diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 50d87db..ae5be1c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -58,8 +58,13 @@ $(BUILDDIR)/buildbot_installed: Makefile | $(BUILDDIR)
 	touch $(BUILDDIR)/buildbot_installed
 
 # Create startup file once buildbot is installed and up-to-date
+# Database setting is loaded from master/config.py
+# create-master with initialize the database if it doesn't exist yet
+# upgrade-master will upgrade it if it needs to be
 master/buildbot.tac: $(BUILDDIR)/buildbot_installed
-	buildbot create-master -rf master
+	DBLINE=$$(cd master && python3 -c 'import config; config.init("."); print(config.db["db_url"])') && \
+		buildbot create-master -rf --db=$${DBLINE} master
+	buildbot upgrade-master master
 	rm master/master.cfg.sample
 	touch master/buildbot.tac
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index aa505d4..d0b773f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ To setup the whole thing:
  - `. buildbot-master/bin/activate`
  - `git clone repo`
  - `cd dockerized-bb`
+ - `cp master/config.py.example master/config.py` and edit config.py to fit your needs
  - `make master`
  - `make workers`
  - `cp contrib/buildbot.service /etc/systemd/system/buildbot.service` and adapt paths and user
diff --git a/master/config.py.example b/master/config.py.example
index 7617eb1..985f0c9 100644
--- a/master/config.py.example
+++ b/master/config.py.example
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ def init(base_dir):
     buildbot_base_dir = os.path.expanduser(base_dir)
     buildbot_data_dir = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(buildbot_base_dir, "..", "buildbot-data"))
 
+db = {
+    "db_url": "sqlite:///state.sqlite"
+}
+
 docker_socket = 'unix:///var/run/docker.sock'
 docker_workers_net = 'workers-net'
 
diff --git a/master/master.cfg b/master/master.cfg
index 9568246..72a2333 100644
--- a/master/master.cfg
+++ b/master/master.cfg
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ import workers, builds, platforms, ui
 
 c = BuildmasterConfig = {}
 
+####### STORAGE
+
+c["db"] = config.db
+
 ####### WORKERS
 
 ## The workers buildbots.