diff --git a/cmd/mi-init/main.go b/cmd/mi-init/main.go
index 17eb6cf..d4beff5 100644
--- a/cmd/mi-init/main.go
+++ b/cmd/mi-init/main.go
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ func main() {
 	for _, tbl := range tables {
 		if err := r.DB("mi").TableCreate(tbl).Exec(session); err != nil {
 			result = multierror.Append(result, err)
+		} else {
+			log.Printf("created table %s", tbl)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/mi/main.go b/cmd/mi/main.go
index 526b0b1..6987c2f 100644
--- a/cmd/mi/main.go
+++ b/cmd/mi/main.go
@@ -60,11 +60,6 @@ func main() {
 		ln.FatalErr(ctx, err)
 	}
 
-	patreonClient, err := makePatreon()
-	if err != nil {
-		ln.FatalErr(ctx, err)
-	}
-
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
 	pm, err := MakeMiddleware(*pasetoPublicKey, *pasetoPrivateKey, mux)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -87,7 +82,6 @@ func main() {
 		session:        session,
 		mastodonClient: mastodonClient,
 		twitterClient:  twitterClient,
-		patreonClient:  patreonClient,
 		redditBot:      redditBot,
 		mux:            mux,
 	}
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 8e351d2..d7334da 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ services:
       - "127.0.0.1:39243:5000"
 
   rethinkdb:
+    restart: always
     image: "rethinkdb:2.4.0"
     volumes:
       - "rethink-data:/data"
diff --git a/run/start.sh b/run/start.sh
index 4a5d71d..2106302 100755
--- a/run/start.sh
+++ b/run/start.sh
@@ -2,5 +2,8 @@
 
 set -e
 
+echo "waiting for rethink to settle"
+sleep 2
+
 mi-init
 mi