diff --git a/pkg/cmd/cmd.go b/pkg/cmd/cmd.go
index 6aec6c04c8..53a4f79043 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -31,10 +31,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 )
 
-func init() {
-	cobra.OnInitialize(initialize)
-}
-
 var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "vikunja",
 	Short: "Vikunja is the to-do app to organize your life.",
@@ -47,7 +43,8 @@ alpine areas of the Andes and a relative of the llama.
 Vikunja is a self-hosted To-Do list application with a web app and mobile apps for all platforms. It is licensed under the GPLv3.
 
 Find more info at vikunja.io.`,
-	Run: webCmd.Run,
+	PreRun: webCmd.PreRun,
+	Run:    webCmd.Run,
 }
 
 // Execute starts the application
@@ -58,8 +55,8 @@ func Execute() {
 	}
 }
 
-// Initializes all kinds of things in the right order
-func initialize() {
+// Will only fullInit config, redis, logger but no db connection.
+func lightInit() {
 	// Init the config
 	config.InitConfig()
 
@@ -68,6 +65,12 @@ func initialize() {
 
 	// Set logger
 	log.InitLogger()
+}
+
+// Initializes all kinds of things in the right order
+func fullInit() {
+
+	lightInit()
 
 	// Run the migrations
 	migration.Migrate(nil)
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/migrate.go b/pkg/cmd/migrate.go
index 165d8639d5..a53387c8af 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/migrate.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/migrate.go
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ func init() {
 var migrateCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "migrate",
 	Short: "Run all database migrations which didn't already run.",
+	PersistentPreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		lightInit()
+	},
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		migration.Migrate(nil)
 	},
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/testmail.go b/pkg/cmd/testmail.go
index 03a384493f..95b9cf5190 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/testmail.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/testmail.go
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@ var testmailCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "testmail [email]",
 	Short: "Send a test mail using the configured smtp connection",
 	Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(1),
+	PreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		lightInit()
+
+		// Start the mail daemon
+		mail.StartMailDaemon()
+	},
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		log.Info("Sending testmail...")
 		email := args[0]
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/web.go b/pkg/cmd/web.go
index e264f7bee2..2761b86ae1 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/web.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/web.go
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ func init() {
 var webCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "web",
 	Short: "Starts the rest api web server",
+	PreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		fullInit()
+	},
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 
 		// Version notification