diff --git a/src/FilterLists.Api/Program.cs b/src/FilterLists.Api/Program.cs
index 660543ed1..b6dcd390c 100644
--- a/src/FilterLists.Api/Program.cs
+++ b/src/FilterLists.Api/Program.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
-using Microsoft.AspNetCore;
+using FilterLists.Data;
+using FilterLists.Data.Contexts;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
 
 namespace FilterLists.Api
 {
@@ -7,7 +10,12 @@ public class Program
     {
         public static void Main(string[] args)
         {
-            BuildWebHost(args).Run();
+            var host = BuildWebHost(args);
+            //using (var scope = host.Services.CreateScope())
+            //{
+            //    DbInitializer.Initialize(scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<FilterListsDbContext>());
+            //}
+            host.Run();
         }
 
         public static IWebHost BuildWebHost(string[] args)
diff --git a/src/FilterLists.Data/DbInitializer.cs b/src/FilterLists.Data/DbInitializer.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..70e5b9276
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/FilterLists.Data/DbInitializer.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+using FilterLists.Data.Contexts;
+using FilterLists.Data.Models;
+using FilterLists.Data.Repositories.Implementations;
+
+namespace FilterLists.Data
+{
+    public static class DbInitializer
+    {
+        public static void Initialize(FilterListsDbContext filterListsDbContext)
+        {
+            filterListsDbContext.Database.EnsureCreated();
+            InitializeList(filterListsDbContext);
+        }
+
+        private static void InitializeList(FilterListsDbContext filterListsDbContext)
+        {
+            var listRepository = new ListRepository(filterListsDbContext);
+            if (listRepository.Any())
+            {
+                listRepository.DeleteAll();
+            }
+            var lists = new List[]
+            {
+                //TODO: populate from csv or json
+            };
+            foreach (var list in lists)
+            {
+                listRepository.Create(list);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/FilterLists.Data/Repositories/Contracts/IListRepository.cs b/src/FilterLists.Data/Repositories/Contracts/IListRepository.cs
index fa95ca5e1..84a4652fd 100644
--- a/src/FilterLists.Data/Repositories/Contracts/IListRepository.cs
+++ b/src/FilterLists.Data/Repositories/Contracts/IListRepository.cs
@@ -7,5 +7,8 @@ public interface IListRepository
     {
         IEnumerable<List> GetAll();
         List GetByName(string listName);
+        void Create(List list);
+        void DeleteAll();
+        bool Any();
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/FilterLists.Data/Repositories/Implementations/ListRepository.cs b/src/FilterLists.Data/Repositories/Implementations/ListRepository.cs
index 01ed1a7dd..5b6c04761 100644
--- a/src/FilterLists.Data/Repositories/Implementations/ListRepository.cs
+++ b/src/FilterLists.Data/Repositories/Implementations/ListRepository.cs
@@ -24,5 +24,20 @@ public List GetByName(string listName)
         {
             return _filterListsDbContext.List.First(x => x.Name == listName);
         }
+
+        public void Create(List list)
+        {
+            _filterListsDbContext.List.Add(list);
+        }
+
+        public void DeleteAll()
+        {
+            _filterListsDbContext.List.RemoveRange(_filterListsDbContext.List);
+        }
+
+        public bool Any()
+        {
+            return _filterListsDbContext.List.Any();
+        }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file