diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b555a30c..8483bc43 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ compose.override.yml
 target
 .data
 .env
+.venv/
+venv/
 
 .vercel
 .DS_Store
diff --git a/scripts/generate-shitload-of-users.py b/scripts/generate-shitload-of-users.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..607475ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/generate-shitload-of-users.py
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+# a test script that generates a ton of users for debugging use
+# note that you'll need to comment out the ratelimiter in delta/src/main.rs
+# and keep the number relatively low or requests will time out (the beefier the machine the more you can handle).
+# this script assumes mailhog is running, and uses that to automate "emails".
+
+# In the real world, antispam will catch this and nuke you to hell and back.
+# But it works fine in a dev env!
+
+# requires httpx
+import asyncio
+import os
+import re
+import uuid
+
+import httpx
+
+API_URL: str = os.getenv("API_URL") # type: ignore
+MAILHOG_API: str = os.getenv("MAILHOG_API") # type: ignore
+COUNT = int(os.getenv("COUNT")) # type: ignore # cbf to deal with type checking
+INVITE: str = os.getenv("INVITE") # type: ignore
+
+assert API_URL and MAILHOG_API and COUNT and INVITE
+
+API_URL = API_URL.strip("/")
+MAILHOG_API = MAILHOG_API.strip("/")
+
+async def filter_hog(client: httpx.AsyncClient, email: str) -> str:
+    """
+    returns the token provided by the mail server.
+    This script assumes the use of mailhog.
+    """
+
+    resp = await client.get(MAILHOG_API + "/api/v2/search", params={"kind": "to", "query": email}, follow_redirects=True, timeout=60)
+    if resp.status_code != 200:
+        raise Exception(resp.status_code, resp.content)
+    
+    data = resp.json()
+    if not data["items"]:
+        raise Exception("No message found")
+    
+    message_id = data["items"][0]["ID"]
+    body = data["items"][0]["Content"]["Body"].replace("\r", "")
+    token = re.search("/login/verify(=\n/|/\n=|/=\n)(?P<token>[^\n]+)", body, re.MULTILINE)
+    if not token:
+        raise Exception("No token found")
+    
+    ret = token.group("token")
+
+    await client.delete(MAILHOG_API + f"/api/v1/messages/{message_id}", timeout=60)
+    return ret
+
+
+async def task() -> None:
+    _id = str(uuid.uuid4())[:4]
+    email = f"{_id}@example.com"
+
+    async with httpx.AsyncClient() as client:
+        resp = await client.post(API_URL + "/auth/account/create", json={"email": email, "password": _id*3, "invite": INVITE}, timeout=60)
+        if resp.status_code != 204:
+            raise Exception(resp.status_code, resp.content)
+
+        token = await filter_hog(client, email)
+
+        resp = await client.post(API_URL + f"/auth/account/verify/{token}", timeout=60)
+        if resp.status_code != 200:
+            raise Exception("verify", resp.status_code, resp.content)
+        
+        ticket = resp.json()["ticket"]
+        userid = ticket["_id"]
+        
+        resp = await client.post(API_URL + "/auth/session/login", json={"email": email, "password": _id*3, "friendly_name": "Not A Client"}, timeout=60)
+        if resp.status_code != 200:
+            raise Exception("session", resp.status_code, resp.content)
+        
+        session = resp.json()
+        token = session["token"]
+        
+        resp = await client.post(API_URL + "/onboard/complete", json={"username": _id}, headers={"x-session-token": token}, timeout=60) # complete onboarding to allow creating a session
+        if resp.status_code != 200:
+            raise Exception("onboard", resp.status_code, resp.content)
+        
+        resp = await client.post(API_URL + f"/invites/{INVITE}", headers={"x-session-token": token}, timeout=60)
+        if resp.status_code != 200:
+            raise Exception("invite", resp.status_code, resp.content)
+        
+        print(f"Created account and session for {email} with ID: {userid}")
+        return userid
+
+async def main():
+    tasks = [asyncio.create_task(task()) for _ in range(COUNT)]
+    print(await asyncio.gather(*tasks))
+
+asyncio.run(main())
\ No newline at end of file