diff --git a/server/src/scripts/add-replies-count-column.js b/server/src/scripts/add-replies-count-column.js
deleted file mode 100644
index b1d24b25c..000000000
--- a/server/src/scripts/add-replies-count-column.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-// @flow
-
-import { dbQuery, SQL } from '../database/database';
-import { main } from './utils';
-
-async function addColumn() {
-  const update = SQL`
-    ALTER TABLE threads
-    ADD replies_count INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT 0
-  `;
-  await dbQuery(update);
-}
-
-main([addColumn]);
diff --git a/server/src/scripts/add-sender-column.js b/server/src/scripts/add-sender-column.js
deleted file mode 100644
index cb1f123ab..000000000
--- a/server/src/scripts/add-sender-column.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-// @flow
-
-import { dbQuery, SQL } from '../database/database';
-import { main } from './utils';
-
-async function addColumn() {
-  const update = SQL`
-    ALTER TABLE memberships
-    ADD sender TINYINT(1) UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT 0
-  `;
-  await dbQuery(update);
-}
-
-main([addColumn]);
diff --git a/server/src/scripts/compute-replies-count.js b/server/src/scripts/compute-replies-count.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 7dca9f179..000000000
--- a/server/src/scripts/compute-replies-count.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,50 +0,0 @@
-// @flow
-
-import { messageSpecs } from 'lib/shared/messages/message-specs';
-import { messageTypes } from 'lib/types/message-types';
-import { threadTypes } from 'lib/types/thread-types';
-import { updateTypes } from 'lib/types/update-types';
-
-import { createUpdates } from '../creators/update-creator';
-import { dbQuery, SQL } from '../database/database';
-import { main } from './utils';
-
-async function computeRepliesCount() {
-  const includedMessageTypes = Object.keys(messageTypes)
-    .map((key) => messageTypes[key])
-    .filter((type) => messageSpecs[type].includedInRepliesCount);
-
-  const sidebarMembersQuery = SQL`
-    SELECT t.id AS threadID, m.user AS userID
-    FROM threads t
-    INNER JOIN memberships m ON t.id = m.thread
-    WHERE t.type = ${threadTypes.SIDEBAR}
-      AND m.role >= 0
-  `;
-  const readCountUpdate = SQL`
-    UPDATE threads t
-    INNER JOIN (
-      SELECT thread AS threadID, COUNT(*) AS count
-      FROM messages
-      WHERE type IN (${includedMessageTypes})
-      GROUP BY thread
-    ) c ON c.threadID = t.id
-    SET t.replies_count = c.count 
-    WHERE t.type = ${threadTypes.SIDEBAR}
-  `;
-  const [[sidebarMembers]] = await Promise.all([
-    dbQuery(sidebarMembersQuery),
-    dbQuery(readCountUpdate),
-  ]);
-
-  const time = Date.now();
-  const updates = sidebarMembers.map(({ threadID, userID }) => ({
-    userID,
-    time,
-    threadID,
-    type: updateTypes.UPDATE_THREAD,
-  }));
-  await createUpdates(updates);
-}
-
-main([computeRepliesCount]);
diff --git a/server/src/scripts/determine-sender-status.js b/server/src/scripts/determine-sender-status.js
deleted file mode 100644
index df12bca8c..000000000
--- a/server/src/scripts/determine-sender-status.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,56 +0,0 @@
-// @flow
-
-import { messageSpecs } from 'lib/shared/messages/message-specs';
-import { messageTypes } from 'lib/types/message-types';
-import { updateTypes } from 'lib/types/update-types';
-
-import { createUpdates } from '../creators/update-creator';
-import { dbQuery, mergeOrConditions, SQL } from '../database/database';
-import { main } from './utils';
-
-async function determineSenderStatus() {
-  const includedMessageTypes = Object.keys(messageTypes)
-    .map((key) => messageTypes[key])
-    .filter((type) => messageSpecs[type].includedInRepliesCount);
-
-  const sendersQuery = SQL`
-    SELECT DISTINCT m.thread AS threadID, m.user AS userID
-    FROM messages m 
-    WHERE m.type IN (${includedMessageTypes})  
-  `;
-  const [senders] = await dbQuery(sendersQuery);
-
-  const conditions = senders.map(
-    ({ threadID, userID }) => SQL`thread = ${threadID} AND user = ${userID}`,
-  );
-  const setSenders = SQL`
-    UPDATE memberships m
-    SET m.sender = 1
-    WHERE 
-  `;
-  setSenders.append(mergeOrConditions(conditions));
-
-  const updatedThreads = new Set(senders.map(({ threadID }) => threadID));
-  const affectedMembersQuery = SQL`
