diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 110802d6ac9..84c831b066b 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ RUN mkdir /var/cache/nginx
 ADD ./contrib/docker/main.cf /etc/postfix/main.cf
 
 # Configure runit
+ADD ./contrib/docker/my_init.d /etc/my_init.d
 ADD ./contrib/docker/svc /etc/service
 CMD ["/sbin/my_init"]
 
diff --git a/contrib/docker/my_init.d/50_configure b/contrib/docker/my_init.d/50_configure
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..d8479bed1ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/docker/my_init.d/50_configure
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# URL for the primary database, in the format expected by sqlalchemy (required
+# unless linked to a container called 'db')
+: ${DATABASE_URL:=}
+# URL for solr (required unless linked to a container called 'solr')
+: ${SOLR_URL:=}
+# Email to which errors should be sent (optional, default: none)
+: ${ERROR_EMAIL:=}
+
+set -eu
+
+CONFIG="${CKAN_CONFIG}/ckan.ini"
+
+abort () {
+  echo "$@" >&2
+  exit 1
+}
+
+write_config () {
+  "$CKAN_HOME"/bin/paster make-config ckan "$CONFIG"
+
+  sed -i \
+      -e "s&^sqlalchemy\.url =.*&sqlalchemy.url = ${DATABASE_URL}&" \
+      -e "s&^#solr_url.*&solr_url = ${SOLR_URL}&" \
+      -e "s&^#ckan.storage_path.*&ckan.storage_path = /var/lib/ckan&" \
+      -e "s&^email_to.*&#email_to = disabled@example.com&" \
+      -e "s&^error_email_from.*&error_email_from = ckan@$(hostname -f)&" \
+      "${CONFIG}"
+
+  if [ -n "$ERROR_EMAIL" ]; then
+    sed -i -e "s&^#email_to.*&email_to = ${ERROR_EMAIL}&" "$CONFIG"
+  fi
+}
+
+link_postgres_url () {
+  local user=$DB_ENV_POSTGRESQL_USER
+  local pass=$DB_ENV_POSTGRESQL_USER
+  local db=$DB_ENV_POSTGRESQL_DB
+  local host=$DB_PORT_5432_TCP_ADDR
+  local port=$DB_PORT_5432_TCP_PORT
+  echo "postgresql://${user}:${pass}@${host}:${port}/${db}"
+}
+
+link_solr_url () {
+  local host=$SOLR_PORT_8983_TCP_ADDR
+  local port=$SOLR_PORT_8983_TCP_PORT
+  echo "http://${host}:${port}/solr/ckan"
+}
+
+# If we don't already have a config file, bootstrap
+if [ ! -e "$CONFIG" ]; then
+  if [ -z "$DATABASE_URL" ]; then
+    if ! DATABASE_URL=$(link_postgres_url); then
+      abort "no DATABASE_URL specified and linked container called 'db' was not found"
+    fi
+  fi
+  if [ -z "$SOLR_URL" ]; then
+    if ! SOLR_URL=$(link_solr_url); then
+      abort "no SOLR_URL specified and linked container called 'solr' was not found"
+    fi
+  fi
+  write_config
+fi
diff --git a/contrib/docker/my_init.d/70_initdb b/contrib/docker/my_init.d/70_initdb
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..54981b612de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/docker/my_init.d/70_initdb
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -eu
+
+"$CKAN_HOME"/bin/paster --plugin=ckan db init -c "${CKAN_CONFIG}/ckan.ini"
diff --git a/contrib/docker/svc/ckan/run b/contrib/docker/svc/ckan/run
index 612ee193387..c8b0f2fe5ed 100755
--- a/contrib/docker/svc/ckan/run
+++ b/contrib/docker/svc/ckan/run
@@ -1,71 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 exec 2>&1
 
-# URL for the primary database, in the format expected by sqlalchemy (required
-# unless linked to a container called 'db')
-: ${DATABASE_URL:=}
-# URL for solr (required unless linked to a container called 'solr')
-: ${SOLR_URL:=}
-# Email to which errors should be sent (optional, default: none)
-: ${ERROR_EMAIL:=}
+set -e
 
-set -eu
-
-CONFIG="${CKAN_CONFIG}/ckan.ini"
-
-abort () {
-  echo "$@" >&2
-  exit 1
-}
-
-bootstrap () {
-  "$CKAN_HOME"/bin/paster make-config ckan "$CONFIG"
-
-  sed -i \
-      -e "s&^sqlalchemy\.url =.*&sqlalchemy.url = ${DATABASE_URL}&" \
-      -e "s&^#solr_url.*&solr_url = ${SOLR_URL}&" \
-      -e "s&^#ckan.storage_path.*&ckan.storage_path = /var/lib/ckan&" \
-      -e "s&^email_to.*&#email_to = disabled@example.com&" \
-      -e "s&^error_email_from.*&error_email_from = ckan@$(hostname -f)&" \
-      "${CONFIG}"
-
-  if [ -n "$ERROR_EMAIL" ]; then
-    sed -i -e "s&^#email_to.*&email_to = ${ERROR_EMAIL}&" "$CONFIG"
-  fi
-
-  cd "$CKAN_HOME"/src/ckan && "$CKAN_HOME"/bin/paster db init -c "$CONFIG"
-}
-
-link_postgres_url () {
-  local user=$DB_ENV_POSTGRESQL_USER
-  local pass=$DB_ENV_POSTGRESQL_USER
-  local db=$DB_ENV_POSTGRESQL_DB
-  local host=$DB_PORT_5432_TCP_ADDR
-  local port=$DB_PORT_5432_TCP_PORT
-  echo "postgresql://${user}:${pass}@${host}:${port}/${db}"
-}
-
-link_solr_url () {
-  local host=$SOLR_PORT_8983_TCP_ADDR
-  local port=$SOLR_PORT_8983_TCP_PORT
-  echo "http://${host}:${port}/solr/ckan"
-}
-
-# If we don't already have a config file, bootstrap
-if [ ! -e "$CONFIG" ]; then
-  if [ -z "$DATABASE_URL" ]; then
-    if ! DATABASE_URL=$(link_postgres_url); then
-      abort "no DATABASE_URL specified and linked container called 'db' was not found"
-    fi
-  fi
-  if [ -z "$SOLR_URL" ]; then
-    if ! SOLR_URL=$(link_solr_url); then
-      abort "no SOLR_URL specified and linked container called 'solr' was not found"
-    fi
-  fi
-  bootstrap
-fi
-
-set +u
 . /etc/apache2/envvars
 exec /usr/sbin/apache2 -D FOREGROUND