diff --git a/src/sh/local.sh b/src/sh/local.sh
index 23530e3..2578970 100644
--- a/src/sh/local.sh
+++ b/src/sh/local.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,15 @@ if [ ! "${LOCAL_LOADED:-}" ]; then
   LOCALDATA_RELEASES_LIST="$LOCALDATADIR/releases_list"
   DECORATION_FILENAME=${DECORATION_FILENAME:-"mbid.json"}
 
+  # Create necessary files
+  [ -d "$LOCALDATADIR" ] || mkdir -p "$LOCALDATADIR"
+  [ -f "$LOCALDATA_ARTISTS" ] || touch "$LOCALDATA_ARTISTS"
+  [ -f "$LOCALDATA_RELEASEGROUPS" ] || touch "$LOCALDATA_RELEASEGROUPS"
+  [ -f "$LOCALDATA_RELEASES" ] || touch "$LOCALDATA_RELEASES"
+  [ -f "$LOCALDATA_ARTISTS_LIST" ] || touch "$LOCALDATA_ARTISTS_LIST"
+  [ -f "$LOCALDATA_RELEASEGROUPS_LIST" ] || touch "$LOCALDATA_RELEASEGROUPS_LIST"
+  [ -f "$LOCALDATA_RELEASES_LIST" ] || touch "$LOCALDATA_RELEASES_LIST"
+
   export LOCALDATADIR LOCALDATA_ARTISTS LOCALDATA_RELEASEGROUPS \
     LOCALDATA_RELEASES LOCALDATA_ARTISTS_VIEW LOCALDATA_RELEASEGROUPS_VIEW \
     LOCALDATA_RELEASES_VIEW LOCALDATA_ARTISTS_LIST LOCALDATA_RELEASEGROUPS_LIST \