diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 331ea734f..f0bb03e56 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ install:
     # $TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR is set to the location of the cloned repository:
     # for example: /home/travis/build/gramps-project/gramps
     - python3 setup.py build
+    - cd gramps/webapp
+    - make create
+    - cd ../..
 
 #before_script:
 #    - sudo Xvfb :99 -ac &
diff --git a/gramps/webapp/Makefile b/gramps/webapp/Makefile
index 5fcb57934..96601c80e 100644
--- a/gramps/webapp/Makefile
+++ b/gramps/webapp/Makefile
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ update: grampsdb/fixtures/initial_data.json
 	$(PYTHON) manage.py createsuperuser --username=admin --email=bugs@gramps-project.org
 	$(PYTHON) manage.py createsuperuser --username=admin1 --email=bugs@gramps-project.org
 
+create: grampsdb/fixtures/initial_data.json
+	$(PYTHON) manage.py syncdb --noinput
+
 grampsdb/fixtures/initial_data.json: init.py
 	mkdir -p grampsdb/fixtures
 	$(PYTHON) init.py > grampsdb/fixtures/initial_data.json
@@ -36,7 +39,7 @@ backup:
 restore: empty
 	$(PYTHON) manage.py loaddata backup.json
 
-initial_data: 
+initial_data:
 	$(PYTHON) manage.py loaddata grampsdb/fixtures/initial_data.json
 
 docs: