diff --git a/api/tests/commands/test_data_generation.py b/api/tests/commands/test_data_generation.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c3e893a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/tests/commands/test_data_generation.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+from django.test import TransactionTestCase
+from django.core.management import call_command
+
+
+class DataGenerationTest(TransactionTestCase):
+
+    def test_run_data_generation(self):
+        call_command('generate_test_data')
diff --git a/core/factory_apps/events.py b/core/factory_apps/events.py
index 22879203..00a043b1 100644
--- a/core/factory_apps/events.py
+++ b/core/factory_apps/events.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class Meta:
 
     organizer_notes = factory.Faker('paragraph')
 
-    limit = factory.Faker('random_digit_or_empty')
+    limit = factory.Faker('random_digit')
     visibility = Event.PUBLIC
     status = Event.PENDING
 
diff --git a/core/factory_apps/location.py b/core/factory_apps/location.py
index a713228b..bfa2322b 100644
--- a/core/factory_apps/location.py
+++ b/core/factory_apps/location.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class Meta:
         model = LocationMenu
 
     location = factory.SubFactory(LocationFactory)
-    name = factory.Faker('text')
+    name = factory.Faker('text', max_nb_chars=15)
 
 
 class FlatpageFactory(factory.DjangoModelFactory):
diff --git a/core/management/commands/generate_test_data.py b/core/management/commands/generate_test_data.py
index 1cefdeb7..559fedfd 100644
--- a/core/management/commands/generate_test_data.py
+++ b/core/management/commands/generate_test_data.py
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ def handle(self, *args, **options):
         with connection.cursor() as cursor:
             statements = flush_db.split('\n')
             for statement in statements:
+                if not statement:
+                    continue
                 cursor.execute(statement)
 
         call_command('migrate')
diff --git a/docs/how-to-run.md b/docs/how-to-run.md
index c28c5edd..f2f34592 100644
--- a/docs/how-to-run.md
+++ b/docs/how-to-run.md
@@ -70,11 +70,12 @@ create your own local_settings.py file from local_settings.example.py. inside th
 
 - browse through settings.py. make note of the location of the media directory and media_url, and any other settings of interest.
 
-## initialisation
+## Initialisation
 
 go back into the top level repository directory and do the following:
 
-- `./manage.py migrate` will initialise the database on first run
+- `./manage.py migrate` will initialise the database on first run. In the next step you want to get some initial data into the database.
+- `./manage.py generate_test_data`. This will populate the database with some randomized initial data.
 
 ## Run!