diff --git a/docs/source/toc.md b/docs/source/toc.md
index e9cdc2363b..9e0e45f859 100644
--- a/docs/source/toc.md
+++ b/docs/source/toc.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Toc
-
+- [API root](api/evennia-api.rst)
 - [./A voice operated elevator using events](./A-voice-operated-elevator-using-events)
 - [./API refactoring](./API-refactoring)
 - [./Accounts](./Accounts)
diff --git a/evennia/server/server.py b/evennia/server/server.py
index bf3cbb333c..4d09d8fdb6 100644
--- a/evennia/server/server.py
+++ b/evennia/server/server.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import evennia
 evennia._init()
 
 from django.db import connection
+from django.db.utils import OperationalError
 from django.conf import settings
 
 from evennia.accounts.models import AccountDB
@@ -205,7 +206,10 @@ class Evennia(object):
         self.start_time = time.time()
 
         # initialize channelhandler
-        channelhandler.CHANNELHANDLER.update()
+        try:
+            channelhandler.CHANNELHANDLER.update()
+        except OperationalError:
+            print("channelhandler couldn't update - db not set up")
 
         # wrap the SIGINT handler to make sure we empty the threadpool
         # even when we reload and we have long-running requests in queue.
@@ -616,7 +620,11 @@ class Evennia(object):
 
 
 # Tell the system the server is starting up; some things are not available yet
-ServerConfig.objects.conf("server_starting_mode", True)
+try:
+    ServerConfig.objects.conf("server_starting_mode", True)
+except OperationalError:
+    print("Server server_starting_mode couldn't be set - database not set up.")
+
 
 # twistd requires us to define the variable 'application' so it knows
 # what to execute from.
@@ -728,4 +736,7 @@ for plugin_module in SERVER_SERVICES_PLUGIN_MODULES:
         print(f"Could not load plugin module {plugin_module}")
 
 # clear server startup mode
-ServerConfig.objects.conf("server_starting_mode", delete=True)
+try:
+    ServerConfig.objects.conf("server_starting_mode", delete=True)
+except OperationalError:
+    print("Server server_starting_mode couldn't unset - db not set up.")
diff --git a/evennia/utils/ansi.py b/evennia/utils/ansi.py
index e954590fbb..cd69b48821 100644
--- a/evennia/utils/ansi.py
+++ b/evennia/utils/ansi.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 """
 ANSI - Gives colour to text.
 
-Use the codes defined in ANSIPARSER in your text
-to apply colour to text according to the ANSI standard.
+Use the codes defined in ANSIPARSER in your text to apply colour to text
+according to the ANSI standard.
 
 Examples:
 
@@ -10,10 +10,9 @@ Examples:
 "This is |rRed text|n and this is normal again."
 ```
 
-Mostly you should not need to call `parse_ansi()` explicitly;
-it is run by Evennia just before returning data to/from the
-user.  Depreciated example forms are available by extending
-the ansi mapping.
+Mostly you should not need to call `parse_ansi()` explicitly; it is run by
+Evennia just before returning data to/from the user. Depreciated example forms
+are available by extending the ansi mapping.
 
 """
 import functools
@@ -81,11 +80,9 @@ _COLOR_NO_DEFAULT = settings.COLOR_NO_DEFAULT
 
 class ANSIParser(object):
     """
-    A class that parses ANSI markup
-    to ANSI command sequences
+    A class that parses ANSI markup to ANSI command sequences.
 
-    We also allow to escape colour codes
-    by prepending with an extra |.
+    We also allow to escape colour codes by prepending with an extra `|`.
 
     """
 
diff --git a/evennia/utils/create.py b/evennia/utils/create.py
index e6066d1191..b8bda74460 100644
--- a/evennia/utils/create.py
+++ b/evennia/utils/create.py
@@ -96,16 +96,16 @@ def create_object(
             location itself or during unittests.
         attributes (list): Tuples on the form (key, value) or (key, value, category),
            (key, value, lockstring) or (key, value, lockstring, default_access).
-            to set as Attributes on the new object.
+           to set as Attributes on the new object.
         nattributes (list): Non-persistent tuples on the form (key, value). Note that
-            adding this rarely makes sense since this data will not survive a reload.
+           adding this rarely makes sense since this data will not survive a reload.
 
     Returns:
         object (Object): A newly created object of the given typeclass.
 
     Raises:
         ObjectDB.DoesNotExist: If trying to create an Object with
-            `location` or `home` that can't be found.
+        `location` or `home` that can't be found.
 
     """
     global _ObjectDB
diff --git a/evennia/utils/gametime.py b/evennia/utils/gametime.py
index b280a83999..ed7901582a 100644
--- a/evennia/utils/gametime.py
+++ b/evennia/utils/gametime.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import time
 from calendar import monthrange
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
+from django.db.utils import OperationalError
 from django.conf import settings
 from evennia import DefaultScript
 from evennia.server.models import ServerConfig
@@ -23,7 +24,11 @@ IGNORE_DOWNTIMES = settings.TIME_IGNORE_DOWNTIMES
 
 
 # Only set if gametime_reset was called at some point.
-GAME_TIME_OFFSET = ServerConfig.objects.conf("gametime_offset", default=0)
+try:
+    GAME_TIME_OFFSET = ServerConfig.objects.conf("gametime_offset", default=0)
+except OperationalError:
+    print("Gametime offset could not load - db not set up.")
+    GAME_TIME_OFFSET = 0
 
 # Common real-life time measure, in seconds.
 # You should not change this.