diff --git a/gitlab/before_deploy.sh b/gitlab/before_deploy.sh
index 25fc0bab0f3ef5f875ee4619e5849231a6a70856..cac81087be5533b36b8ab026d458748b8f607f25 100755
--- a/gitlab/before_deploy.sh
+++ b/gitlab/before_deploy.sh
@@ -4,3 +4,12 @@
 source $(dirname ${0})/functions.sh
 
 run_cmd $(dirname ${0})/before_test.sh
+
+# setup database locally and run `bob_dbmanage.py all download`
+# if this is a database package - need auxiliary file for package
+if [[ ${CI_PROJECT_NAME} == bob.db.* ]]; then
+  run_cmd ./bin/buildout
+  if [ -x ./bin/bob_dbmanage.py ]; then
+    run_cmd ./bin/bob_dbmanage.py all download --force;
+  fi
+fi