diff --git a/test/bdd/environment.py b/test/bdd/environment.py
index aeee2301..cadfda18 100644
--- a/test/bdd/environment.py
+++ b/test/bdd/environment.py
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from steps.geometry_factory import GeometryFactory
 from steps.nominatim_environment import NominatimEnvironment
 
+TEST_BASE_DIR = Path(__file__) / '..' / '..'
+
 userconfig = {
-    'BUILDDIR' : (Path(__file__) / '..' / '..' / '..' / 'build').resolve(),
+    'BUILDDIR' : (TEST_BASE_DIR / '..' / 'build').resolve(),
     'REMOVE_TEMPLATE' : False,
     'KEEP_TEST_DB' : False,
     'DB_HOST' : None,
@@ -15,6 +17,7 @@ userconfig = {
     'TEMPLATE_DB' : 'test_template_nominatim',
     'TEST_DB' : 'test_nominatim',
     'API_TEST_DB' : 'test_api_nominatim',
+    'API_TEST_FILE'  : (TEST_BASE_DIR / 'testdb' / 'apidb-test-data.pbf').resolve(),
     'SERVER_MODULE_PATH' : None,
     'PHPCOV' : False, # set to output directory to enable code coverage
 }
diff --git a/test/bdd/steps/nominatim_environment.py b/test/bdd/steps/nominatim_environment.py
index 7013a20e..bc59076c 100644
--- a/test/bdd/steps/nominatim_environment.py
+++ b/test/bdd/steps/nominatim_environment.py
@@ -21,14 +21,16 @@ class NominatimEnvironment:
         self.template_db = config['TEMPLATE_DB']
         self.test_db = config['TEST_DB']
         self.api_test_db = config['API_TEST_DB']
+        self.api_test_file = config['API_TEST_FILE']
         self.server_module_path = config['SERVER_MODULE_PATH']
         self.reuse_template = not config['REMOVE_TEMPLATE']
         self.keep_scenario_db = config['KEEP_TEST_DB']
         self.code_coverage_path = config['PHPCOV']
         self.code_coverage_id = 1
-        self.test_env = None
 
+        self.test_env = None
         self.template_db_done = False
+        self.api_db_done = False
         self.website_dir = None
 
     def connect_database(self, dbname):
@@ -111,18 +113,8 @@ class NominatimEnvironment:
 
         self.template_db_done = True
 
-        if self.reuse_template:
-            # check that the template is there
-            conn = self.connect_database('postgres')
-            cur = conn.cursor()
-            cur.execute('select count(*) from pg_database where datname = %s',
-                        (self.template_db,))
-            if cur.fetchone()[0] == 1:
-                return
-            conn.close()
-        else:
-            # just in case... make sure a previous table has been dropped
-            self.db_drop_database(self.template_db)
+        if self._reuse_or_drop_db(self.template_db):
+            return
 
         try:
             # call the first part of database setup
@@ -162,6 +154,26 @@ class NominatimEnvironment:
         """
         self.write_nominatim_config(self.api_test_db)
 
+        if self.api_db_done:
+            return
+
+        self.api_db_done = True
+
+        if self._reuse_or_drop_db(self.api_test_db):
+            return
+
+        testdata = Path('__file__') / '..' / '..' / 'testdb'
+        self.test_env['NOMINATIM_TIGER_DATA_PATH'] = str((testdata / 'tiger').resolve())
+        self.test_env['NOMINATIM_WIKIPEDIA_DATA_PATH'] = str(testdata.resolve())
+
+        try:
+            self.run_setup_script('all', 'import-tiger-data',
+                                  osm_file=self.api_test_file)
+        except:
+            self.db_drop_database(self.api_test_db)
+            raise
+
+
     def setup_unknown_db(self):
         """ Setup a test against a non-existing database.
         """
@@ -191,6 +203,25 @@ class NominatimEnvironment:
         if not self.keep_scenario_db:
             self.db_drop_database(self.test_db)
 
+    def _reuse_or_drop_db(self, name):
+        """ Check for the existance of the given DB. If reuse is enabled,
+            then the function checks for existance and returns True if the
+            database is already there. Otherwise an existing database is
+            dropped and always false returned.
+        """
+        if self.reuse_template:
+            conn = self.connect_database('postgres')
+            with conn.cursor() as cur:
+                cur.execute('select count(*) from pg_database where datname = %s',
+                            (name,))
+                if cur.fetchone()[0] == 1:
+                    return True
+            conn.close()
+        else:
+            self.db_drop_database(name)
+
+        return False
+
     def reindex_placex(self, db):
         """ Run the indexing step until all data in the placex has
             been processed. Indexing during updates can produce more data