diff --git a/src/db/index.js b/src/db/index.js
index 78b2bc3..382d79a 100644
--- a/src/db/index.js
+++ b/src/db/index.js
@@ -4,41 +4,56 @@ const Loki = require('lokijs');
 
 // our packages
 const {baseFolder} = require('../config');
-
-// TTL for auth requests
-const REQ_TTL =
-  process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'testing'
-    ? 5 * 60 * 1000 // 5 mins for prod
-    : 0; // 0 for tests
+const {reqCollection} = require('./requests');
+const logger = require('../logger');
 
 // init in-memory adapter for login requests
 const memAdapter = new Loki.LokiMemoryAdapter();
 const fsAdapter = new Loki.LokiFsAdapter();
 
-// init in-memory requests db
-const db = new Loki('requests.db', {adapter: memAdapter, autoload: true});
-// init persistent tokens db
+let dbLoadedResolve = () => {};
+const dbLoaded = new Promise(r => {
+  dbLoadedResolve = r;
+});
+
 let tokenCollection = {};
-const tokenDb = new Loki(path.join(baseFolder, 'auth.db'), {
+let secretsCollection = {};
+let deploysCollection = {};
+
+// init persistent db
+const db = new Loki(path.join(baseFolder, 'exoframe.db'), {
   adapter: process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'testing' ? fsAdapter : memAdapter,
   autoload: true,
   autoloadCallback() {
-    // get of create tokens collection
-    tokenCollection = tokenDb.getCollection('tokens');
+    // get or create tokens collection
+    tokenCollection = db.getCollection('tokens');
     if (tokenCollection === null) {
-      tokenCollection = tokenDb.addCollection('tokens');
+      tokenCollection = db.addCollection('tokens');
+    }
+
+    // get or create secrets collection
+    secretsCollection = db.getCollection('secrets');
+    if (secretsCollection === null) {
+      secretsCollection = db.addCollection('secrets');
+    }
+
+    // get or create deploys collection
+    deploysCollection = db.getCollection('deploys');
+    if (deploysCollection === null) {
+      deploysCollection = db.addCollection('deploys');
     }
+
+    // resolve waiting load promises
+    dbLoadedResolve();
+    logger.info('Database loaded.');
   },
   autosave: process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'testing',
 });
 
-// create requests collection
-const reqCollection = db.addCollection('requests', {
-  ttl: REQ_TTL,
-  ttlInterval: REQ_TTL,
-});
+// exports.mainDB = db;
+exports.dbLoaded = dbLoaded;
 
-exports.db = db;
-exports.tokenDb = tokenDb;
 exports.reqCollection = reqCollection;
 exports.getTokenCollection = () => tokenCollection;
+exports.getSecretsCollection = () => secretsCollection;
+exports.getDeploysCollection = () => deploysCollection;
diff --git a/src/db/requests.js b/src/db/requests.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c5f4f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/db/requests.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// npm packages
+const Loki = require('lokijs');
+
+const memAdapter = new Loki.LokiMemoryAdapter();
+
+// TTL for auth requests
+const REQ_TTL =
+  process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'testing'
+    ? 5 * 60 * 1000 // 5 mins for prod
+    : 0; // 0 for tests
+
+// init in-memory requests db
+const db = new Loki('requests.db', {adapter: memAdapter, autoload: true});
+
+// create requests collection
+const reqCollection = db.addCollection('requests', {
+  ttl: REQ_TTL,
+  ttlInterval: REQ_TTL,
+});
+
+module.exports = {
+  reqCollection,
+};
diff --git a/src/db/secrets.js b/src/db/secrets.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 68c7d58..0000000
--- a/src/db/secrets.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-// npm packages
-const path = require('path');
-const Loki = require('lokijs');
-
-// our packages
-const {baseFolder} = require('../config');
-
-// init in-memory adapter for login requests
-const memAdapter = new Loki.LokiMemoryAdapter();
-const fsAdapter = new Loki.LokiFsAdapter();
-
-// init persistent secrets db
-let secretsCollection = {};
-let secretResolve = () => {};
-const secretsInited = new Promise(r => {
-  secretResolve = r;
-});
-const secretDb = new Loki(path.join(baseFolder, 'secrets.db'), {
-  adapter: process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'testing' ? fsAdapter : memAdapter,
-  autoload: true,
-  autoloadCallback() {
-    // get of create secrets collection
-    secretsCollection = secretDb.getCollection('secrets');
-    if (secretsCollection === null) {
-      secretsCollection = secretDb.addCollection('secrets');
-    }
-    secretResolve();
-  },
-  autosave: process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'testing',
-});
-
-exports.secretDb = secretDb;
-exports.getSecretsCollection = () => secretsCollection;
-exports.secretsInited = secretsInited;
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 090a66b..86314bd 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 const initFastify = require('fastify');
 const fastifyAuth = require('fastify-auth');
 const cors = require('cors');
+const {dbLoaded} = require('./db');
 
