diff --git a/inst/testing/nemo1/install_and_run_vsmd b/inst/testing/nemo1/install_and_run_vsmd
index 11b5a43b9a069962cd5273ea4f18b06e2dc0ecfc..89f92f4af2e6fc36a07399bd08613cba33ed8ac1 100755
--- a/inst/testing/nemo1/install_and_run_vsmd
+++ b/inst/testing/nemo1/install_and_run_vsmd
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ if [ ! -f /services/etc/nemo/nemo.conf -o ../nemo.conf.vsmd -nt /services/etc/ne
   cp -vf ../nemo.conf.vsmd /services/etc/nemo/nemo.conf
 fi
 
+if [ ! -f /services/data/vsmd/vsmd.sqlite ]; then
+  mkdir -p /services/data/vsmd/
+  touch /services/data/vsmd/vsmd.sqlite
+fi
+
 echo TODO: configure /services/etc/nemo/nemo.conf
 echo use ./bin/adm.py OR ./bin/nemo-vsmd