diff --git a/HISTORY.rst b/HISTORY.rst
index 3c9034960e..40381abfd5 100644
--- a/HISTORY.rst
+++ b/HISTORY.rst
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@
   MAYAN_DATABASE_USER, MAYAN_DATABASE_PASSWORD, MAYAN_DATABASE_HOST, MAYAN_DATABASE_PORT,
   MAYAN_DEBUG.
 - Stricter defaults. CELERY_ALWAYS_EAGER to False, ALLOWED_HOSTS to ['127.0.0.1', 'localhost', '[::1]'].
+- New initialization command. Creates media/system and populates the SECRET_KEY and VERSION files.
 
 2.7.3 (2017-09-11)
 ==================
diff --git a/docs/releases/3.0.rst b/docs/releases/3.0.rst
index 413a072b0c..e7c227e49c 100644
--- a/docs/releases/3.0.rst
+++ b/docs/releases/3.0.rst
@@ -477,6 +477,7 @@ Other changes worth mentioning
   MAYAN_DATABASE_USER, MAYAN_DATABASE_PASSWORD, MAYAN_DATABASE_HOST, MAYAN_DATABASE_PORT,
   MAYAN_DEBUG.
 - Stricter defaults. CELERY_ALWAYS_EAGER to False, ALLOWED_HOSTS to ['127.0.0.1', 'localhost', '[::1]'].
+- New initialization command. Creates media/system and populates the SECRET_KEY and VERSION files.
 
 Removals
 --------
diff --git a/mayan/apps/common/management/commands/initialsetup.py b/mayan/apps/common/management/commands/initialsetup.py
index eadbe6c7cb..83afd65437 100644
--- a/mayan/apps/common/management/commands/initialsetup.py
+++ b/mayan/apps/common/management/commands/initialsetup.py
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
+import os
+
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.core import management
+from django.core.management.utils import get_random_secret_key
+
+import mayan
+from mayan.settings.literals import SECRET_KEY_FILENAME, SYSTEM_DIR
 
 from ...signals import post_initial_setup, pre_initial_setup
 
@@ -8,8 +15,25 @@ from ...signals import post_initial_setup, pre_initial_setup
 class Command(management.BaseCommand):
     help = 'Initializes an install and gets it ready to be used.'
 
+    def initialize_system(self):
+        system_path = os.path.join(settings.MEDIA_ROOT, SYSTEM_DIR)
+        secret_key_file_path = os.path.join(system_path, SECRET_KEY_FILENAME)
+
+        if not os.path.exists(system_path):
+            os.makedirs(system_path)
+
+            version_file_path = os.path.join(system_path, 'VERSION')
+            with open(version_file_path, 'w+') as file_object:
+                file_object.write(mayan.__version__)
+
+            with open(secret_key_file_path, 'w+') as file_object:
+                secret_key = get_random_secret_key()
+                file_object.write(secret_key)
+
+            settings.SECRET_KEY = secret_key
+
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
-        management.call_command('createsettings', interactive=False)
+        self.initialize_system()
         pre_initial_setup.send(sender=self)
         management.call_command('installjavascript', interactive=False)
         management.call_command('createautoadmin', interactive=False)