diff --git a/compose-dev.yml b/compose-dev.yml
index 9a1b918..180cf13 100644
--- a/compose-dev.yml
+++ b/compose-dev.yml
@@ -11,3 +11,5 @@ services:
       # Only necessary for externaly hosted databases such as NeonDB
     volumes:
     - ./sql:/sql
+
+# docker compose -f ./compose-dev.yml up --build
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/app.d.ts b/src/app.d.ts
index 65be1f9..7f4085a 100644
--- a/src/app.d.ts
+++ b/src/app.d.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ declare global {
     interface Locals {
       user: import("lucia").User | null;
       session: import("lucia").Session | null;
+      isServerSetup: boolean;
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/hooks.server.ts b/src/hooks.server.ts
index 09bd7ea..caa3471 100644
--- a/src/hooks.server.ts
+++ b/src/hooks.server.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import { lucia } from "$lib/server/auth";
-import type { Handle } from "@sveltejs/kit";
+import { redirect, type Handle } from "@sveltejs/kit";
 import { sequence } from '@sveltejs/kit/hooks';
+import { db } from "$lib/db/db.server";
+import { userTable } from "$lib/db/schema";
+import { eq } from "drizzle-orm";
 
 export const authHook: Handle = async ({ event, resolve }) => {
   const sessionId = event.cookies.get(lucia.sessionCookieName);
@@ -53,4 +56,27 @@ export const themeHook: Handle = async ({ event, resolve }) => {
   return await resolve(event);
 }
 
-export const handle = sequence(authHook, themeHook);
+export const setupAdminUser: Handle = async ({ event, resolve }) => {
+  // Check if an admin user exists
+  /* let result = await db
+    .select()
+    .from(userVisitedAdventures)
+    .where(eq(userVisitedAdventures.userId, event.locals.user.id))
+    .execute();*/
+  let adminUser = await db
+  .select()
+  .from(userTable)
+  .where(eq(userTable.role, 'admin'))
+  .execute();
+  // If an admin user exists, return the resolved event
+  if (adminUser != null && adminUser.length > 0) {
+    event.locals.isServerSetup = true;
+    return await resolve(event);
+  }
+
+  console.log("No admin user found");
+  event.locals.isServerSetup = false;
+  return await resolve(event);
+};
+
+export const handle = sequence(setupAdminUser, authHook, themeHook);
diff --git a/src/routes/+layout.server.ts b/src/routes/+layout.server.ts
index d843f2a..adc26d8 100644
--- a/src/routes/+layout.server.ts
+++ b/src/routes/+layout.server.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
+import { goto } from "$app/navigation";
 import type { LayoutServerLoad, PageServerLoad } from "./$types";
 
 export const load: LayoutServerLoad = async (event) => {
   if (event.locals.user) {
     return {
       user: event.locals.user,
+      isServerSetup: event.locals.isServerSetup,
     };
   }
   return {
     user: null,
+    isServerSetup: event.locals.isServerSetup,
   };
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/routes/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
index 22582f2..9e4a2cf 100644
--- a/src/routes/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
@@ -4,6 +4,21 @@
   import Navbar from "$lib/components/Navbar.svelte";
   import type { SubmitFunction } from "@sveltejs/kit";
   import "../app.css";
+  import { goto } from "$app/navigation";
+  import { onMount } from "svelte";
+  import { page } from "$app/stores";
+
+  let isServerSetup = data.isServerSetup;
+
+  onMount(() => {
+    console.log("isServerSetup", isServerSetup);
+    if (!isServerSetup && $page.url.pathname !== "/setup") {
+      goto("/setup");
+    }
+    if (isServerSetup && $page.url.pathname == "/setup") {
+      goto("/");
+    }
+  });
 </script>
 
 <!-- passes the user object to the navbar component -->
diff --git a/src/routes/settings/+page.server.ts b/src/routes/settings/+page.server.ts
index 25695c7..c2cbb5b 100644
--- a/src/routes/settings/+page.server.ts
+++ b/src/routes/settings/+page.server.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { db } from "$lib/db/db.server";
 import { userTable } from "$lib/db/schema";
 import { eq } from "drizzle-orm";
 import { Argon2id } from "oslo/password";
+import type { DatabaseUser } from "$lib/server/auth";
 
 export const load: PageServerLoad = async (event) => {
   if (event.locals.user)
@@ -42,6 +43,22 @@ export const actions: Actions = {
         };
     }
 
