diff --git a/async_pg/README.md b/async_pg/README.md
index 50d55aae..5552fb6e 100644
--- a/async_pg/README.md
+++ b/async_pg/README.md
@@ -9,13 +9,36 @@
 
 ## Instructions
 
-1. Set up the testing database by running the included script:
+1. Create database user
 
     ```shell
-    ./sql/create_db.sh
+    createuser -P test_user
     ```
 
-2. Create `.env` file:
+    Enter a password of your choice. The following instructions assume you
+    used `testing` as password.
+
+    This step is **optional** and you can also use an existing database user
+    for that. Just make sure to replace `test_user` by the database user
+    of your choice in the following steps and change the `.env` file
+    containing the configuration accordingly.
+
+2. Create database
+
+    ```shell
+    createdb -O test_user testing_db
+    ```
+
+3. Initialize database
+
+    ```shell
+    psql -f sql/schema.sql testing_db
+    ```
+
+    This step can be repeated and clears the database as it drops and
+    recreates the schema `testing` which is used within the database.
+
+4. Create `.env` file:
 
     ```ini
     SERVER_ADDR=127.0.0.1:8080
@@ -27,17 +50,23 @@
     PG.POOL.MAX_SIZE=16
     ```
 
-3. Run the server:
+5. Run the server:
 
     ```shell
     cargo run
     ```
 
-4. Using a different terminal send a HTTP POST request to the running server:
+6. Using a different terminal send an HTTP POST request to the running server:
 
     ```shell
     echo '{"email": "ferris@thecrab.com", "first_name": "ferris", "last_name": "crab", "username": "ferreal"}' | http -f --json --print h POST http://127.0.0.1:8080/users
     ```
 
+    **...or using curl...**
+
+    ```shell
+    curl -d '{"email": "ferris@thecrab.com", "first_name": "ferris", "last_name": "crab", "username": "ferreal"}' -H 'Content-Type: application/json' http://127.0.0.1:8080/users
+    ```
+
     A unique constraint exists for username, so sending this request twice
     will return an internal server error (HTTP 500).
diff --git a/async_pg/sql/create_db.sh b/async_pg/sql/create_db.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 6505d073..00000000
--- a/async_pg/sql/create_db.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-psql -U postgres -h 127.0.0.1 -f setup_db_and_user.sql
diff --git a/async_pg/sql/setup_db_and_user.sql b/async_pg/sql/schema.sql
similarity index 65%
rename from async_pg/sql/setup_db_and_user.sql
rename to async_pg/sql/schema.sql
index dc515dd2..28efcc38 100644
--- a/async_pg/sql/setup_db_and_user.sql
+++ b/async_pg/sql/schema.sql
@@ -1,15 +1,6 @@
-DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS testing_db;
-
-CREATE USER test_user WITH PASSWORD 'testing';
-
-CREATE DATABASE testing_db OWNER test_user;
-
-\connect testing_db;
-
 DROP SCHEMA IF EXISTS testing CASCADE;
 CREATE SCHEMA testing;
 
-
 CREATE TABLE testing.users (
 	id  BIGSERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
 	email       VARCHAR(200) NOT NULL,