diff --git a/dbinit_sql/init.sql b/dbinit_sql/init.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..82358ee0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dbinit_sql/init.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+
+BEGIN;
+SELECT _v.register_patch('exchange-0004', NULL, NULL);
+SET search_path TO exchange;
+BEGIN;
+SELECT _v.register_patch('exchange-0004', NULL, NULL);
+SET search_path TO exchange;
+BEGIN;
+SELECT _v.register_patch('exchange-0004', NULL, NULL);
+SET search_path TO exchange;
+BEGIN;
+SELECT _v.register_patch('exchange-0004', NULL, NULL);
+SET search_path TO exchange;
+BEGIN;
+SELECT _v.register_patch('exchange-0004', NULL, NULL);
+SET search_path TO exchange;
+BEGIN;
+SELECT _v.register_patch('exchange-0004', NULL, NULL);
+SET search_path TO exchange;
+BEGIN;
+SELECT _v.register_patch('exchange-0004', NULL, NULL);
+SET search_path TO exchange;
+BEGIN;
+SELECT _v.register_patch('exchange-0004', NULL, NULL);
+SET search_path TO exchange;
+BEGIN;
+SELECT _v.register_patch('exchange-0004', NULL, NULL);
+SET search_path TO exchange;
+BEGIN;
+SELECT _v.register_patch('exchange-0004', NULL, NULL);
+SET search_path TO exchange;
+BEGIN;
+SELECT _v.register_patch('exchange-0004', NULL, NULL);
+SET search_path TO exchange;
+BEGIN;
+SELECT _v.register_patch('exchange-0004', NULL, NULL);
+SET search_path TO exchange;
+BEGIN;
+SELECT _v.register_patch('exchange-0004', NULL, NULL);
+SET search_path TO exchange;
diff --git a/tools/dbinit.sh b/tools/dbinit.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..e4071fb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/dbinit.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# TODO
+#   - PostgreSQL configuration file/env variable
+#     (host, port, username, password, ..)
+
+# usage:
+#   `make create_database`
+#      create a `taler-exchange` database
+#   `make fetch_source`
+#      fetch all *.sql and *.sql.in files from GNU Taler exchange repository (latest commit)
+#      file `exchangedb.version` contains hash of latest commit that changed
+#      something in exchange/src/exchangedb
+#   `make init`
+#      initialize taler-exchange database (create tables, ...)
+#      `taler-exchange` database must already be created
+#
+
+
+set -e
+
+taler_repo_url="https://git-www.taler.net/exchange.git/"
+
+tmp_dir="/tmp/taler_exchange"
+out_dir="./dbinit_sql"
+out_init_sql="${out_dir}/init.sql"
+out_init_drop="${out_dir}/drop.sql"
+
+dbname="taler-exchange"
+
+fetch() {
+	git clone --depth 1 $taler_repo_url $tmp_dir
+	#cp /tmp/exchange/src/exchangedb/*.sql $out_dir/
+	#cp /tmp/exchange/src/exchangedb/*.sql.in $out_dir/
+}
+
+process() {
+   source_dir="${tmp_dir}/src/exchangedb"
+   sql_in_files=(
+     "procedures.sql"
+     "exchange-0002.sql"
+     "exchange-0003.sql"
+     "exchange-0004.sql"
+   )
+   for file in "${sql_in_files[@]}"; do
+     file_in="${source_dir}/${file}.in"
+     file_out="${source_dir}/${file}"
+     gcc -E -P -undef - < "$file_in" \
+       2>/dev/null \
+       | sed -e "s/--.*//" \
+       | awk 'NF' - \
+       > "$file_out"
+   done
+   # order is important
+   files=(
+     "versioning.sql"
+     "exchange-0001.sql"
+     # "0001-*.sql"
+     "exchange-0002.sql"
+     "0002-*.sql"
+     "exchange-0003.sql"
+     "0003-*.sql"
+     "exchange-0004.sql"
+     "0004-*.sql"
+     "exchange-0005.sql"
+     # "0005-*.sql"
+     "procedures.sql"
+     "exchange_do_*.sql"
+     "exchange_statistics_*.sql"
+     "exchange_trigger_*.sql"
+   )
+   mkdir -p "$out_dir"
+   echo "" > $out_init_sql
+   for patern in ${files[@]}; do
+      # '*'-expension
+      cat ${source_dir}/$file >> "$out_init_sql"
+   done
+}
+
+if [[ $# -eq 0 ]]; then
+    echo "no arguments" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+cmd=$1
+case "$cmd" in
+    fetch)    fetch "$@"; exit 0;;
+    process)  process "$@"; exit 0;;
+    *)        echo "Unknown command: $cmd" >&2; exit 1;;
+esac
+
+#clean:
+#	rm -f procedures.sql
+#	rm -f exchange-0002.sql
+#	rm -f exchange-0003.sql
+#	rm -f exchange-0004.sql
+#	rm $(sql_INIT)
+#
+## "NOTICE:  function xxx() does not exist, skipping" are normal and expected
+#init: gen_init
+#	psql --host=localhost --port=5432 --username=mte --password --dbname=$(dbname) --file=$(sql_INIT)
+#
+#drop:
+#	psql --host=localhost --port=5432 --username=mte --password --dbname=$(dbname) --file=$(sql_DROP)
+#
+#create_database:
+#	createdb --host=localhost --port=5432 --username=mte --password $(dbname)
+#
+#drop_database:
+#	dropdb --host=localhost --port=5432 --username=mte --password $(dbname)
+#
+#reset_database: drop_database create_database
+#