diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 61f518d..122e4f5 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@ test:
   stage: test
   script:
   - pip3 install -r requirements.txt
-  - sudo -u matemat python3 -m coverage run --branch -m unittest discover matemat
-  - sudo -u matemat python3 -m coverage report -m --include 'matemat/*' --omit '*/test_*.py'
+  - sudo -u matemat python3 -m coverage run --rcfile=setup.cfg -m unittest discover matemat
+  - sudo -u matemat python3 -m coverage combine
+  - sudo -u matemat python3 -m coverage report --rcfile=setup.cfg
 
 codestyle:
   stage: test
diff --git a/doc b/doc
index 9449a6d..0cf3d59 160000
--- a/doc
+++ b/doc
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 9449a6dc39843969d3b549f05848b5857c23cfa3
+Subproject commit 0cf3d59c8b37f84e915f5e30e7447f0611cc1238
diff --git a/matemat/webserver/__init__.py b/matemat/webserver/__init__.py
index bf3f2f8..bd62400 100644
--- a/matemat/webserver/__init__.py
+++ b/matemat/webserver/__init__.py
@@ -8,5 +8,5 @@ server will attempt to serve the request with a static resource in a previously
 
 from .requestargs import RequestArgument, RequestArguments
 from .responses import PageletResponse, RedirectResponse, TemplateResponse
-from .httpd import MatematWebserver, HttpHandler, pagelet
+from .httpd import MatematWebserver, HttpHandler, pagelet, pagelet_init
 from .config import parse_config_file
diff --git a/matemat/webserver/httpd.py b/matemat/webserver/httpd.py
index 20f5bc8..c0a351d 100644
--- a/matemat/webserver/httpd.py
+++ b/matemat/webserver/httpd.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Tuple, Type, Union
+from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Set, Tuple, Type, Union
 
 import logging
 import os
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ _PAGELET_PATHS: Dict[str, Callable[[str,  # HTTP method (GET, POST, ...)
                                        bytes, str,  # Response body: will assign HTTP/1.0 200 OK
                                        PageletResponse,  # A generic response
                                    ]]] = dict()
+# The pagelet initialization functions, to be executed upon startup
+_PAGELET_INIT_FUNCTIONS: Set[Callable[[Dict[str, str], logging.Logger], None]] = set()
 
 # Inactivity timeout for client sessions
 _SESSION_TIMEOUT: int = 3600
@@ -94,6 +96,28 @@ def pagelet(path: str):
     return http_handler
 
 
+def pagelet_init(fun: Callable[[Dict[str, str], logging.Logger], None]):
+    """
+    Annotate a function to act as a pagelet initialization function.  The function will be called when the webserver is
+    started.  The function should set up everything required for pagelets to operate correctly, e.g. providing default
+    values for configuration items, or performing database schema migrations.
+
+    Any exception thrown by an initialization function will cause the web server to seize operation.  Multiple
+    initialization functions can be used.
+
+    The function must have the following signature:
+
+        (config: Dict[str, str], logger: logging.Logger) -> None
+
+        config:       The mutable dictionary of variables read from the [Pagelets] section of the configuration file.
+        logger:       The server's logger instance.
+        returns:      Nothing.
+
+    :param fun: The function to annotate
+    """
+    _PAGELET_INIT_FUNCTIONS.add(fun)
+
+
 class MatematHTTPServer(HTTPServer):
     """
     A http.server.HTTPServer subclass that acts as a container for data that must be persistent between requests.
@@ -184,8 +208,20 @@ class MatematWebserver(object):
 
     def start(self) -> None:
         """
-        Start the web server.  This call blocks while the server is running.
+        Call all pagelet initialization functions and start the web server.  This call blocks while the server is
+        running.  If any exception is raised in the initialization phase, the program is terminated with a non-zero
+        exit code.
         """
+        try:
+            # Run all pagelet initialization functions
+            for fun in _PAGELET_INIT_FUNCTIONS:
+                fun(self._httpd.pagelet_variables, self._httpd.logger)
+        except BaseException as e:
+            # If an error occurs, log it and terminate
+            self._httpd.logger.exception(e)
+            self._httpd.logger.critical('An initialization pagelet raised an error.  Stopping.')
+            raise e
+        # If pagelet initialization went fine, start the HTTP server
         self._httpd.serve_forever()
 
 
diff --git a/matemat/webserver/pagelets/__init__.py b/matemat/webserver/pagelets/__init__.py
index 4ef6fd5..43b7f31 100644
--- a/matemat/webserver/pagelets/__init__.py
+++ b/matemat/webserver/pagelets/__init__.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ This package contains the pagelet functions served by the Matemat software.
 A new pagelet function must be imported here to be automatically loaded when the server is started.
 """
 
