diff --git a/.coveragerc b/.coveragerc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..35bf78f5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.coveragerc
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[run]
+omit = */test*,celerywyrm*,bookwyrm/migrations/*
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.dockerignore b/.dockerignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3bf9f2c5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.dockerignore
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+__pycache__
+*.pyc
+*.pyo
+*.pyd
+.git
+.github
+.pytest*
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7d53fd2f5..1384056f2 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -13,3 +13,6 @@
 # BookWyrm
 .env
 /images/
+
+# Testing
+.coverage
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4d67bd85e..5e16597c1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -65,9 +65,8 @@ You'll have to install the Docker and docker-compose. When you're ready, run:
 
 ```bash
 docker-compose build
-docker-compose up
-docker-compose exec web python manage.py migrate
-docker-compose exec web python manage.py shell -c 'import init_db'
+docker-compose run --rm web python manage.py migrate
+docker-compose run --rm web python manage.py initdb
 ```
 
 ### Without Docker
diff --git a/bookwyrm/management/commands/initdb.py b/bookwyrm/management/commands/initdb.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f29ed1027
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/management/commands/initdb.py
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand, CommandError
+from django.contrib.auth.models import Group, Permission
+from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
+
+from bookwyrm.models import Connector, User
+from bookwyrm.settings import DOMAIN
+
+def init_groups():
+    groups = ['admin', 'moderator', 'editor']
+    for group in groups:
+        Group.objects.create(name=group)
+
+def init_permissions():
+    permissions = [{
+            'codename': 'edit_instance_settings',
+            'name': 'change the instance info',
+            'groups': ['admin',]
+        }, {
+            'codename': 'set_user_group',
+            'name': 'change what group a user is in',
+            'groups': ['admin', 'moderator']
+        }, {
+            'codename': 'control_federation',
+            'name': 'control who to federate with',
+            'groups': ['admin', 'moderator']
+        }, {
+            'codename': 'create_invites',
+            'name': 'issue invitations to join',
+            'groups': ['admin', 'moderator']
+        }, {
+            'codename': 'moderate_user',
+            'name': 'deactivate or silence a user',
+            'groups': ['admin', 'moderator']
+        }, {
+            'codename': 'moderate_post',
+            'name': 'delete other users\' posts',
+            'groups': ['admin', 'moderator']
+        }, {
+            'codename': 'edit_book',
+            'name': 'edit book info',
+            'groups': ['admin', 'moderator', 'editor']
+        }]
+
+    content_type = ContentType.objects.get_for_model(User)
+    for permission in permissions:
+        permission_obj = Permission.objects.create(
+            codename=permission['codename'],
+            name=permission['name'],
+            content_type=content_type,
+        )
+        # add the permission to the appropriate groups
+        for group_name in permission['groups']:
+            Group.objects.get(name=group_name).permissions.add(permission_obj)
+
+    # while the groups and permissions shouldn't be changed because the code
+    # depends on them, what permissions go with what groups should be editable
+
+
+def init_connectors():
+    Connector.objects.create(
+        identifier=DOMAIN,
+        name='Local',
+        local=True,
+        connector_file='self_connector',
+        base_url='https://%s' % DOMAIN,
+        books_url='https://%s/book' % DOMAIN,
+        covers_url='https://%s/images/covers' % DOMAIN,
+        search_url='https://%s/search?q=' % DOMAIN,
+        priority=1,
+    )
+
+    Connector.objects.create(
+        identifier='bookwyrm.social',
+        name='BookWyrm dot Social',
+        connector_file='bookwyrm_connector',
+        base_url='https://bookwyrm.social' ,
+        books_url='https://bookwyrm.social/book',
+        covers_url='https://bookwyrm.social/images/covers',
+        search_url='https://bookwyrm.social/search?q=',
+        priority=2,
+    )
+
+    Connector.objects.create(
+        identifier='openlibrary.org',
+        name='OpenLibrary',
+        connector_file='openlibrary',
+        base_url='https://openlibrary.org',
+        books_url='https://openlibrary.org',
+        covers_url='https://covers.openlibrary.org',
+        search_url='https://openlibrary.org/search?q=',
+        priority=3,
+    )
+
+class Command(BaseCommand):
+    help = 'Initializes the database with starter data'
+
+    def handle(self, *args, **options):
+        init_groups()
+        init_permissions()
+        init_connectors()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/test_signing.py b/bookwyrm/tests/test_signing.py
index 8653823d3..5170b4167 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/tests/test_signing.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/test_signing.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import pathlib
 import json
 import responses
 
