diff --git a/backend/src/db.ts b/backend/src/db.ts
index 014bebf..399e93e 100644
--- a/backend/src/db.ts
+++ b/backend/src/db.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { Database } from 'bun:sqlite';
 import { DB_PATH } from './config';
 import { logger } from './globals';
+import { readdir, readFile } from "fs/promises";
+import { join } from "path";
 
 export let FTS5Enabled = true;
 
@@ -18,56 +20,45 @@ export const initializeDB = () => {
             logger.warn("Failed to load FTS5 extension. Disabling FTS5");
             FTS5Enabled = false;
         }
-
     }
 
-
-    db.run(`
-      CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS channels (
-        id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
-        name TEXT NOT NULL,
-        createdAt DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
-      )
-    `);
-
-    db.run(`
-      CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS files (
-        id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
-        channelId INTEGER,
-        filePath TEXT,
-        fileType TEXT,
-        fileSize INTEGER,
-        originalName TEXT,
-        createdAt DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
-        FOREIGN KEY (channelId) REFERENCES channels (id) ON DELETE CASCADE
-      )
-    `);
-
-    db.run(`
-      CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS messages (
-        id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
-        channelId INTEGER,
-        content TEXT,
-        fileId INTEGER NULL,
-        createdAt DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
-        FOREIGN KEY (channelId) REFERENCES channels (id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
-        FOREIGN KEY (fileId) REFERENCES files (id) ON DELETE SET NULL
-      )
-    `);
-
-    db.run(`
-      CREATE VIRTUAL TABLE IF NOT EXISTS messages_fts USING fts5(
-        content,
-        content='messages',
-        content_rowid='id'
-      );
-    `)
-
     return FTS5Enabled;
 }
 
+export const migrate = async () => {
+    logger.info(`Checking for migrations...`);
+    const result = db.query(`SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table' AND name='meta'`);
+    if (result.all().length === 0) {
+      logger.info(`Creating meta table...`);
+        db.run(`CREATE TABLE meta (version INTEGER)`);
+        db.run(`INSERT INTO meta (version) VALUES (0)`);
+    }
+
+    const version = db.query(`SELECT version FROM meta`).get() as { version: number };
+    logger.info(`Migration version: ${version.version}`);
+    // we are in bun.js. use its API's to read the file list.
+    logger.info(`Searching for migrations in ${join(__dirname, "migrations")}`);
+    const files = await readdir(join(__dirname, "migrations"));
+    
+    for (const file of files) {
+        const [fileVersion, ...rest] = file.split("_");
+        logger.info(`Found migration ${fileVersion}`);
+        if (fileVersion && Number(fileVersion) > version.version) {
+            logger.info(`Running migration ${file}`);
+            const sql = new TextDecoder().decode(await readFile(join(__dirname, `migrations/${file}`)));
+            db.run(sql);
+            const query = db.query(`UPDATE meta SET version = $version`);
+            const res = query.run( {$version: Number(fileVersion)})
+            logger.info(`Migration ${file} done`);
+        }
+    }
+    logger.info(`Migrations done`);
+}
+
 logger.info(`Loading database at ${DB_PATH}`);
+
 export const db = new Database(DB_PATH);
 
 
-initializeDB();
\ No newline at end of file
+initializeDB();
+migrate();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/src/migrations/0_init.sql b/backend/src/migrations/0_init.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ed7e39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/migrations/0_init.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS channels (
+    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
+    name TEXT NOT NULL,
+    createdAt DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
+) CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS files (
+    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
+    channelId INTEGER,
+    filePath TEXT,
+    fileType TEXT,
+    fileSize INTEGER,
+    originalName TEXT,
+    createdAt DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
+    FOREIGN KEY (channelId) REFERENCES channels (id) ON DELETE CASCADE
+) CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS messages (
+    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
+    channelId INTEGER,
+    content TEXT,
+    fileId INTEGER NULL,
+    createdAt DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
+    FOREIGN KEY (channelId) REFERENCES channels (id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
+    FOREIGN KEY (fileId) REFERENCES files (id) ON DELETE
+    SET
+        NULL
+) CREATE VIRTUAL TABLE IF NOT EXISTS messages_fts USING fts5(
+    content,
+    content = 'messages',
+    content_rowid = 'id'
+);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/src/migrations/1_localtime.sql b/backend/src/migrations/1_localtime.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b0f8cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/migrations/1_localtime.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+-- 1. Create a backup of the existing tables
+CREATE TABLE channels_backup AS SELECT * FROM channels;
+CREATE TABLE files_backup AS SELECT * FROM files;
+CREATE TABLE messages_backup AS SELECT * FROM messages;
+
+-- 2. Drop the existing tables
+DROP TABLE channels;
+DROP TABLE files;
+DROP TABLE messages;
+
+-- 3. Recreate the tables with the updated schema
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS channels (
+    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
+    name TEXT NOT NULL,
+    createdAt DATETIME DEFAULT (datetime('now', 'localtime'))
+);
+
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS files (
+    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
+    channelId INTEGER,
+    filePath TEXT,
+    fileType TEXT,
+    fileSize INTEGER,
+    originalName TEXT,
+    createdAt DATETIME DEFAULT (datetime('now', 'localtime')),
+    FOREIGN KEY (channelId) REFERENCES channels (id) ON DELETE CASCADE
+);
+
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS messages (
+    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
+    channelId INTEGER,
+    content TEXT,
+    fileId INTEGER NULL,
+    createdAt DATETIME DEFAULT (datetime('now', 'localtime')),
+    FOREIGN KEY (channelId) REFERENCES channels (id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
+    FOREIGN KEY (fileId) REFERENCES files (id) ON DELETE SET NULL
+);
+
+-- 4. Migrate the data back from the backup tables
+INSERT INTO channels (id, name, createdAt)
+SELECT id, name, createdAt FROM channels_backup;
+
+INSERT INTO files (id, channelId, filePath, fileType, fileSize, originalName, createdAt)
+SELECT id, channelId, filePath, fileType, fileSize, originalName, createdAt FROM files_backup;
+
+INSERT INTO messages (id, channelId, content, fileId, createdAt)
+SELECT id, channelId, content, fileId, createdAt FROM messages_backup;
+
+-- 5. Drop the backup tables
+DROP TABLE channels_backup;
+DROP TABLE files_backup;
+DROP TABLE messages_backup;