diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Packages/Orchard.Setup/Controllers/SetupController.cs b/src/Orchard.Web/Packages/Orchard.Setup/Controllers/SetupController.cs
index d277edca5..c00a06b56 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Packages/Orchard.Setup/Controllers/SetupController.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Packages/Orchard.Setup/Controllers/SetupController.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 using System.Web.Mvc;
+using Orchard.ContentManagement;
+using Orchard.Data.Migrations;
+using Orchard.Environment;
+using Orchard.Environment.Configuration;
 using Orchard.Setup.ViewModels;
 using Orchard.Localization;
 using Orchard.UI.Notify;
@@ -6,9 +10,16 @@ using Orchard.UI.Notify;
 namespace Orchard.Setup.Controllers {
     public class SetupController : Controller {
         private readonly INotifier _notifier;
+        private readonly IDatabaseMigrationManager _databaseMigrationManager;
+        private readonly IOrchardHost _orchardHost;
 
-        public SetupController(INotifier notifier) {
+        public SetupController(
+            INotifier notifier,
+            IDatabaseMigrationManager databaseMigrationManager,
+            IOrchardHost orchardHost) {
             _notifier = notifier;
+            _databaseMigrationManager = databaseMigrationManager;
+            _orchardHost = orchardHost;
             T = NullLocalizer.Instance;
         }
 
@@ -25,11 +36,28 @@ namespace Orchard.Setup.Controllers {
             if (!ModelState.IsValid) {
                 return View(model);
             }
+
+            //notes: service call to initialize database:
+            //_databaseMigrationManager.CreateCoordinator(provider, dataFolder, connectionString);
+            // provider: SqlServer or SQLite 
+            // dataFolder: physical path (map before calling). Builtin database will be created in this location
+            // connectionString: optional - if provided the dataFolder is essentially ignored, but should still be passed in
+
             
-            // create superuser
-            // set site name
-            // database
-            // redirect to the welcome page
+            //notes: the other tool needed will be creating a standalone environment. 
+            // in theory this environment can be used to resolve any normal components by interface, and those
+            // components will exist entirely in isolation - no crossover between the safemode container currently in effect
+            var shellSettings = new ShellSettings { Name = "temp" };
+            using (var finiteEnvironment = _orchardHost.CreateStandaloneEnvironment(shellSettings)) {
+                var contentManager = finiteEnvironment.Resolve<IContentManager>();
+                var yadda = contentManager.Create("yadda");
+
+                // create superuser
+                // set site name
+                // database
+                // redirect to the welcome page
+            }
+
 
             _notifier.Information(T("Setup succeeded"));
             return RedirectToAction("Index");
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Environment/DefaultOrchardHost.cs b/src/Orchard/Environment/DefaultOrchardHost.cs
index 3e6a8a733..2400fa3cc 100644
--- a/src/Orchard/Environment/DefaultOrchardHost.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard/Environment/DefaultOrchardHost.cs
@@ -38,10 +38,16 @@ namespace Orchard.Environment {
         void IOrchardHost.Initialize() {
             Initialize();
         }
+
         void IOrchardHost.EndRequest() {
             EndRequest();
         }
 
+        IStandaloneEnvironment IOrchardHost.CreateStandaloneEnvironment(IShellSettings shellSettings) {
+            var shellContainer = CreateShellContainer(shellSettings);
+            return new StandaloneEnvironment(shellContainer);
+        }
+
         protected virtual void Initialize() {
             var shellContainer = CreateShellContainer();
             var shell = shellContainer.Resolve<IOrchardShell>();
@@ -73,18 +79,18 @@ namespace Orchard.Environment {
             var settings = _shellSettingsLoader.LoadSettings();
             if (settings.Any()) {
                 //TEMP: multi-tenancy not implemented yet
-                foreach (var factory in _shellContainerFactories) {
-                    var container = factory.CreateContainer(settings.Single());
-                    if (container != null)
-                        return container;
-                }
+                var shellContainer = CreateShellContainer(settings.Single());
+                if (shellContainer != null)
+                    return shellContainer;
             }
-            else {
-                foreach (var factory in _shellContainerFactories) {
-                    var container = factory.CreateContainer(null);
-                    if (container != null)
-                        return container;
-                }
+            return CreateShellContainer(null);
+        }
+
+        private IContainer CreateShellContainer(IShellSettings shellSettings) {
+            foreach (var factory in _shellContainerFactories) {
+                var container = factory.CreateContainer(shellSettings);
+                if (container != null)
+                    return container;
             }
             return null;
         }
@@ -118,5 +124,6 @@ namespace Orchard.Environment {
             }
         }
 