+from .initialization import initialization
 from .main import main_page
 from .login import login_page
 from .logout import logout
diff --git a/matemat/webserver/pagelets/initialization.py b/matemat/webserver/pagelets/initialization.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..27636b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/matemat/webserver/pagelets/initialization.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+from typing import Dict
+
+import logging
+
+from matemat.webserver import pagelet_init
+from matemat.db import MatematDatabase
+
+
+@pagelet_init
+def initialization(config: Dict[str, str],
+                   logger: logging.Logger) -> None:
+    """
+    The pagelet initialization function.  Makes sure everything is ready for operation.  If anything fails here, the web
+    server won't resume operation.
+    """
+    # Set default values for missing config items
+    if 'InstanceName' not in config:
+        config['InstanceName'] = 'Matemat'
+        logger.warning('Property \'InstanceName\' not set, using \'Matemat\'')
+    if 'UploadDir' not in config:
+        config['UploadDir'] = './static/upload/'
+        logger.warning('Property \'UploadDir\' not set, using \'./static/upload/\'')
+    if 'DatabaseFile' not in config:
+        config['DatabaseFile'] = './matemat.db'
+        logger.warning('Property \'DatabaseFile\' not set, using \'./matemat.db\'')
+    with MatematDatabase(config['DatabaseFile']):
+        # Connect to the database to create it and perform any schema migrations
+        pass
diff --git a/matemat/webserver/test/test_pagelet_init.py b/matemat/webserver/test/test_pagelet_init.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b2c45a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/matemat/webserver/test/test_pagelet_init.py
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+from typing import Any, Dict
+
+import unittest
+import http.client
+
+import logging
+import threading
+
+from matemat.webserver import MatematWebserver, RequestArguments, pagelet_init, pagelet
+
+
+@pagelet('/just/testing/init')
+def init_test_pagelet(method: str,
+                      path: str,
+                      args: RequestArguments,
+                      session_vars: Dict[str, Any],
+                      headers: Dict[str, str],
+                      pagelet_variables: Dict[str, str]):
+    return pagelet_variables['Unit-Test']
+
+
+_INIT_FAIL = False
+
+
+@pagelet_init
+def init(config: Dict[str, str],
+         logger: logging.Logger):
+    if _INIT_FAIL:
+        raise ValueError('This error should be raised!')
+    config['Unit-Test'] = 'Pagelet Init Test'
+
+
+class TestPageletInitialization(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.srv = MatematWebserver('::1', 0, '/nonexistent', '/nonexistent', {}, {},
+                                    logging.NOTSET, logging.NullHandler())
+        self.srv_port = int(self.srv._httpd.socket.getsockname()[1])
+        self.timer = threading.Timer(5.0, self.srv._httpd.shutdown)
+        self.timer.start()
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        self.timer.cancel()
+        if self.srv is not None:
+            self.srv._httpd.socket.close()
+        global _INIT_FAIL
+        _INIT_FAIL = False
+
+    def test_pagelet_init_ok(self):
+        """
+        Test successful pagelet initialization
+        """
+        thread = threading.Thread(target=self.srv.start)
+        thread.start()
+        con = http.client.HTTPConnection(f'[::1]:{self.srv_port}')
+        con.request('GET', '/just/testing/init')
+        response = con.getresponse().read()
+        self.srv._httpd.shutdown()
+        self.assertEqual(b'Pagelet Init Test', response)
+
+    def test_pagelet_init_fail(self):
+        """
+        Test unsuccessful pagelet initialization
+        """
+        global _INIT_FAIL
+        _INIT_FAIL = True
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            self.srv.start()
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 62acd3a..2dcea66 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -1,3 +1,22 @@
+
+#
+# PyCodestyle
+#
+
 [pycodestyle]
 max-line-length = 120
 statistics = True
+
+#
+# Coverage
+#
+
+[run]
+branch = True
+parallel = True
+source = matemat/
+
+[report]
+show_missing = True
+include = matemat/*
+omit = */test/*.py