diff --git a/deploy/dev/docker-compose.yml b/deploy/dev/docker-compose.yml
index dff5ab3..3dc6fd2 100644
--- a/deploy/dev/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/deploy/dev/docker-compose.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ services:
     build:
       context: ../../core
       dockerfile: ../deploy/dev/Dockerfile.backend
-    command: bash -c 'python manage.py migrate && python manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000'
+    command: bash -c 'python manage.py migrate && python testdata.py && python manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000'
     environment:
       - HTTP_HOST=core
       - DB_HOST=db
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ services:
       - DB_PASSWORD=system3
     volumes:
       - ../../core:/code
+      - ../testdata.py:/code/testdata.py
     ports:
       - "8000:8000"
     depends_on:
diff --git a/deploy/testdata.py b/deploy/testdata.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dca385f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy/testdata.py
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+import os
+
+
+def setup():
+    from authentication.models import ExtendedUser, EventPermission
+    from inventory.models import Event
+    from django.contrib.auth.models import Permission, Group
+    permissions = ['add_item', 'view_item', 'view_file', 'delete_item', 'change_item']
+    if not ExtendedUser.objects.filter(username='admin').exists():
+        admin = ExtendedUser.objects.create_superuser('admin', 'admin@example.com', 'admin')
+        admin.set_password('admin')
+        admin.user_permissions.add(*Permission.objects.all())
+        admin.save()
+
+    if not ExtendedUser.objects.filter(username='testuser').exists():
+        testuser = ExtendedUser.objects.create_user('testuser', 'testuser@example.com', 'testuser')
+        testuser.set_password('testuser')
+        testuser.user_permissions.add(*Permission.objects.all())
+        testuser.save()
+
+    team = Group.objects.get(name='Team')
+    team.permissions.add(
+        *Permission.objects.all()
+    )
+
+    if not ExtendedUser.objects.filter(username='testuser2').exists():
+        testuser2 = ExtendedUser.objects.create_user('testuser2', 'testuser2@example.com', 'testuser2')
+        testuser2.set_password('testuser2')
+        testuser2.groups.add(team)
+        testuser2.save()
+
+    event1 = Event.objects.get_or_create(id=1, name='first test event', slug='TEST1',
+                                         start='2023-12-18 00:00:00.000000', end='2023-12-27 00:00:00.000000',
+                                         pre_start='2023-12-31 00:00:00.000000', post_end='2024-01-04 00:00:00.000000')[
+        0]
+
+    event2 = Event.objects.get_or_create(id=2, name='second test event', slug='TEST2',
+                                         start='2024-12-18 00:00:00.000000', end='2024-12-27 00:00:00.000000',
+                                         pre_start='2024-12-31 00:00:00.000000', post_end='2025-01-04 00:00:00.000000')[
+        0]
+
+    #    for permission in permissions:
+    #        EventPermission.objects.create(event=event_37c3, user=foo,
+    #                                       permission=Permission.objects.get(codename=permission))
+
+    from tickets.models import IssueThread
+
+    from mail.models import Email
+
+    issue_thread = IssueThread.objects.get_or_create(
+        id=1,
+        name="test",
+        event=Event.objects.get(slug='TEST1')
+    )[0]
+    mail1 = Email.objects.get_or_create(
+        id=1,
+        subject='test subject',
+        body='test',
+        sender='test1@test',
+        recipient='test2@test',
+        issue_thread=issue_thread,
+    )[0]
+    mail1_reply = Email.objects.get_or_create(
+        id=2,
+        subject='Message received',
+        body='Thank you for your message.',
+        sender='test2@test',
+        recipient='test1@test',
+        in_reply_to=mail1.reference,
+        issue_thread=issue_thread,
+    )[0]
+
+
+def main():
+    os.environ.setdefault("DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "core.settings")
+    import django
+
+    django.setup()
+
+    from django.core.management import call_command
+    call_command('migrate')
+
+    setup()
+    print('testdata initialised')
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()
diff --git a/deploy/testing/docker-compose.yml b/deploy/testing/docker-compose.yml
index e93e901..7248f1c 100644
--- a/deploy/testing/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/deploy/testing/docker-compose.yml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ services:
     build:
       context: ../../core
       dockerfile: ../deploy/testing/Dockerfile.backend
-    command: bash -c 'python manage.py migrate && python /code/server.py'
+    command: bash -c 'python manage.py migrate &&  python testdata.py && python /code/server.py'
     environment:
       - HTTP_HOST=core
       - REDIS_HOST=redis
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ services:
       - DB_PASSWORD=system3
     volumes:
       - ../../core:/code
+      - ../testdata.py:/code/testdata.py
     ports:
       - "8000:8000"
     depends_on: