diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d12372eb..96720de9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ sudo ln -s /standardebooks.org/web/config/php/fpm/standardebooks.test.ini /etc/p
 sudo ln -s /standardebooks.org/web/config/php/fpm/standardebooks.test.ini /etc/php/*/fpm/conf.d/
 sudo ln -s /standardebooks.org/web/config/php/fpm/standardebooks.test.conf /etc/php/*/fpm/pool.d/
 sudo systemctl restart "php*-fpm.service"
+
+# Create and populate the SE database.
+mariadb < /standardebooks.org/web/config/sql/se.sql
+mariadb < /standardebooks.org/web/config/sql/users.sql
+mariadb se < /standardebooks.org/web/config/sql/se/*.sql
 ```
 
 If everything went well you should now be able to open your web browser and visit `https://standardebooks.test`. However, you won’t see any ebooks if you visit `https://standardebooks.test/ebooks`. To install some ebooks, first you have to clone their source from GitHub, then deploy them to your local website using the `./scripts/deploy-ebook-to-www` script:
diff --git a/config/sql/se.sql b/config/sql/se.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9313a6da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/sql/se.sql
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS `se` DEFAULT CHARACTER SET = 'utf8mb4' DEFAULT COLLATE 'utf8mb4_general_ci'
diff --git a/config/sql/se/ArtistAlternateNames.sql b/config/sql/se/ArtistAlternateNames.sql
index 1b6f6bec..b003177f 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/ArtistAlternateNames.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/ArtistAlternateNames.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `ArtistAlternateNames` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `ArtistAlternateNames` (
   `ArtistId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
   `Name` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
   `UrlName` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
diff --git a/config/sql/se/Artists.sql b/config/sql/se/Artists.sql
index d6f34a25..13a7300e 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/Artists.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/Artists.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `Artists` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Artists` (
   `ArtistId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
   `Name` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
   `UrlName` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
diff --git a/config/sql/se/ArtworkTags.sql b/config/sql/se/ArtworkTags.sql
index 263bcfc1..3a5ed9c0 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/ArtworkTags.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/ArtworkTags.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `ArtworkTags` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `ArtworkTags` (
   `ArtworkId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
   `TagId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
   UNIQUE KEY `idxUnique` (`ArtworkId`,`TagId`)
diff --git a/config/sql/se/Artworks.sql b/config/sql/se/Artworks.sql
index 4262bfb8..8935af82 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/Artworks.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/Artworks.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `Artworks` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Artworks` (
   `ArtworkId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
   `ArtistId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
   `Name` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ CREATE TABLE `Artworks` (
   `EbookUrl` varchar(255) NULL,
   `MimeType` enum('image/jpeg', 'image/png', 'image/bmp', 'image/tiff') NOT NULL,
   `Exception` TEXT NULL DEFAULT NULL,
-  `Notes` TEXT NULL DEFAULT NULL
+  `Notes` TEXT NULL DEFAULT NULL,
   PRIMARY KEY (`ArtworkId`),
   KEY `index1` (`Status`),
   KEY `index2` (`UrlName`),
diff --git a/config/sql/se/Benefits.sql b/config/sql/se/Benefits.sql
index 1299e466..b0910bad 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/Benefits.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/Benefits.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `Benefits` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Benefits` (
   `UserId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
   `CanAccessFeeds` tinyint(1) unsigned NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
   `CanVote` tinyint(1) unsigned NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
diff --git a/config/sql/se/FeedUserAgents.sql b/config/sql/se/FeedUserAgents.sql
index 227b56fe..e2f817d0 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/FeedUserAgents.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/FeedUserAgents.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `FeedUserAgents` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `FeedUserAgents` (
   `UserAgentId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
   `UserAgent` text NOT NULL,
   `Created` datetime NOT NULL,
diff --git a/config/sql/se/Museums.sql b/config/sql/se/Museums.sql
index 2d71cdf3..fa35378d 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/Museums.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/Museums.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `Museums` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Museums` (
   `MuseumId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
   `Name` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
   `Domain` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
diff --git a/config/sql/se/NewsletterSubscriptions.sql b/config/sql/se/NewsletterSubscriptions.sql
index f7889f0b..22c3fd1b 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/NewsletterSubscriptions.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/NewsletterSubscriptions.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `NewsletterSubscriptions` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `NewsletterSubscriptions` (
