diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/gen-migrations.yml b/.gitea/workflows/gen-migrations.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84838bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/gen-migrations.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+name: 'gen-migrations'
+on: { push: { branches: ['main'] } }
+
+jobs:
+  gen-migrations:
+    if: !startsWith(gitea.event.head_commit.message, 'chore')
+    container:
+      image: 'git.orionkindel.com/dnim/db-ci-runner:disheveled-iceberg-launched-loosely'
+      volumes: ['/run/user/1001/docker.sock:/run/user/1001/docker.sock']
+    steps:
+      - uses: 'actions/checkout@v3'
+        with: { fetch-depth: 0, ref: 'main', submodules: 'recursive' }
+      - name: 'git config'
+        run: |
+              git config --global user.email 'noreply@dnim.org'
+              git config --global user.name '🤖'
+      - name: 'update migrations submodule (and push if needed)'
+        run: |
+              set -ex
+              git submodule update --init --remote migrations;
+              if [[ ! (git diff-index --quiet --cached HEAD --) ]]; then
+                git add -A
+                git commit -m 'chore: update migrations'
+                git push
+              fi
+      - name: 'gen migrations (and push if needed)'
+        run: |
+              ./scripts/gen_migrations.sh
+              if [[ ! (git diff-index --quiet --cached HEAD --) ]]; then
+                cd migrations
+                git add -A
+                git commit -m 'chore: babe wake up new migrations just dropped'
+                git push
+                cd ../
+                git add -A
+                git commit -m 'chore: update migrations'
+                git push
+              fi
+        env:
+          DOCKER_HOST: 'unix:///run/user/1001/docker.sock' # HACK: rootless docker on gitea action runner
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/migrate-devel.yml b/.gitea/workflows/migrate-devel.yml
index 0751b2f..2618a6b 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/migrate-devel.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/migrate-devel.yml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ jobs:
       volumes: ['/run/user/1001/docker.sock:/run/user/1001/docker.sock']
     steps:
       - uses: 'actions/checkout@v3'
-        with: { fetch-depth: 0, ref: 'main' }
+        with: { fetch-depth: 0, ref: 'main', submodules: 'recursive' }
       - run: './scripts/migrate.sh'
         env:
           DOCKER_HOST: 'unix:///run/user/1001/docker.sock' # HACK: rootless docker on gitea action runner
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/migrate-stage.yml b/.gitea/workflows/migrate-stage.yml
index f4adaf9..371ea89 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/migrate-stage.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/migrate-stage.yml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ jobs:
       volumes: ['/run/user/1001/docker.sock:/run/user/1001/docker.sock']
     steps:
       - uses: 'actions/checkout@v3'
-        with: { fetch-depth: 0, ref: 'main' }
+        with: { fetch-depth: 0, ref: 'main', submodules: 'recursive' }
       - run: './scripts/migrate.sh'
         env:
           DOCKER_HOST: 'unix:///run/user/1001/docker.sock' # HACK: rootless docker on gitea action runner