diff --git a/ansible/deploy.yaml b/ansible/deploy.yaml
index 3008b6b2a907f848aa83793f097f1016f42d155d..7ae4e30b12ccb40d4c6fcd2fa25107a3a4c6e10b 100644
--- a/ansible/deploy.yaml
+++ b/ansible/deploy.yaml
@@ -75,6 +75,11 @@
       django_manage:
         command: "runmodwsgi --setup-only --port=80 --user ippidb --group wheel --server-root=/etc/ippidb-80"
         app_path: "/home/{{ deploy_user_name }}/iPPIDB/ippisite"
+    - name: create or update database
+      become_user: "{{ deploy_user_name }}"
+      django_manage:
+        command: "migrate"
+        app_path: "/home/{{ deploy_user_name }}/iPPIDB/ippisite"
     # FIXME: this should obviously be removed before switching to prod. env.
     - name: restrict access to the web server to specific IPs
       lineinfile: dest=/etc/ippidb-80/httpd.conf