diff --git a/bookwyrm/management/commands/initdb.py b/bookwyrm/management/commands/initdb.py
index 53d6e8d4..826a24e2 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/management/commands/initdb.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/management/commands/initdb.py
@@ -154,9 +154,30 @@ def init_link_domains(*_):
 class Command(BaseCommand):
     help = "Initializes the database with starter data"
 
+    def add_arguments(self, parser):
+        parser.add_argument(
+            "--limit",
+            default=None,
+            help="Limit init to specific table",
+        )
+
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
-        init_groups()
-        init_permissions()
-        init_connectors()
-        init_federated_servers()
-        init_settings()
+        limit = options.get("limit")
+        tables = [
+            "group", "permission", "connector", "federatedserver", "settings", "linkdomain"
+        ]
+        if limit not in tables:
+            raise Exception("Invalid table limit:", limit)
+
+        if not limit or limit == "group":
+            init_groups()
+        if not limit or limit == "permission":
+            init_permissions()
+        if not limit or limit == "connector":
+            init_connectors()
+        if not limit or limit == "federatedserver":
+            init_federated_servers()
+        if not limit or limit == "settings":
+            init_settings()
+        if not limit or limit == "linkdomain":
+            init_link_domains()
diff --git a/bookwyrm/management/commands/populate_lists_streams.py b/bookwyrm/management/commands/populate_lists_streams.py
index e3c30bab..0a057401 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/management/commands/populate_lists_streams.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/management/commands/populate_lists_streams.py
@@ -22,13 +22,6 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
 
     help = "Populate list streams for all users"
 
-    def add_arguments(self, parser):
-        parser.add_argument(
-            "--stream",
-            default=None,
-            help="Specifies which time of stream to populate",
-        )
-
     # pylint: disable=no-self-use,unused-argument
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
         """run feed builder"""
diff --git a/bookwyrm/migrations/0126_filelink_link_linkdomain.py b/bookwyrm/migrations/0126_filelink_link_linkdomain.py
index 1870030c..98d71cc2 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/migrations/0126_filelink_link_linkdomain.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/migrations/0126_filelink_link_linkdomain.py
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ import bookwyrm.models.fields
 from django.db import migrations, models
 import django.db.models.deletion
 
-from bookwyrm.management.commands.initdb import init_link_domains
-
 
 class Migration(migrations.Migration):
 
@@ -125,5 +123,4 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
             },
             bases=("bookwyrm.link",),
         ),
-        migrations.RunPython(init_link_domains, reverse_code=migrations.RunPython.noop),
     ]
diff --git a/bw-dev b/bw-dev
index 6bf5a125..c72a96ca 100755
--- a/bw-dev
+++ b/bw-dev
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ function execweb {
 
 function initdb {
     execweb python manage.py migrate
-    execweb python manage.py initdb
+    execweb python manage.py initdb "$@"
 }
 
 function makeitblack {
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ case "$CMD" in
         docker-compose run --rm --service-ports web
         ;;
     initdb)
-        initdb
+        initdb "$@"
         ;;
     resetdb)
         clean