diff --git a/backend/app/main.py b/backend/app/main.py
index 2a964cb9..d5d77783 100644
--- a/backend/app/main.py
+++ b/backend/app/main.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import sentry_sdk
 from app.core.db import engine
 from app.core.config import settings
+from app.models import Document
 
 if settings.ENVIRONMENT == "production":
     sentry_sdk.init(
@@ -53,3 +54,22 @@ async def db_is_alive(session: Session = Depends(get_session)):
         raise HTTPException(
             status_code=status.HTTP_503_SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE, detail="DB is unreachable"
         )
+
+
+@app.post("/create_document")
+async def create_document(session: Session = Depends(get_session)):
+    doc = Document()
+    session.add(doc)
+    session.commit()
+    session.refresh(doc)
+    document_id = doc.document_id
+    # poor man's trigger because I couldnt get SQLAchemy DDL to work with a dynamic table name
+    session.execute(
+        text(
+            f"""
+            CREATE TABLE assignments_{document_id} PARTITION OF assignments
+            VALUES IN ('{document_id}')
+        """
+        )
+    )
+    return doc
diff --git a/backend/app/models.py b/backend/app/models.py
index fa8ce2d5..ea2285b2 100644
--- a/backend/app/models.py
+++ b/backend/app/models.py
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 from datetime import datetime
 from typing import Optional
 from sqlmodel import Field, SQLModel, UUID, TIMESTAMP, text, Column
-from sqlalchemy.schema import DDL
-from sqlalchemy import event
 
 
 class UUIDType(UUID):
@@ -41,7 +39,7 @@ class GerryDBTable(GerryDBTableBase, table=True):
 
 
 class Document(TimeStampMixin, SQLModel):
-    document_id: str = Field(sa_column=Column(UUIDType), unique=True)
+    document_id: str | None = Field(sa_column=Column(UUIDType), unique=True)
 
 
 class AssignmentsMixin(SQLModel):
@@ -57,16 +55,19 @@ class Assignments(AssignmentsMixin, table=True):
     __table_args__ = {"postgres_partition_by": "document_id"}
 
 
-# one time, create the trigger that creates new assignments partitions
-create_partition_trigger = DDL(
-    """
-        CREATE TRIGGER create_assignment_partition AFTER INSERT ON document
-        
-        BEGIN
-            CREATE TABLE assignments_{document_id} PARTITION OF assignments
-        VALUES IN (new.document_id)
-        END 
-        """
-)
-# do it when the document table is created
-event.listen(Document.__table, "after_create", create_partition_trigger)
+#  In a better world, we'd create the partition on assignments via trigger
+#  so that it happens even if a document is created outside the API.
+#
+# # one time, create the trigger that creates new assignments partitions
+# create_partition_trigger = DDL(
+#     """
+#         CREATE TRIGGER create_assignment_partition AFTER INSERT ON document
+
+#         BEGIN
+#             CREATE TABLE assignments_{document_id} PARTITION OF assignments
+#         VALUES IN (new.document_id)
+#         END
+#         """
+# )
+# # do it when the document table is created
+# event.listen(Document.__table, "after_create", create_partition_trigger)