+    const usernameTaken = await db
+      .select()
+      .from(userTable)
+      .where(eq(userTable.username, username))
+      .limit(1)
+      .then((results) => results[0] as unknown as DatabaseUser | undefined);
+
+    if (usernameTaken) {
+        return {
+            status: 400,
+            body: {
+                message: "Username taken!"
+            }
+        };
+    }
+
     if (password) {
         let hashedPassword = await new Argon2id().hash(password);
         console.log(hashedPassword)
diff --git a/src/routes/setup/+page.server.ts b/src/routes/setup/+page.server.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7fd366a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/routes/setup/+page.server.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+// routes/signup/+page.server.ts
+import { lucia } from "$lib/server/auth";
+import { fail, redirect } from "@sveltejs/kit";
+import { generateId } from "lucia";
+import { Argon2id } from "oslo/password";
+import { db } from "$lib/db/db.server";
+import type { DatabaseUser } from "$lib/server/auth";
+
+import type { Actions } from "./$types";
+import { userTable } from "$lib/db/schema";
+import { eq } from "drizzle-orm";
+
+export const actions: Actions = {
+  default: async (event) => {
+    const formData = await event.request.formData();
+    const username = formData.get("username");
+    const password = formData.get("password");
+    const firstName = formData.get("first_name");
+    const lastName = formData.get("last_name");
+    // username must be between 4 ~ 31 characters, and only consists of lowercase letters, 0-9, -, and _
+    // keep in mind some database (e.g. mysql) are case insensitive
+
+    // check all to make sure all fields are provided
+    if (!username || !password || !firstName || !lastName) {
+      return fail(400, {
+        message: "All fields are required",
+      });
+    }
+
+    if (
+      typeof username !== "string" ||
+      username.length < 3 ||
+      username.length > 31 ||
+      !/^[a-z0-9_-]+$/.test(username)
+    ) {
+      return fail(400, {
+        message: "Invalid username",
+      });
+    }
+    if (
+      typeof password !== "string" ||
+      password.length < 6 ||
+      password.length > 255
+    ) {
+      return fail(400, {
+        message: "Invalid password",
+      });
+    }
+
+    if (
+      typeof firstName !== "string" ||
+      firstName.length < 1 ||
+      firstName.length > 255
+    ) {
+      return fail(400, {
+        message: "Invalid first name",
+      });
+    }
+
+    if (
+      typeof lastName !== "string" ||
+      lastName.length < 1 ||
+      lastName.length > 255
+    ) {
+      return fail(400, {
+        message: "Invalid last name",
+      });
+    }
+
+    const userId = generateId(15);
+    const hashedPassword = await new Argon2id().hash(password);
+
+    const usernameTaken = await db
+      .select()
+      .from(userTable)
+      .where(eq(userTable.username, username))
+      .limit(1)
+      .then((results) => results[0] as unknown as DatabaseUser | undefined);
+
+    if (usernameTaken) {
+      return fail(400, {
+        message: "Username already taken",
+      });
+    }
+
+    let adminUser = await db
+  .select()
+  .from(userTable)
+  .where(eq(userTable.role, 'admin'))
+  .execute();
+
+    if (adminUser != null && adminUser.length > 0) {
+      return fail(400, {
+        message: "Admin user already exists",
+      });
+    }
+    
+    await db
+      .insert(userTable)
+      .values({
+        id: userId,
+        username: username,
+        first_name: firstName,
+        last_name: lastName,
+        hashed_password: hashedPassword,
+        signup_date: new Date(),
+        role: "admin",
+        last_login: new Date(),
+      } as DatabaseUser)
+      .execute();
+
+    const session = await lucia.createSession(userId, {});
+    const sessionCookie = lucia.createSessionCookie(session.id);
+    event.cookies.set(sessionCookie.name, sessionCookie.value, {
+      path: ".",
+      ...sessionCookie.attributes,
+    });
+
+    redirect(302, "/");
+  },
+};
diff --git a/src/routes/setup/+page.svelte b/src/routes/setup/+page.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c7a155
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/routes/setup/+page.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+    import { enhance } from "$app/forms";
+</script>
+
+<h1 class="text-center font-bold text-4xl">AdventureLog Setup</h1>
+
+<!-- centered text descripton welcomeing the user -->
+<p class="text-center mt-4">
+    Welcome to AdventureLog! Please follow the steps below to setup your server.
+</p>
+
+<!-- step 1 create admin user -->
+<h2 class="text-center font-bold text-2xl mt-6">Create Admin User</h2>
+
+<div class="flex justify-center">
+    <form method="post" use:enhance class="w-full max-w-xs">
+        <label for="username">Username</label>
+        <input
+            name="username"
+            id="username"
+            class="block mb-2 input input-bordered w-full max-w-xs"
+        /><br />
+        <label for="first_name">First Name</label>
+        <input
+            name="first_name"
+            id="first_name"
+            class="block mb-2 input input-bordered w-full max-w-xs"
+        /><br />
+        <label for="last_name">Last Name</label>
+        <input
+            name="last_name"
+            id="last_name"
+            class="block mb-2 input input-bordered w-full max-w-xs"
+        /><br />
+        <label for="password">Password</label>
+        <input
+            type="password"
+            name="password"
+            id="password"
+            class="block mb-2 input input-bordered w-full max-w-xs"
+        /><br />
+        <button class="py-2 px-4 btn btn-primary">Signup</button>
+    </form>
+</div>
diff --git a/startup.sh b/startup.sh
index ef4e7b9..d6991f1 100644
--- a/startup.sh
+++ b/startup.sh
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ run_sql_scripts() {
     echo "Finished running SQL scripts."
 }
 
+
 # Start your application here
 # Print message
 echo "Starting AdventureLog"
@@ -33,6 +34,9 @@ if [ -z "$SKIP_DB_WAIT" ] || [ "$SKIP_DB_WAIT" = "false" ]; then
     wait_for_db
 fi
 
+# Wait for the database to start up
+setup_admin_user
+
 # generate the schema
 # npm run generate