diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 6c2dfde8c..b4e7d3ed4 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 # [Recommended] Important application information
 NEXT_PUBLIC_PRIVACY_POLICY_URL=
 
+# [Recommended, optional] Postgres Database (for server-side storage, see prisma/schema.prisma)
+POSTGRES_PRISMA_URL=
+POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING=
+
 # [Recommended for local deployments] Backend API key for OpenAI, so that users don't need one (UI > this > '')
 OPENAI_API_KEY=
 # [Optional] Sets the "OpenAI-Organization" header field to support organization users (UI > this > '')
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index c9547f1eb..1d212ec3e 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
     "": {
       "name": "big-agi",
       "version": "1.3.5",
+      "hasInstallScript": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "@dqbd/tiktoken": "^1.0.7",
         "@emotion/cache": "^11.11.0",
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@
         "@mui/icons-material": "^5.14.3",
         "@mui/joy": "^5.0.0-beta.2",
         "@next/bundle-analyzer": "^13.4.19",
+        "@prisma/client": "^5.4.2",
         "@tanstack/react-query": "^4.33.0",
         "@trpc/client": "^10.37.1",
         "@trpc/next": "^10.37.1",
@@ -51,6 +53,7 @@
         "eslint": "^8.47.0",
         "eslint-config-next": "^13.4.19",
         "prettier": "^3.0.2",
+        "prisma": "^5.4.2",
         "typescript": "^5.1.6"
       },
       "engines": {
@@ -1026,6 +1029,38 @@
         "url": "https://opencollective.com/popperjs"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/@prisma/client": {
+      "version": "5.4.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@prisma/client/-/client-5.4.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-2xsPaz4EaMKj1WS9iW6MlPhmbqtBsXAOeVttSePp8vTFTtvzh2hZbDgswwBdSCgPzmmwF+tLB259QzggvCmJqA==",
+      "hasInstallScript": true,
+      "dependencies": {
+        "@prisma/engines-version": "5.4.1-2.ac9d7041ed77bcc8a8dbd2ab6616b39013829574"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=16.13"
+      },
+      "peerDependencies": {
+        "prisma": "*"
+      },
+      "peerDependenciesMeta": {
+        "prisma": {
+          "optional": true
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "node_modules/@prisma/engines": {
+      "version": "5.4.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@prisma/engines/-/engines-5.4.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-fqeucJ3LH0e1eyFdT0zRx+oETLancu5+n4lhiYECyEz6H2RDskPJHJYHkVc0LhkU4Uv7fuEnppKU3nVKNzMh8g==",
+      "devOptional": true,
+      "hasInstallScript": true
+    },
+    "node_modules/@prisma/engines-version": {
+      "version": "5.4.1-2.ac9d7041ed77bcc8a8dbd2ab6616b39013829574",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@prisma/engines-version/-/engines-version-5.4.1-2.ac9d7041ed77bcc8a8dbd2ab6616b39013829574.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-wvupDL4AA1vf4TQNANg7kR7y98ITqPsk6aacfBxZKtrJKRIsWjURHkZCGcQliHdqCiW/hGreO6d6ZuSv9MhdAA=="
+    },
     "node_modules/@rushstack/eslint-patch": {
       "version": "1.3.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@rushstack/eslint-patch/-/eslint-patch-1.3.3.tgz",
@@ -5166,6 +5201,22 @@
         "url": "https://github.com/prettier/prettier?sponsor=1"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/prisma": {
+      "version": "5.4.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/prisma/-/prisma-5.4.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-GDMZwZy7mysB2oXU+angQqJ90iaPFdD0rHaZNkn+dio5NRkGLmMqmXs31//tg/qXT3iB0cTQwnGGQNuirhSTZg==",
+      "devOptional": true,
+      "hasInstallScript": true,
+      "dependencies": {
+        "@prisma/engines": "5.4.2"
+      },
+      "bin": {
+        "prisma": "build/index.js"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=16.13"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/prismjs": {
       "version": "1.29.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/prismjs/-/prismjs-1.29.0.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 1c89dd151..863201def 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@
     "dev": "next dev",
     "build": "next build",
     "start": "next start",
-    "lint": "next lint"
+    "lint": "next lint",
+    "env:pull": "npx vercel env pull .env.development.local",
+    "postinstall": "prisma generate",
+    "db:push": "prisma db push",
+    "db:studio": "prisma studio"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@dqbd/tiktoken": "^1.0.7",
@@ -20,6 +24,7 @@
     "@mui/icons-material": "^5.14.3",
     "@mui/joy": "^5.0.0-beta.2",
     "@next/bundle-analyzer": "^13.4.19",
+    "@prisma/client": "^5.4.2",
     "@tanstack/react-query": "^4.33.0",
     "@trpc/client": "^10.37.1",
     "@trpc/next": "^10.37.1",
@@ -55,6 +60,7 @@
     "eslint": "^8.47.0",
     "eslint-config-next": "^13.4.19",
     "prettier": "^3.0.2",
+    "prisma": "^5.4.2",
     "typescript": "^5.1.6"
   }
 }
diff --git a/prisma/schema.prisma b/prisma/schema.prisma
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..892e39128
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prisma/schema.prisma
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+// Prisma is the ORM for server-side (API) access to the database
+//
+// This file defines the schema for the database.
+//  - make sure to run 'prisma generate' after making changes to this file
+//  - make sure to run 'prisma db push' to sync the remote database with the schema
+//
+// Database is optional: when the environment variables are not set, the database is not used at all,
+// and the storage of data in Big-AGI is limited to client-side (browser) storage.
+//
+// The database is used for:
+//  - the 'sharing' function, to let users share the chats with each other
+
+generator client {
+  provider = "prisma-client-js"
+}
+
+datasource db {
+  provider  = "postgresql"
+  url       = env("POSTGRES_PRISMA_URL") // uses connection pooling
+  directUrl = env("POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING") // uses a direct connection
+}
+
+model Sharing {
+  id String @id @default(uuid())
+  // TODO: to be defined later
+}
diff --git a/src/common/types/env.d.ts b/src/common/types/env.d.ts
index 33cba0add..d1bf77a27 100644
--- a/src/common/types/env.d.ts
+++ b/src/common/types/env.d.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ declare namespace NodeJS {
   // available to the server-side
   interface ProcessEnv {
 
+    // Postgres, for optional storage via Prisma
+    POSTGRES_PRISMA_URL?: string;
+    POSTGRES_URL_NON_POOLING?: string;
+
     // LLM: OpenAI
     OPENAI_API_KEY: string;
     OPENAI_API_ORG_ID: string;