diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 5f66adc..eb9c21b 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -3,4 +3,5 @@ HOST=localhost
 
 DB_URL=jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/homepage
 DB_USERNAME=postgres
-DB_PASSWORD=postgres
\ No newline at end of file
+DB_PASSWORD=postgres
+DB_MIGRATE=true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/at/dokkae/homepage/Homepage.kt b/src/main/kotlin/at/dokkae/homepage/Homepage.kt
index cad4d81..3f910d9 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/at/dokkae/homepage/Homepage.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/at/dokkae/homepage/Homepage.kt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import at.dokkae.homepage.repository.MessageRepository
 import at.dokkae.homepage.repository.impls.JooqMessageRepository
 import at.dokkae.homepage.templates.Index
 import io.github.cdimascio.dotenv.dotenv
+import org.flywaydb.core.Flyway
 import org.http4k.core.HttpHandler
 import org.http4k.core.Method.*
 import org.http4k.core.Response
@@ -33,6 +34,17 @@ import java.util.UUID
 import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList
 import kotlin.concurrent.thread
 
+fun migrateDatabase(env: Environment) {
+    val flyway = Flyway.configure()
+        .dataSource(env.dbUrl, env.dbUsername, env.dbPassword)
+        .locations("classpath:db/migration")
+        .baselineOnMigrate(true) // optional: creates baseline if no schema history exists
+        .load()
+
+    val result = flyway.migrate()
+    println("Migrated ${result.migrationsExecuted} migration${if (result.migrationsExecuted != 1) "s" else ""}")
+}
+
 data class Message(
     val author: String,
     val content: String,
@@ -56,6 +68,10 @@ fun main() {
         ignoreIfMalformed = true
     })
 
+    if (env.dbMigrate) {
+        migrateDatabase(env)
+    }
+
     val connection = DriverManager.getConnection(env.dbUrl, env.dbUsername, env.dbPassword)
     val dslContext = DSL.using(connection, SQLDialect.POSTGRES)
     val messageRepository: MessageRepository = JooqMessageRepository(dslContext)
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/at/dokkae/homepage/config/Environment.kt b/src/main/kotlin/at/dokkae/homepage/config/Environment.kt
index 83b3248..6321095 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/at/dokkae/homepage/config/Environment.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/at/dokkae/homepage/config/Environment.kt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ data class Environment(
     val dbUrl: String,
     val dbUsername: String,
     val dbPassword: String,
+    val dbMigrate: Boolean,
 ) {
     companion object {
         /**
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ data class Environment(
             dbUrl = requireEnv(dotenv, "DB_URL"),
             dbUsername = requireEnv(dotenv, "DB_USERNAME"),
             dbPassword = requireEnv(dotenv, "DB_PASSWORD"),
+            dbMigrate = dotenv["DB_MIGRATE"]?.toBoolean() ?: false
         )
 
         private fun requireEnv(dotenv: Dotenv, key: String): String {