diff --git a/src/database.ml b/src/database.ml
index b4121bcc..06395022 100644
--- a/src/database.ml
+++ b/src/database.ml
@@ -26,4 +26,24 @@ let test req server _ =
       let* () = Vif.Response.with_string req str in
       Vif.Response.respond `Internal_server_error
 
-let init = test
+let test_activate req server _ =
+  let pool = Vif.Server.device Devices.caqti server in
+  let secmod_signkey = Vif.Server.device Devices.secmod_signkey server in
+  let exchange_public_key = secmod_signkey.sm_key in
+  let fn = Pg.activate_signing_key exchange_public_key in
+  match Caqti_miou_unix.Pool.use fn pool with
+  | Ok () ->
+      let open Vif.Response.Syntax in
+      let* () =
+        Vif.Response.add ~field:"content-type" "text/plain; charset= utf-8"
+      in
+      let* () =
+        Vif.Response.with_string req (Fmt.str "activate_signing_key done~~@.")
+      in
+      Vif.Response.respond `OK
+  | Error err ->
+      (* TODO don't leak private data in error messages *)
+      let open Vif.Response.Syntax in
+      let str = Fmt.str "Database error: %a." Caqti_error.pp err in
+      let* () = Vif.Response.with_string req str in
+      Vif.Response.respond `Internal_server_error
diff --git a/src/mte.ml b/src/mte.ml
index b7e7e153..b7893b3b 100644
--- a/src/mte.ml
+++ b/src/mte.ml
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ let routes =
     get (rel / "privacy" /?? nil) --> Static.privacy;
     get (rel / "management" / "keys" /?? nil) --> Management.keys;
     get (rel / "db_test" /?? nil) --> Database.test;
-    get (rel / "db_init" /?? nil) --> Database.init;
+    get (rel / "db_activate" /?? nil) --> Database.test_activate;
   ]
 
 let () =
diff --git a/src/pg.ml b/src/pg.ml
index c38a0fd9..e852ee2b 100644
--- a/src/pg.ml
+++ b/src/pg.ml
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+type pool = (Caqti_miou.connection, Caqti_error.t) Caqti_miou_unix.Pool.t
 (* TODO be sure to not use postgres ptime
    add a dune stanza like for prelude:
    "(flags (:standard -open Prelude))" *)
+
 module Caqti_type = struct
   include Caqti_type
 
@@ -13,9 +15,11 @@ module Caqti_type = struct
 end
 
 open Crypto
-(*open Bin_type*)
 
-let amount_t : Amount.t Caqti_type.t =
+(*open Bin_type*)
+open Caqti_request.Infix
+
+let amount : Amount.t Caqti_type.t =
   let open Amount in
   Caqti_type.custom
     ~encode:(fun amount -> Ok (amount.value, amount.fraction))
@@ -23,37 +27,50 @@ let amount_t : Amount.t Caqti_type.t =
       Amount.make ~sign:None ~currency:Config.currency ~value ~fraction)
     Caqti_type.(t2 int64 int32)
 
-let eddsa_signature_t : EddsaSignature.t Caqti_type.t =
+let eddsa_public : EddsaPublicKey.t Caqti_type.t =
+  let open EddsaPublicKey in
+  Caqti_type.custom
+    ~encode:(fun v -> Ok (to_octets v))
+    ~decode:(fun v -> Ok (of_octets v))
+    Caqti_type.octets
+
+let eddsa_signature : EddsaSignature.t Caqti_type.t =
   let open EddsaSignature in
   Caqti_type.custom
-    ~encode:(fun master_sig -> Ok (to_octets master_sig))
+    ~encode:(fun v -> Ok (to_octets v))
     ~decode:(fun s -> Ok (of_octets s))
     Caqti_type.octets
 
 (* WIP: minimum db functions for basic /management *)
 
-let pg_todo () = assert false
-
-open Caqti_request.Infix
-
-(* signkey *)
-(* todo:
-     - what type to use for TALER_ExchangePublicKeyP + TALER_EXCHANGEDB_SignkeyMetaData
-       -> I think it could be something = to FutureSignKey.t
-     - master signature: over smthing? *)
-let activate_signing_key _cls (exchange_public_key : Signkey.t) =
-  (*let open Bin_type in*)
-  let _exchange_pub = EddsaPublicKey.(to_octets exchange_public_key.pub) in
-  let _master_sig =
-    exchange_public_key.master_sig |> Option.get
-    (*|> EddsaSignature.to_octets*)
+let preflight =
+  let l =
+    List.map
+      Caqti_type.(unit ->. unit)
+      [
+        "SET SESSION CHARACTERISTICS AS TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL \
+         SERIALIZABLE;"; "SET enable_sort=OFF;"; "SET enable_seqscan=OFF;";
+        "SET enable_mergejoin=OFF;"; "SET search_path TO exchange;";
+      ]
   in
-  let _insert_signkey =
-    Caqti_type.(t5 string ptime ptime ptime string ->! int)
+  fun (module Conn : Caqti_miou.CONNECTION) ->
+    Syntax.list_iter (fun p -> Conn.exec p ()) l
+
+let activate_signing_key =
+  let insert_signkey =
+    Caqti_type.(t5 eddsa_public ptime ptime ptime eddsa_signature ->. unit)
       "INSERT INTO exchange_sign_keys (exchange_pub, valid_from, expire_sign, \
        expire_legal, master_sig) VALUES ($1, $2, $3, $4, $5);"
   in
-  pg_todo ()
+  fun (exchange_public_key : Signkey.t) (module Conn : Caqti_miou.CONNECTION) ->
+    let exchange_pub = exchange_public_key.pub in
+    let valid_from = exchange_public_key.stamp_start in
+    let expire_sign = exchange_public_key.stamp_expire in
+    let expire_legal = exchange_public_key.stamp_end in
+    (*let master_sig = exchange_public_key.master_sig |> Option.get in*)
+    let master_sig = EddsaSignature.of_octets (String.make 64 'x') in
+    Conn.exec insert_signkey
+      (exchange_pub, valid_from, expire_sign, expire_legal, master_sig)
 
 (*
 
@@ -78,6 +95,7 @@ TEH_PG_activate_signing_key (
 
 (* ----- *)
 
+let pg_todo () = assert false
 let lookup_signing_key = pg_todo
 let iterate_active_signkeys = pg_todo
 let insert_signkey_revocation = pg_todo