diff --git a/utils/pg_create_user.sh b/utils/pg_create_user.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d91c01d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/pg_create_user.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env zsh
+
+: ${PGHOST:=localhost}
+: ${PGUSER:=postgres}
+
+# TODO: add default postgresql port
+: ${pgport}
+: ${dbname}
+
+: ${command}
+: ${cmdparameters}
+
+: ${simulation}
+
+function usage() {
+	cat <<END
+usage: $0 [OPTIONS] command [parameters]
+OPTIONS:
+--pghost=<...>		postgresql hostname
+--pgport=<...>		postgresql port
+--pgdatadir=<...>	postgresql data dir
+--pguser=<...>		postgresql username
+--dbuser=<...>		database username
+--dbpassfile=<...>	database password file
+--dbname=<...>		database name
+--simulation		print commands
+
+command:
+	create_user
+	create_db
+	create_user_and_db
+END
+}
+
+function print_create_user() {
+	cat <<END
+# user creation
+psql -p ${pgport} -c "CREATE USER ${dbuser};"
+psql -p ${pgport} -c "ALTER USER ${dbuser} WITH ENCRYPTED PASSWORD '${dbpass}';"
+END
+}
+
+function create_user() {
+	su postgres -c "
+		psql -p ${pgport} -c \"CREATE USER ${dbuser};\"
+		psql -p ${pgport} -c \"ALTER USER ${dbuser} WITH ENCRYPTED PASSWORD '${dbpass}';\"
+		"
+}
+
+function print_create_db() {
+	cat <<END
+# database creation
+psql -p ${pgport} -c "CREATE DATABASE ${dbname} OWNER ${dbuser};"
+END
+}
+
+function create_db() {
+	su postgres -c "psql -p ${pgport} -c \"CREATE DATABASE ${dbname} OWNER ${dbuser};\""
+}
+
+for i
+do
+	case $i in
+		(--pghost*)		export PGHOST=$(echo ${i} | sed "s/--pghost=//") ;;
+		(--pgport*)		export pgport=$(echo ${i} | sed "s/--pgport=//") ;;
+		(--pgdatadir*)	export PGDATA=$(echo ${i} | sed "s/--pgdatadir=//") ;;
+		(--pguser*)		export PGUSER=$(echo ${i} | sed "s/--pguser=//") ;;
+		(--dbuser*)		export dbuser=$(echo ${i} | sed "s/--dbuser=//") ;;
+		(--dbpassfile*)	dbpassfile=$(echo ${i} | sed "s/--dbpassfile=//") ;;
+		(--dbname*)		export dbname=$(echo ${i} | sed "s/--dbname=//") ;;
+
+		(--simulation*)	simulation="yes" ;;
+		(-*) echo "option ${i} not recognized" ; usage $0 ; exit 0 ;;
+		(*) [ -z $command ] && command=${i} || cmdparameters=(${cmdparameters} ${i})
+	esac
+done
+
+if [ -z ${dbpassfile} ]
+then
+	echo "There is no password file for the database"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+export dbpass="$(<$dbpassfile)"
+
+lacking_information=
+
+[ -z ${PGHOST} ] 		&& lacking_information="yes" && echo "There is no pghost parameter"
+[ -z ${pgport} ] 		&& lacking_information="yes" && echo "There is no pgport parameter"
+[ -z ${PGDATA} ] 		&& lacking_information="yes" && echo "There is no datadir parameter"
+[ -z ${PGUSER} ] 		&& lacking_information="yes" && echo "There is no pguser parameter"
+[ -z ${dbuser} ] 		&& lacking_information="yes" && echo "There is no dbuser parameter"
+[ -z ${dbpassfile} ] 	&& lacking_information="yes" && echo "There is no passfile parameter"
+[ -z ${dbname} ] 		&& lacking_information="yes" && echo "There is no dbname parameter"
+
+if [ ! -z ${lacking_information} ]
+then
+	echo "Some information is missing"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ -z $simulation ]
+then
+	case ${command} in
+		(create_db)   create_db ;;
+		(create_user) create_user ;;
+		(create_user_and_db) create_user ; create_db ;;
+		(*) usage $0 ; exit 1 ;;
+	esac
+else
+	case ${command} in
+		(create_db)   print_create_db ;;
+		(create_user) print_create_user ;;
+		(create_user_and_db) print_create_user ; print_create_db ;;
+		(*) usage $0 ; exit 1 ;;
+	esac
+fi