diff --git a/scripts/setup.cfg.sample b/scripts/setup.cfg.sample
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4194bc146d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/setup.cfg.sample
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# CONFIGURATION FILE for setup_status_network.sh
+
+# Base database name; full name will include nickname
+
+export DBBASE=_example_net
+export USERBASE=_example_net
+export ADMIN=root
+export ADMINPASS=yourpassword
+export SITEDB=example_net_site
+export AVATARBASE=/var/www/avatar.example.net
+
diff --git a/scripts/setup_status_network.sh b/scripts/setup_status_network.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d80612b940
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/setup_status_network.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+source ./setup.cfg
+
+export nickname=$1
+export sitename=$2
+
+export password=`pwgen 20`
+export database=$nickname$DBBASE
+export username=$nickname$USERBASE
+
+# Create the db
+
+mysqladmin -u $ADMIN --password=$ADMINPASS create $database
+
+for f in laconica.sql sms_carrier.sql foreign_services.sql notice_source.sql; do
+    mysql -u $ADMIN --password=$ADMINPASS $database < ../db/$f;
+done
+
+mysql -u $ADMIN --password=$ADMINPASS $SITEDB << ENDOFCOMMANDS
+
+GRANT INSERT,SELECT,UPDATE,DELETE ON $database.* TO '$username'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY '$password';
+GRANT INSERT,SELECT,UPDATE,DELETE ON $database.* TO '$username'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY '$password';
+INSERT INTO status_network (nickname, dbhost, dbuser, dbpass, dbname, sitename, created)
+VALUES ('$nickname', '$DBHOST', '$username', '$password', '$database', '$sitename', now());
+
+ENDOFCOMMANDS
+
+mkdir $AVATARBASE/$nickname
+chmod a+w $AVATARBASE/$nickname