diff --git a/server/src/bin/server.rs b/server/src/bin/server.rs
index 3e31bd1..80f1cbf 100644
--- a/server/src/bin/server.rs
+++ b/server/src/bin/server.rs
@@ -168,6 +168,13 @@ fn graphiql() -> content::RawHtml<String> {
 
 #[rocket::post("/create-news-db")]
 fn create_news_db(config: &State<Config>) -> Result<String, Debug<ServerError>> {
+    create_news_db_impl(config)?;
+    Ok(format!(
+        "DB created in {}\n",
+        config.newsreader_tantivy_db_path
+    ))
+}
+fn create_news_db_impl(config: &Config) -> Result<(), ServerError> {
     std::fs::remove_dir_all(&config.newsreader_tantivy_db_path).map_err(ServerError::from)?;
     std::fs::create_dir_all(&config.newsreader_tantivy_db_path).map_err(ServerError::from)?;
     use tantivy::schema::*;
@@ -183,10 +190,7 @@ fn create_news_db(config: &State<Config>) -> Result<String, Debug<ServerError>>
 
     let schema = schema_builder.build();
     Index::create_in_dir(&config.newsreader_tantivy_db_path, schema).map_err(ServerError::from)?;
-    Ok(format!(
-        "DB created in {}\n",
-        config.newsreader_tantivy_db_path
-    ))
+    Ok(())
 }
 
 #[rocket::post("/reindex-news-db")]
@@ -348,7 +352,13 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
         std::fs::create_dir_all(&config.slurp_cache_path)?;
     }
     let pool = PgPool::connect(&config.newsreader_database_url).await?;
-    let tantivy_newsreader_index = Index::open_in_dir(&config.newsreader_tantivy_db_path)?;
+    let tantivy_newsreader_index = match Index::open_in_dir(&config.newsreader_tantivy_db_path) {
+        Ok(idx) => idx,
+        Err(_) => {
+            create_news_db_impl(&config)?;
+            Index::open_in_dir(&config.newsreader_tantivy_db_path)?
+        }
+    };
     let tantivy_newsreader_reader = tantivy_newsreader_index.reader()?;
     let schema = Schema::build(QueryRoot, Mutation, EmptySubscription)
         .data(Notmuch::default())