diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ed2db4a83..6db7f6ac2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -34,3 +34,6 @@ In use by `@comet/create-app` to create new Comet DXP projects. Find more inform
 
     // import fixtures
     npm run --prefix api fixtures
+
+    // start repl
+    npm run --prefix api repl
diff --git a/api/.gitignore b/api/.gitignore
index 45c7c5009..fc49f5083 100644
--- a/api/.gitignore
+++ b/api/.gitignore
@@ -43,3 +43,5 @@ junit.xml
 /uploads
 
 src/site-configs.d.ts
+
+.nestjs_repl_history
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/api/package.json b/api/package.json
index c627be372..0700b7407 100644
--- a/api/package.json
+++ b/api/package.json
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
         "lint:generated-files-not-modified": "npm run api-generator && git diff --exit-code HEAD --",
         "lint:prettier": "npx prettier --check './**/*.{js,json,md,yml,yaml}'",
         "lint:tsc": "tsc --project ./tsconfig.lint.json",
+        "repl": "npm run start -- --watch --entryFile repl",
         "start": "npm run prebuild && dotenv -e .env.secrets -e .env.local -e .env -e .env.site-configs -- nest start",
         "start:debug": "npm run prebuild && dotenv -e .env.secrets -e .env.local -e .env -e .env.site-configs -- nest start --debug --watch --preserveWatchOutput",
         "start:dev": "npm run prebuild && npm run db:migrate && npm run console createBlockIndexViews && dotenv -e .env.secrets -e .env.local -e .env -e .env.site-configs -- nest start --watch --preserveWatchOutput",
diff --git a/api/src/repl.ts b/api/src/repl.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d11dec913
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/src/repl.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import "tsconfig-paths/register";
+
+import { MikroORM } from "@mikro-orm/core";
+import { NestFactory } from "@nestjs/core";
+import { repl } from "@nestjs/core/repl";
+import { NestExpressApplication } from "@nestjs/platform-express";
+
+import { AppModule } from "./app.module";
+import { createConfig } from "./config/config";
+
+async function bootstrap() {
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV === "production") {
+        throw new Error("Can't use REPL in production");
+    }
+
+    const config = createConfig(process.env);
+    const appModule = AppModule.forRoot(config);
+    const app = await NestFactory.create<NestExpressApplication>(appModule);
+    const replServer = await repl(appModule);
+
+    // preserve history between refreshes of the repl
+    replServer.setupHistory(".nestjs_repl_history", (err) => {
+        if (err) {
+            console.error(err);
+        }
+    });
+
+    // Get the MikroORM instance from the app
+    const orm = app.get(MikroORM);
+
+    // Context shortcuts
+    const replContext = replServer.context;
+    replContext.orm = orm;
+    replContext.em = orm.em;
+}
+bootstrap();