   `UserId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
   `IsConfirmed` tinyint(1) unsigned NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
   `IsSubscribedToNewsletter` tinyint(1) unsigned NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,
diff --git a/config/sql/se/Patrons.sql b/config/sql/se/Patrons.sql
index 74f8a79f..a3143564 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/Patrons.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/Patrons.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `Patrons` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Patrons` (
   `UserId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
   `IsAnonymous` tinyint(1) unsigned NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
   `AlternateName` varchar(80) DEFAULT NULL,
diff --git a/config/sql/se/Payments.sql b/config/sql/se/Payments.sql
index 89a03c78..1434b3a5 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/Payments.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/Payments.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `Payments` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Payments` (
   `PaymentId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
   `UserId` int(10) unsigned DEFAULT NULL,
   `Created` datetime NOT NULL,
diff --git a/config/sql/se/PendingPayments.sql b/config/sql/se/PendingPayments.sql
index 0ebe5cf9..49ca538a 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/PendingPayments.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/PendingPayments.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `PendingPayments` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `PendingPayments` (
   `Created` datetime NOT NULL,
   `Processor` enum('fractured_atlas') NOT NULL,
   `TransactionId` varchar(80) NOT NULL,
diff --git a/config/sql/se/PollItems.sql b/config/sql/se/PollItems.sql
index ea46b8a7..041a3a72 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/PollItems.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/PollItems.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `PollItems` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `PollItems` (
   `PollItemId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
   `PollId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
   `Name` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
diff --git a/config/sql/se/PollVotes.sql b/config/sql/se/PollVotes.sql
index d57736db..75be2279 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/PollVotes.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/PollVotes.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `PollVotes` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `PollVotes` (
   `UserId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
   `PollItemId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
   `Created` datetime NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
diff --git a/config/sql/se/Polls.sql b/config/sql/se/Polls.sql
index 88ba4f4d..6e79a425 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/Polls.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/Polls.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `Polls` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Polls` (
   `PollId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
   `Created` datetime NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   `Name` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
diff --git a/config/sql/se/Sessions.sql b/config/sql/se/Sessions.sql
index a1901349..a50e6b58 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/Sessions.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/Sessions.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `Sessions` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Sessions` (
   `UserId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
   `Created` datetime NOT NULL,
   `SessionId` char(36) NOT NULL,
diff --git a/config/sql/se/Tags.sql b/config/sql/se/Tags.sql
index 4e232c34..863c7f1e 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/Tags.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/Tags.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `Tags` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Tags` (
   `TagId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
   `Name` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
   PRIMARY KEY (`TagId`),
diff --git a/config/sql/se/Users.sql b/config/sql/se/Users.sql
index a9fa4219..8d809eb4 100644
--- a/config/sql/se/Users.sql
+++ b/config/sql/se/Users.sql
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CREATE TABLE `Users` (
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Users` (
   `UserId` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
   `Email` varchar(80) DEFAULT NULL,
   `Name` varchar(255) DEFAULT NULL,
diff --git a/config/sql/users.sql b/config/sql/users.sql
index ba8df981..53941457 100644
--- a/config/sql/users.sql
+++ b/config/sql/users.sql
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-create user 'se'@'localhost' identified via unix_socket;
-create user 'www-data'@'localhost' identified via unix_socket;
-create user 'se-vcs-bot'@'localhost' identified via unix_socket;
+create user if not exists 'se'@'localhost' identified via unix_socket;
+create user if not exists 'www-data'@'localhost' identified via unix_socket;
+create user if not exists 'se-vcs-bot'@'localhost' identified via unix_socket;
 
 grant select, insert, update, delete, execute, lock tables on se.* to 'se'@'localhost' identified via unix_socket;
 grant select, insert, update, delete, execute on se.* to 'www-data'@'localhost' identified via unix_socket;