diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 10852e1..8f1b2eb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # Changelog
 
+Note: Breaking changes between versions are indicated by "💥".
+
+## Latest
+
+- 💥[Improvement] Replace the `databases` command by `init`.
+
 ## 3.3.11 (2019-06-07)
 
 - [Improvement] Upgrade to ironwood.2
@@ -8,7 +14,7 @@
 - [Bugfix] Fix installing a locally cloned requirement repository
 - [Improvement] Add `--no-cache` option to `images build`
 - [Improvement] Make it possible to configure the notes service hostname
-- [Improvement] Better, more robust MySQL initialization
+- [Improvement] Better, more robust MySQL initialisation
 
 ## 3.3.10 (2019-05-15)
 
@@ -128,7 +134,7 @@
 
 ## 3.0.1 (2019-02-11)
 
-- [Bugfix] fix mysql initialization (#159, #160)
+- [Bugfix] fix mysql initialisation (#159, #160)
 - [Improvement] Better handling of continuous integration
 - [Bugfix] fix `tutor --version` (#156)
 - [Improvement] Absolute settings imports -- 📯 thanks @tonytan4ever!
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6b82a93..6c4d184 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ ci-github: ./releases/github-release ## Upload assets to github
 ci-images: ## Build and push docker images to hub.docker.com
 	python setup.py develop
 	tutor images build all
-	tutor local databases
+	tutor local init
 	docker login -u "$$DOCKER_USERNAME" -p "$$DOCKER_PASSWORD"
 	tutor images push all
 
diff --git a/docs/local.rst b/docs/local.rst
index b302f35..07ffca9 100644
--- a/docs/local.rst
+++ b/docs/local.rst
@@ -43,16 +43,16 @@ Update docker images
 
 This downloads the latest version of the docker images from `Docker Hub <https://hub.docker.com/r/regis/openedx/>`_. Depending on your bandwidth, this might take a long time. Minor image updates will be incremental, and thus much faster.
 
-Database management
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Service initialisation
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 ::
 
-    tutor local databases
+    tutor local init
 
-This command should be run just once. It will create the required databases tables and apply database migrations for all applications.
+This command should be run just once. It will initialise all applications: in particular, this will create the required databases tables and apply database migrations for all applications.
 
-If migrations are stopped with a ``Killed`` message, this certainly means the docker containers don't have enough RAM. See the :ref:`troubleshooting` section.
+If initialisation is stopped with a ``Killed`` message, this certainly means the docker containers don't have enough RAM. See the :ref:`troubleshooting` section.
 
 Running Open edX
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/tutor/commands/k8s.py b/tutor/commands/k8s.py
index b5c5717..f57061c 100644
--- a/tutor/commands/k8s.py
+++ b/tutor/commands/k8s.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def quickstart(root, silent):
     click.echo(fmt.title("Starting the platform"))
     start.callback(root)
     click.echo(fmt.title("Database creation and migrations"))
-    databases.callback(root)
+    init.callback(root)
     # TODO https certificates
 
 
@@ -81,13 +81,13 @@ def delete(root, yes):
     )
 
 
-@click.command(help="Create databases and run database migrations")
+@click.command(help="Initialise all applications")
 @opts.root
-def databases(root):
+def init(root):
     # TODO this requires a running mysql/mongodb/elasticsearch. Maybe we should wait until they are up?
     config = tutor_config.load(root)
     runner = K8sScriptRunner(root, config)
-    scripts.migrate(runner)
+    scripts.initialise(runner)
 
