diff --git a/podman-run.sh b/podman-run.sh
index e00aaf1..1ab7b59 100755
--- a/podman-run.sh
+++ b/podman-run.sh
@@ -12,3 +12,41 @@ podman exec --user 33 nextcloud bash -c 'cd /var/www/html/custom_apps/upschoolin
 podman exec --user 33 nextcloud php occ maintenance:install --database sqlite --admin-user admin --admin-pass admin
 podman exec --user 33 nextcloud php occ config:system:set --value=true --type=boolean debug
 podman exec --user 33 nextcloud php occ app:enable --force upschooling
+
+if podman volume exists synapse-data; then
+  echo "Found existing synapse-data volume"
+else
+  podman run -d --rm \
+      --name=synapse \
+      --replace=true \
+      --hostname synapse \
+      "--mount=type=volume,src=synapse-data,dst=/data" \
+      -e SYNAPSE_SERVER_NAME=synapse \
+      -e SYNAPSE_REPORT_STATS=no \
+      docker.io/matrixdotorg/synapse \
+      generate
+  echo "Generated fresh synapse-data volume"
+fi
+
+podman run -d \
+    --name=synapse \
+    --replace=true \
+    "--mount=type=volume,src=synapse-data,dst=/data" \
+    "--network=container:$(podman inspect --format "{{.Id}}" nextcloud)" \
+    --hostname synapse \
+    docker.io/matrixdotorg/synapse
+
+REGISTER_USER_OUTPUT="$(podman exec synapse register_new_matrix_user -u upschooling -p secret -a -c /data/homeserver.yaml http://localhost:8008)"
+REGISTER_USER_SUCCESS=$?
+
+if [[ "$REGISTER_USER_SUCCESS" != "0" ]]; then
+  if echo $REGISTER_USER_OUTPUT | grep -q "User ID already taken."; then
+    echo "User @upschooling:synapse already exists. OK"
+  else
+    echo "Could not create user @upschooling:synapse"
+    echo $REGISTER_USER_OUTPUT
+    exit 1
+  fi
+else
+  echo "Matrix user @upschooling:synapse created. OK"
+fi