+import pytest
+
 from django.test import TestCase, Client
 from django.utils.http import http_date
 
@@ -167,6 +169,7 @@ class Signature(TestCase):
         response = self.send_test_request(sender=self.fake_remote)
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 401)
 
+    @pytest.mark.integration
     def test_changed_data(self):
         '''Message data must match the digest header.'''
         response = self.send_test_request(
@@ -174,12 +177,14 @@ class Signature(TestCase):
             send_data=get_follow_data(self.mouse, self.cat))
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 401)
 
+    @pytest.mark.integration
     def test_invalid_digest(self):
         response = self.send_test_request(
             self.mouse,
             digest='SHA-256=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA')
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 401)
 
+    @pytest.mark.integration
     def test_old_message(self):
         '''Old messages should be rejected to prevent replay attacks.'''
         response = self.send_test_request(
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 18b58032c..08567ce33 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ services:
             - main
     web:
         build: .
+        env_file: .env
         command: python manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000
         volumes:
             - .:/app
diff --git a/fr-dev b/fr-dev
index 56494473b..c63a10a14 100755
--- a/fr-dev
+++ b/fr-dev
@@ -3,51 +3,86 @@
 set -e
 set -x
 
+function clean {
+    docker-compose stop
+    docker-compose rm -f
+}
+
+function runweb {
+    docker-compose run --rm web "$@"
+    clean
+}
+
+function execdb {
+    docker-compose exec db $@
+}
+
+function execweb {
+    docker-compose exec web "$@"
+}
+
+function initdb {
+    execweb python manage.py migrate
+    execweb python manage.py initdb
+}
+
 case "$1" in
     up)
         docker-compose up --build
         ;;
     run)
-        docker-compose run --service-ports web
+        docker-compose run --rm --service-ports web
         ;;
     initdb)
-        docker-compose exec web python manage.py migrate
-        docker-compose exec web python manage.py shell -c 'import init_db'
+        initdb
         ;;
     resetdb)
-        docker-compose stop web
-        docker-compose exec db dropdb -U fedireads fedireads
-        docker-compose exec db createdb -U fedireads fedireads
-        docker-compose start web
-        docker-compose exec web python manage.py migrate
-        docker-compose exec web python manage.py shell -c 'import init_db'
+        clean
+        docker-compose up --build -d
+        execdb dropdb -U fedireads fedireads
+        execdb createdb -U fedireads fedireads
+        initdb
+        clean
         ;;
     makemigrations)
-        docker-compose exec web python manage.py makemigrations
+        execweb python manage.py makemigrations
         ;;
     migrate)
-        docker-compose exec web python manage.py migrate
+        execweb python manage.py migrate
+        ;;
+    bash)
+        execweb bash
         ;;
     shell)
-        docker-compose exec web python manage.py shell
+        execweb python manage.py shell
         ;;
     dbshell)
-        docker-compose exec db psql -U fedireads fedireads
+        execdb psql -U fedireads fedireads
         ;;
     restart_celery)
         docker-compose restart celery_worker
         ;;
     test)
         shift 1
-        docker-compose exec web coverage run --source='.' --omit="*/test*,celerywyrm*,bookwyrm/migrations/*" manage.py test "$@"
+        execweb coverage run --source='.' --omit="*/test*,celerywyrm*,bookwyrm/migrations/*" manage.py test "$@"
+        ;;
+    pytest)
+        shift 1
+        execweb pytest "$@"
         ;;
     test_report)
-        docker-compose exec web coverage report
+        execweb coverage report
         ;;
     collectstatic)
-        docker-compose exec web python manage.py collectstatic --no-input
+        execweb python manage.py collectstatic --no-input
+        ;;
+    build)
+        docker-compose build
+        ;;
+    clean)
+        clean
         ;;
     *)
-        echo "Unrecognised command. Try: up, initdb, resetdb, makemigrations, migrate, shell, dbshell, restart_celery, test, test_report"