 
 @click.command(help="Create an Open edX user and interactively set their password")
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ k8s.add_command(quickstart)
 k8s.add_command(start)
 k8s.add_command(stop)
 k8s.add_command(delete)
-k8s.add_command(databases)
+k8s.add_command(init)
 k8s.add_command(createuser)
 k8s.add_command(importdemocourse)
 k8s.add_command(indexcourses)
diff --git a/tutor/commands/local.py b/tutor/commands/local.py
index 4f91fb9..ca2eaf2 100644
--- a/tutor/commands/local.py
+++ b/tutor/commands/local.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ def quickstart(root, silent, pullimages_):
         click.echo(fmt.title("Docker image updates"))
         pullimages.callback(root)
     click.echo(fmt.title("Database creation and migrations"))
-    databases.callback(root)
+    init.callback(root)
     click.echo(fmt.title("HTTPS certificates generation"))
     https_create.callback(root)
     click.echo(fmt.title("Starting the platform in detached mode"))
@@ -147,12 +147,12 @@ def execute(root, service, command, args):
     docker_compose(root, config, *exec_command)
 
 
-@click.command(help="Create databases and run database migrations")
+@click.command(help="Initialise all applications")
 @opts.root
-def databases(root):
+def init(root):
     config = tutor_config.load(root)
     runner = ScriptRunner(root, config)
-    scripts.migrate(runner)
+    scripts.initialise(runner)
 
 
 @click.group(help="Manage https certificates")
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ local.add_command(stop)
 local.add_command(restart)
 local.add_command(run)
 local.add_command(execute, name="exec")
-local.add_command(databases)
+local.add_command(init)
 local.add_command(https)
 local.add_command(logs)
 local.add_command(createuser)
diff --git a/tutor/plugins.py b/tutor/plugins.py
index f7dac9e..52f0da1 100644
--- a/tutor/plugins.py
+++ b/tutor/plugins.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class Patches:
 def get_callable_attr(plugin, attr_name):
     attr = getattr(plugin, attr_name, {})
     if callable(attr):
-        # TODO pass config here for initialization
+        # TODO pass config here for initialisation
         attr = attr()
     return attr
 
diff --git a/tutor/scripts.py b/tutor/scripts.py
index 5e6f9bb..37e9770 100644
--- a/tutor/scripts.py
+++ b/tutor/scripts.py
@@ -31,19 +31,19 @@ class BaseRunner:
         yield from plugins.iter_scripts(self.config, script)
 
 
-def migrate(runner):
-    fmt.echo_info("Creating all databases...")
+def initialise(runner):
+    fmt.echo_info("Initialising all services...")
     runner.run("mysql-client", "scripts", "mysql-client", "init")
     for service in ["lms", "cms", "forum", "notes", "xqueue"]:
         if runner.is_activated(service):
-            fmt.echo_info("Running {} migrations...".format(service))
+            fmt.echo_info("Initialising {}...".format(service))
             runner.run(service, "scripts", service, "init")
     for plugin_name, service in runner.iter_plugin_scripts("init"):
         fmt.echo_info(
             "Plugin {}: running init for service {}...".format(plugin_name, service)
         )
         runner.run(service, plugin_name, "scripts", service, "init")
-    fmt.echo_info("Databases ready.")
+    fmt.echo_info("All services initialised.")
 
 
 def create_user(runner, superuser, staff, username, email):
diff --git a/tutor/templates/scripts/mysql-client/init b/tutor/templates/scripts/mysql-client/init
index 100ed08..813be0a 100644
--- a/tutor/templates/scripts/mysql-client/init
+++ b/tutor/templates/scripts/mysql-client/init
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-echo "Initializing MySQL..."
+echo "Initialising MySQL..."
 mysql_connection_max_attempts=10
 mysql_connection_attempt=0
 until mysql -u root --password="{{ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD }}" --host "{{ MYSQL_HOST }}" --port {{ MYSQL_PORT }} -e 'exit'
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ do
     echo "    [$mysql_connection_attempt/$mysql_connection_max_attempts] Waiting for MySQL service (this may take a while)..."
     if [ $mysql_connection_attempt -eq $mysql_connection_max_attempts ]
     then
-      echo "MySQL initialization error" 1>&2
+      echo "MySQL initialisation error" 1>&2
       exit 1
     fi
     sleep 10