 // our packages
 const logger = require('./logger');
@@ -56,6 +57,11 @@ exports.startServer = async (port = 8080) => {
 
 // export start function
 exports.start = async port => {
+  logger.info('Starting exoframe ...');
+
+  // load database
+  await dbLoaded;
+
   // init plugins
   await initPlugins();
 
diff --git a/src/routes/secrets.js b/src/routes/secrets.js
index 11cc5e3..114ace9 100644
--- a/src/routes/secrets.js
+++ b/src/routes/secrets.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // our modules
-const {secretsInited, getSecretsCollection} = require('../db/secrets');
+const {getSecretsCollection} = require('../db');
 
 module.exports = fastify => {
   fastify.route({
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ module.exports = fastify => {
       // get username
       const {username} = request.user;
 
-      // wait for db to init if required
-      await secretsInited;
       // find user secrets
       const secrets = getSecretsCollection()
         .find({user: username})
@@ -28,8 +26,6 @@ module.exports = fastify => {
       const {username} = request.user;
       const {secretName} = request.params;
 
-      // wait for db to init if required
-      await secretsInited;
       // find user secrets
       const secret = getSecretsCollection().findOne({user: username, name: secretName});
 
@@ -46,8 +42,6 @@ module.exports = fastify => {
       // get secret data
       const {secretName, secretValue} = request.body;
 
-      // wait for db to init if required
-      await secretsInited;
       // create new secret for current user
       const secret = {user: username, name: secretName, value: secretValue};
       getSecretsCollection().insert(secret);
@@ -68,8 +62,6 @@ module.exports = fastify => {
         reply.code(200).send({removed: false, reason: 'Secret does not exist'});
         return;
       }
-      // wait for db to init if required
-      await secretsInited;
       // remove token from collection
       getSecretsCollection().remove(existingSecret);
       // send back to user
diff --git a/src/util/index.js b/src/util/index.js
index 89e0b3f..0b98513 100644
--- a/src/util/index.js
+++ b/src/util/index.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const {spawn} = require('child_process');
 const tar = require('tar-fs');
 const rimraf = require('rimraf');
 const uuid = require('uuid');
-const {getSecretsCollection} = require('../db/secrets');
+const {getSecretsCollection} = require('../db');
 
 // our modules
 const {tempDockerDir: tempDir} = require('../config');
diff --git a/test/login.test.js b/test/login.test.js
index d23aedc..2463eb2 100644
--- a/test/login.test.js
+++ b/test/login.test.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const getPort = require('get-port');
 // our packages
 const {startServer} = require('../src');
 const {auth: authConfig} = require('../config');
-const {getTokenCollection} = require('../src/db');
+const {dbLoaded, getTokenCollection} = require('../src/db');
 
 let server;
 let authToken = '';
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ jest.setTimeout(60000);
 beforeAll(async () => {
   const port = await getPort();
   server = await startServer(port);
+  await dbLoaded;
+
   return server;
 });
 
diff --git a/test/plugin.test.js b/test/plugin.test.js
index 087705d..20eea9e 100644
--- a/test/plugin.test.js
+++ b/test/plugin.test.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const getPort = require('get-port');
 
 // our packages
 const authToken = require('./fixtures/authToken');
-const {secretsInited} = require('../src/db/secrets');
+const {dbLoaded} = require('../src/db');
 const {initPlugins, getPlugins} = require('../src/plugins');
 const {initDocker} = require('../src/docker/init');
 const {start, startFromParams} = require('../src/docker/start');
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ const options = {
 };
 
 beforeAll(async done => {
-  await secretsInited;
+  await dbLoaded;
   await initPlugins();
   done();
 });
diff --git a/test/secrets.test.js b/test/secrets.test.js
index a0373d1..b9f3d78 100644
--- a/test/secrets.test.js
+++ b/test/secrets.test.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const tar = require('tar-fs');
 // our packages
 const authToken = require('./fixtures/authToken');
 const {startServer} = require('../src');
-const {getSecretsCollection} = require('../src/db/secrets');
+const {dbLoaded, getSecretsCollection} = require('../src/db');
 const docker = require('../src/docker/docker');
 
 // create tar streams
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ beforeAll(async () => {
   // start server
   const port = await getPort();
   fastify = await startServer(port);
+
+  await dbLoaded;
+
   return fastify;
 });