+
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Environment/FiniteContainerProvider.cs b/src/Orchard/Environment/FiniteContainerProvider.cs
index 9fd6274f8..58fd440ba 100644
--- a/src/Orchard/Environment/FiniteContainerProvider.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard/Environment/FiniteContainerProvider.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ using Autofac;
 using Autofac.Integration.Web;
 
 namespace Orchard.Environment {
+
     class FiniteContainerProvider : IContainerProvider {
         public FiniteContainerProvider(IContainer applicationContainer) {
             // explicitly create a request container for the life of this object
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Environment/IOrchardHost.cs b/src/Orchard/Environment/IOrchardHost.cs
index b68eaa665..ffb1706cf 100644
--- a/src/Orchard/Environment/IOrchardHost.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard/Environment/IOrchardHost.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
+using Orchard.Environment.Configuration;
+
 namespace Orchard.Environment {
     public interface IOrchardHost {
         void Initialize();
         void EndRequest();
+
+        IStandaloneEnvironment CreateStandaloneEnvironment(IShellSettings shellSettings);
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Environment/ShellBuilders/SafeModeShellContainerFactory.cs b/src/Orchard/Environment/ShellBuilders/SafeModeShellContainerFactory.cs
index 51735d9df..f8e5cc9ff 100644
--- a/src/Orchard/Environment/ShellBuilders/SafeModeShellContainerFactory.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard/Environment/ShellBuilders/SafeModeShellContainerFactory.cs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ using System.Web.Routing;
 using Autofac;
 using Orchard.ContentManagement;
 using Orchard.ContentManagement.Handlers;
+using Orchard.Data.Migrations;
 using Orchard.Environment.Configuration;
 using Orchard.Extensions;
 using Orchard.Localization;
@@ -37,7 +38,6 @@ namespace Orchard.Environment.ShellBuilders {
             var shellContainer = _container.CreateInnerContainer();
 
             shellContainer.Build(builder => {
-                //review: group by default vs safemode service replacements
                 // standard services needed in safe mode
                 builder.Register<DefaultOrchardShell>().As<IOrchardShell>().ContainerScoped();
                 builder.Register<RoutePublisher>().As<IRoutePublisher>().ContainerScoped();
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ namespace Orchard.Environment.ShellBuilders {
                 builder.Register<PageClassBuilder>().As<IPageClassBuilder>().ContainerScoped();
                 builder.Register<Notifier>().As<INotifier>().ContainerScoped();
                 builder.Register<NotifyFilter>().As<IFilterProvider>().ContainerScoped();
+                builder.Register<DatabaseMigrationManager>().As<IDatabaseMigrationManager>().ContainerScoped();
 
                 // safe mode specific implementations of needed service interfaces
                 builder.Register<NullHackInstallationGenerator>().As<IHackInstallationGenerator>().ContainerScoped();
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Environment/StandaloneEnvironment.cs b/src/Orchard/Environment/StandaloneEnvironment.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..28a1379a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Orchard/Environment/StandaloneEnvironment.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+using System;
+using Autofac;
+using Autofac.Integration.Web;
+
+namespace Orchard.Environment {
+    public interface IStandaloneEnvironment : IDisposable {
+        TService Resolve<TService>();
+    }
+    
+    public class StandaloneEnvironment : IStandaloneEnvironment {
+        private readonly IContainerProvider _containerProvider;
+
+        public StandaloneEnvironment(IContainer applicationContainer) {
+            _containerProvider = new FiniteContainerProvider(applicationContainer);
+        }
+
+        public TService Resolve<TService>() {
+            return _containerProvider.RequestContainer.Resolve<TService>();
+        }
+
+        public void Dispose() {
+            _containerProvider.DisposeRequestContainer();
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Orchard.csproj b/src/Orchard/Orchard.csproj
index 579299497..c272652ab 100644
--- a/src/Orchard/Orchard.csproj
+++ b/src/Orchard/Orchard.csproj
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Environment\ShellBuilders\IShellContainerFactory.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Environment\ShellBuilders\SafeModeShellContainerFactory.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Environment\Configuration\ShellSettings.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Environment\StandaloneEnvironment.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Extensions\AreaFolders.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Extensions\ExtensionFolders.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Extensions\Loaders\AreaExtensionLoader.cs" />
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Tasks/SweepGenerator.cs b/src/Orchard/Tasks/SweepGenerator.cs
index 1326f05c9..6612f4181 100644
--- a/src/Orchard/Tasks/SweepGenerator.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard/Tasks/SweepGenerator.cs
@@ -56,18 +56,11 @@ namespace Orchard.Tasks {
 
         public void DoWork() {
             // makes an inner container, similar to the per-request container
-            var containerProvider = new FiniteContainerProvider(_container);
-            try {
-                var requestContainer = containerProvider.RequestContainer;
-
+            using (var standaloneEnvironment = new StandaloneEnvironment(_container)) {
                 // resolve the manager and invoke it
-                var manager = requestContainer.Resolve<IBackgroundService>();
+                var manager = standaloneEnvironment.Resolve<IBackgroundService>();
                 manager.Sweep();
             }
-            finally{
-                // shut everything down again
-                containerProvider.DisposeRequestContainer();
-            }
         }
 
     }