diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b0359459e..d52442b57 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ npm-debug.log
 dist
 .DS_Store
 *.iml
+.env
diff --git a/bin/init.js b/bin/init.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e02e97c00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/init.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+const MongoClient = require('mongodb').MongoClient;
+const url = process.env.TALK_MONGO_URL;
+
+if (!url) {
+  throw new Error('environment variable TALK_MONGO_URL must be defined');
+}
+
+MongoClient.connect(url).then(db => {
+  const Setting = db.collection('settings');
+  const defaults = {id: 1, moderation: 'pre'};
+
+  Setting.update({id: 1}, {$setOnInsert: defaults}, {upsert: true}).then(() => {
+    console.log('created settings object.');
+    process.exit();
+  });
+}).catch(console.error);
diff --git a/models/setting.js b/models/setting.js
index 2a82d5e94..dd82b3e42 100644
--- a/models/setting.js
+++ b/models/setting.js
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ const Schema = mongoose.Schema;
 
 const SettingSchema = new Schema({
   id: {type: String, default: '1'},
-  moderation: {type: String, enum: ['pre', 'post'], default: 'pre'},
-
+  moderation: {type: String, enum: ['pre', 'post'], default: 'pre'}
 }, {
   _id: false,
   timestamps: {
@@ -18,7 +17,8 @@ SettingSchema.statics.getSettings = function () {
 };
 
 SettingSchema.statics.updateSettings = function (setting) {
-  return this.findOneAndUpdate({}, {$set: setting}, {new: true});
+  // there should only ever be one record unless something has gone wrong.
+  return this.findOneAndUpdate({id: '1'}, {$set: setting}, {new: true});
 };
 
 const Setting = mongoose.model('Setting', SettingSchema);
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b7fb48d34..d91bba9f4 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
     "imports-loader": "^0.6.5",
     "json-loader": "^0.5.4",
     "mocha": "^3.1.2",
+    "mongodb": "^2.2.11",
     "pre-git": "^3.10.0",
     "pym.js": "^1.1.1",
     "react": "15.3.2",
diff --git a/routes/api/index.js b/routes/api/index.js
index 7390f2010..cfcae8ecf 100644
--- a/routes/api/index.js
+++ b/routes/api/index.js
@@ -3,5 +3,6 @@ const express = require('express');
 const router = express.Router();
 
 router.use('/comments', require('./comments'));
+router.use('/settings', require('./settings'));
 
 module.exports = router;
diff --git a/routes/api/settings/index.js b/routes/api/settings/index.js
index 36037a184..fa5d3a620 100644
--- a/routes/api/settings/index.js
+++ b/routes/api/settings/index.js
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 const express = require('express');
 const router = express.Router();
-const path = require('path');
-const Setting = require(path.resolve(__dirname, 'models/setting'));
+const Setting = require('../../../models/setting');
 
-router.get('/settings', (req, res, next) => {
+router.get('/', (req, res, next) => {
   Setting.getSettings().then(res.json).catch(next);
 });
 
-router.put('/settings', (req, res, next) => {
+router.put('/', (req, res, next) => {
   Setting.updateSettings(req.body).then(res.json).catch(next);
 });