-    SELECT thread AS threadID, user AS userID
-    FROM memberships
-    WHERE thread IN (${[...updatedThreads]})
-      AND role >= 0
-  `;
-
-  const [[affectedMembers]] = await Promise.all([
-    dbQuery(affectedMembersQuery),
-    dbQuery(setSenders),
-  ]);
-
-  const time = Date.now();
-  const updates = affectedMembers.map(({ threadID, userID }) => ({
-    userID,
-    time,
-    threadID,
-    type: updateTypes.UPDATE_THREAD,
-  }));
-  await createUpdates(updates);
-}
-
-main([determineSenderStatus]);
diff --git a/server/src/scripts/setup-sidebars.js b/server/src/scripts/setup-sidebars.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5faf71ca5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/scripts/setup-sidebars.js
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+// @flow
+
+import { messageSpecs } from 'lib/shared/messages/message-specs';
+import { messageTypes } from 'lib/types/message-types';
+import { threadTypes } from 'lib/types/thread-types';
+import { updateTypes } from 'lib/types/update-types';
+
+import { createUpdates } from '../creators/update-creator';
+import { dbQuery, mergeOrConditions, SQL } from '../database/database';
+import { main } from './utils';
+
+async function addRepliesCountColumn() {
+  const update = SQL`
+    ALTER TABLE threads
+    ADD replies_count INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT 0
+  `;
+
+  try {
+    await dbQuery(update);
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.log(e, 'replies-count column already exists');
+  }
+}
+
+async function addSenderColumn() {
+  const update = SQL`
+    ALTER TABLE memberships
+    ADD sender TINYINT(1) UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT 0
+  `;
+
+  try {
+    await dbQuery(update);
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.log(e, 'sender column already exists');
+  }
+}
+
+async function computeRepliesCount() {
+  const includedMessageTypes = Object.keys(messageTypes)
+    .map((key) => messageTypes[key])
+    .filter((type) => messageSpecs[type].includedInRepliesCount);
+
+  const sidebarMembersQuery = SQL`
+    SELECT t.id AS threadID, m.user AS userID
+    FROM threads t
+    INNER JOIN memberships m ON t.id = m.thread
+    WHERE t.type = ${threadTypes.SIDEBAR}
+      AND m.role >= 0
+  `;
+  const readCountUpdate = SQL`
+    UPDATE threads t
+    INNER JOIN (
+      SELECT thread AS threadID, COUNT(*) AS count
+      FROM messages
+      WHERE type IN (${includedMessageTypes})
+      GROUP BY thread
+    ) c ON c.threadID = t.id
+    SET t.replies_count = c.count 
+    WHERE t.type = ${threadTypes.SIDEBAR}
+  `;
+  const [[sidebarMembers]] = await Promise.all([
+    dbQuery(sidebarMembersQuery),
+    dbQuery(readCountUpdate),
+  ]);
+
+  const time = Date.now();
+  const updates = sidebarMembers.map(({ threadID, userID }) => ({
+    userID,
+    time,
+    threadID,
+    type: updateTypes.UPDATE_THREAD,
+  }));
+  await createUpdates(updates);
+}
+
+export async function determineSenderStatus() {
+  const includedMessageTypes = Object.keys(messageTypes)
+    .map((key) => messageTypes[key])
+    .filter((type) => messageSpecs[type].includedInRepliesCount);
+
+  const sendersQuery = SQL`
+    SELECT DISTINCT m.thread AS threadID, m.user AS userID
+    FROM messages m 
+    WHERE m.type IN (${includedMessageTypes})  
+  `;
+  const [senders] = await dbQuery(sendersQuery);
+
+  const conditions = senders.map(
+    ({ threadID, userID }) => SQL`thread = ${threadID} AND user = ${userID}`,
+  );
+  const setSenders = SQL`
+    UPDATE memberships m
+    SET m.sender = 1
+    WHERE 
+  `;
+  setSenders.append(mergeOrConditions(conditions));
+
+  const updatedThreads = new Set(senders.map(({ threadID }) => threadID));
+  const affectedMembersQuery = SQL`
+    SELECT thread AS threadID, user AS userID
+    FROM memberships
+    WHERE thread IN (${[...updatedThreads]})
+      AND role >= 0
+  `;
+
+  const [[affectedMembers]] = await Promise.all([
+    dbQuery(affectedMembersQuery),
+    dbQuery(setSenders),
+  ]);
+
+  const time = Date.now();
+  const updates = affectedMembers.map(({ threadID, userID }) => ({
+    userID,
+    time,
+    threadID,
+    type: updateTypes.UPDATE_THREAD,
+  }));
+  await createUpdates(updates);
+}
+
+main([
+  addRepliesCountColumn,
+  addSenderColumn,
+  computeRepliesCount,
+  determineSenderStatus,
+]);