+        echo "Unrecognised command. Try: build, clean, up, initdb, resetdb, makemigrations, migrate, bash, shell, dbshell, restart_celery, test, pytest, test_report"
         ;;
 esac
diff --git a/init_db.py b/init_db.py
deleted file mode 100644
index e2ade67bd..000000000
--- a/init_db.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,91 +0,0 @@
-''' starter data '''
-from django.contrib.auth.models import Group, Permission
-from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
-
-from bookwyrm.models import Connector, User
-from bookwyrm.settings import DOMAIN
-
-
-groups = ['admin', 'moderator', 'editor']
-for group in groups:
-    Group.objects.create(name=group)
-
-permissions = [{
-        'codename': 'edit_instance_settings',
-        'name': 'change the instance info',
-        'groups': ['admin',]
-    }, {
-        'codename': 'set_user_group',
-        'name': 'change what group a user is in',
-        'groups': ['admin', 'moderator']
-    }, {
-        'codename': 'control_federation',
-        'name': 'control who to federate with',
-        'groups': ['admin', 'moderator']
-    }, {
-        'codename': 'create_invites',
-        'name': 'issue invitations to join',
-        'groups': ['admin', 'moderator']
-    }, {
-        'codename': 'moderate_user',
-        'name': 'deactivate or silence a user',
-        'groups': ['admin', 'moderator']
-    }, {
-        'codename': 'moderate_post',
-        'name': 'delete other users\' posts',
-        'groups': ['admin', 'moderator']
-    }, {
-        'codename': 'edit_book',
-        'name': 'edit book info',
-        'groups': ['admin', 'moderator', 'editor']
-    }]
-
-content_type = ContentType.objects.get_for_model(User)
-for permission in permissions:
-    permission_obj = Permission.objects.create(
-        codename=permission['codename'],
-        name=permission['name'],
-        content_type=content_type,
-    )
-    # add the permission to the appropriate groups
-    for group_name in permission['groups']:
-        Group.objects.get(name=group_name).permissions.add(permission_obj)
-
-# while the groups and permissions shouldn't be changed because the code
-# depends on them, what permissions go with what groups should be editable
-
-
-
-Connector.objects.create(
-    identifier=DOMAIN,
-    name='Local',
-    local=True,
-    connector_file='self_connector',
-    base_url='https://%s' % DOMAIN,
-    books_url='https://%s/book' % DOMAIN,
-    covers_url='https://%s/images/covers' % DOMAIN,
-    search_url='https://%s/search?q=' % DOMAIN,
-    priority=1,
-)
-
-Connector.objects.create(
-    identifier='bookwyrm.social',
-    name='BookWyrm dot Social',
-    connector_file='bookwyrm_connector',
-    base_url='https://bookwyrm.social' ,
-    books_url='https://bookwyrm.social/book',
-    covers_url='https://bookwyrm.social/images/covers',
-    search_url='https://bookwyrm.social/search?q=',
-    priority=2,
-)
-
-Connector.objects.create(
-    identifier='openlibrary.org',
-    name='OpenLibrary',
-    connector_file='openlibrary',
-    base_url='https://openlibrary.org',
-    books_url='https://openlibrary.org',
-    covers_url='https://covers.openlibrary.org',
-    search_url='https://openlibrary.org/search?q=',
-    priority=3,
-)
diff --git a/pytest.ini b/pytest.ini
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fa9dbc59f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pytest.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[pytest]
+DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE = bookwyrm.settings
+python_files = tests.py test_*.py *_tests.py
+addopts = --cov=bookwyrm --cov-config=.coveragerc
+markers =
+    integration: marks tests as requiring external resources (deselect with '-m "not integration"')
diff --git a/rebuilddb.sh b/rebuilddb.sh
index 99be0268e..d32e5dab4 100755
--- a/rebuilddb.sh
+++ b/rebuilddb.sh
@@ -21,5 +21,5 @@ fi
 python manage.py makemigrations fedireads
 python manage.py migrate
 
-python manage.py shell < init_db.py
+python manage.py initdb
 python manage.py runserver
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index e041ec25d..12a7b6e3f 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ flower==0.9.4
 Pillow>=7.1.0
 psycopg2==2.8.4
 pycryptodome==3.9.4
+pytest-django==4.1.0
+pytest==6.1.2
+pytest-cov==2.10.1
 python-dateutil==2.8.1
 redis==3.4.1
 requests==2.22.0