diff --git a/init_db.py b/init_db.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c112b5a78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/init_db.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+from fedireads.models import User
+from fedireads.openlibrary import get_or_create_book
+
+User.objects.create_user('mouse', 'mouse.reeve@gmail.com', 'password123')
+User.objects.create_user('rat', 'rat@rat.com', 'ratword')
+
+User.objects.get(id=1).followers.add(User.objects.get(id=2))
+
+get_or_create_book('OL1715344W')
+get_or_create_book('OL102749W')
diff --git a/rebuilddb.sh b/rebuilddb.sh
index 127b5ed7d..09d024aa3 100755
--- a/rebuilddb.sh
+++ b/rebuilddb.sh
@@ -21,12 +21,5 @@ fi
 python manage.py makemigrations fedireads
 python manage.py migrate
 
-echo "from fedireads.models import User
-User.objects.create_user('mouse', 'mouse.reeve@gmail.com', 'password123')" | python manage.py shell
-echo "from fedireads.models import User
-User.objects.create_user('rat', 'rat@rat.com', 'ratword')
-User.objects.get(id=1).followers.add(User.objects.get(id=2))" | python manage.py shell
-echo "from fedireads.openlibrary import get_or_create_book
-get_or_create_book('OL1715344W')
-get_or_create_book('OL102749W')" | python manage.py shell
+python manage.py shell < init_db.py
 python manage.py runserver