class.update_local_migrations_ran(version, :up)
+        end
       end
     end
 
-    describe "#wait_for_remote_region_migrations" do
-      context "without the migrations ran column present" do
-        include_context "without the migrations ran column"
+    describe ArPglogicalMigrationHelper::RemoteRegionMigrationWatcher do
+      include_context "with a dummy version"
+      let(:helper_class) { Class.new(ActiveRecord::Base) { include ActiveRecord::IdRegions } }
+      let(:other_region_number) { helper_class.my_region_number + rand(1..50) }
+      let(:subscription) { double("Subscription", :enable => nil, :disable => nil, :provider_region => other_region_number) }
 
-        it "does nothing" do
-          expect(Vmdb.rails_logger).not_to receive(:info)
-          subject.wait_for_remote_region_migration
+      subject do
+        described_class.new(subscription, version).tap do |s|
+          allow(s).to receive_messages(:puts => nil, :print => nil)
         end
       end
 
-      it "sleeps until the migration is added" do
-        allow(subject).to receive(:restart_subscription)
-        allow(subject.region).to receive(:reload)
+      describe "#wait_for_remote_region_migration" do
+        def wait_for_migration_called
+          @count ||= 0
+          if @count == 5
+            ArPglogicalMigrationHelper.discover_schema_migrations_ran_class.create!(:id => helper_class.id_in_region(1, other_region_number), :version => version)
+          end
+          @count += 1
+        end
 
-        subject.region.update_attributes!(:migrations_ran => nil)
+        context "without the schema_migrations_ran table present" do
+          include_context "without the schema_migrations_ran table"
 
-        t = Thread.new do
-          Thread.current.abort_on_exception = true
-          subject.wait_for_remote_region_migration(0)
+          it "does nothing" do
+            expect(Vmdb.rails_logger).not_to receive(:info)
+            subject.wait_for_remote_region_migration
+          end
         end
 
-        # Try to pass execution to the created thread
-        # NOTE: This is could definitely be a source of weird spec timing issues because
-        #       we're relying on the thread scheduler to pass to the next thread
-        #       when we sleep, but if this isn't here we likely won't execute the conditional
-        #       block in .wait_for_remote_region_migrations
-        sleep 1
+        it "waits for the migration to be added" do
+          allow(subject).to receive(:restart_subscription)
+          expect(ArPglogicalMigrationHelper.discover_schema_migrations_ran_class.unscoped.where(:version => version).exists?).to eq(false)
 
-        expect(t.alive?).to be true
-        subject.region.update_attributes!(:migrations_ran => ActiveRecord::SchemaMigration.normalized_versions << version)
+          allow(subject).to receive(:wait_for_migration?).and_wrap_original do |m, _args|
+            wait_for_migration_called
+            m.call
+          end
 
-        # Wait a max of 5 seconds so we don't disrupt the whole test suite if something terrible happens
-        t = t.join(5)
-        expect(t.status).to be false
+          subject.wait_for_remote_region_migration(0)
+
+          expect(ArPglogicalMigrationHelper.discover_schema_migrations_ran_class.unscoped.where(:version => version).exists?).to eq(true)
+        end
       end
     end
   end