diff --git a/packages/server/src/app.js b/packages/server/src/app.js
index 58526cdf4c..a5ef3132af 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/app.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/app.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const env = require("./environment")
 const eventEmitter = require("./events")
 const automations = require("./automations/index")
 const Sentry = require("@sentry/node")
+const selfhost = require("./selfhost")
 
 const app = new Koa()
 
@@ -49,9 +50,12 @@ destroyable(server)
 
 server.on("close", () => console.log("Server Closed"))
 
-module.exports = server.listen(env.PORT || 4001, () => {
+module.exports = server.listen(env.PORT || 4001, async () => {
   console.log(`Budibase running on ${JSON.stringify(server.address())}`)
   automations.init()
+  if (env.SELF_HOSTED) {
+    await selfhost.init()
+  }
 })
 
 process.on("uncaughtException", err => {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/middleware/authorized.js b/packages/server/src/middleware/authorized.js
index e959e05f9d..fff66a68d6 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/middleware/authorized.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/middleware/authorized.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const {
   doesHavePermission,
 } = require("../utilities/security/permissions")
 const env = require("../environment")
-const { apiKeyTable } = require("../db/dynamoClient")
+const { getAPIKey } = require("../utilities/security/apikey")
 const { AuthTypes } = require("../constants")
 
 const ADMIN_ROLES = [BUILTIN_ROLE_IDS.ADMIN, BUILTIN_ROLE_IDS.BUILDER]
@@ -21,9 +21,7 @@ module.exports = (permType, permLevel = null) => async (ctx, next) => {
   }
   if (env.CLOUD && ctx.headers["x-api-key"] && ctx.headers["x-instanceid"]) {
     // api key header passed by external webhook
-    const apiKeyInfo = await apiKeyTable.get({
-      primary: ctx.headers["x-api-key"],
-    })
+    const apiKeyInfo = await getAPIKey(ctx.headers["x-api-key"])
 
     if (apiKeyInfo) {
       ctx.auth = {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/middleware/usageQuota.js b/packages/server/src/middleware/usageQuota.js
index 39e387bd5a..e980afe678 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/middleware/usageQuota.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/middleware/usageQuota.js
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ module.exports = async (ctx, next) => {
       return
     }
   }
+  // if running in builder or a self hosted cloud usage quotas should not be executed
+  if (!env.CLOUD || env.SELF_HOSTED) {
+    return next()
+  }
   // update usage for uploads to be the total size
   if (property === usageQuota.Properties.UPLOAD) {
     const files =
@@ -51,9 +55,6 @@ module.exports = async (ctx, next) => {
         : [ctx.request.files.file]
     usage = files.map(file => file.size).reduce((total, size) => total + size)
   }
-  if (!env.CLOUD) {
-    return next()
-  }
   try {
     await usageQuota.update(ctx.auth.apiKey, property, usage)
     return next()
diff --git a/packages/server/src/selfhost/README.md b/packages/server/src/selfhost/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a02743a58c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/src/selfhost/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+### Self hosting
+This directory contains utilities that are needed for self hosted platforms to operate.
+These will mostly be utilities, necessary to the operation of the server e.g. storing self
+hosting specific options and attributes to CouchDB.
+
+All the internal operations should be exposed through the `index.js` so importing
+the self host directory should give you everything you need.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/server/src/selfhost/index.js b/packages/server/src/selfhost/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..05c9bdc6b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/src/selfhost/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+const CouchDB = require("../db")
+const env = require("../environment")
+const newid = require("../db/newid")
+
+const SELF_HOST_DB = "self-host-db"
+const SELF_HOST_DOC = "self-host-info"
+
+async function createSelfHostDB(db) {
+  await db.put({
+    _id: "_design/database",
+    views: {},
+  })
+  const selfHostInfo = {
+    _id: SELF_HOST_DOC,
+    apiKeyId: newid(),
+  }
+  await db.put(selfHostInfo)
+  return selfHostInfo
+}
+
+exports.init = async () => {
+  if (!env.SELF_HOSTED) {
+    return
+  }
+  const db = new CouchDB(SELF_HOST_DB)
+  try {
+    await db.get(SELF_HOST_DOC)
+  } catch (err) {
+    // failed to retrieve
+    if (err.status === 404) {
+      await createSelfHostDB(db)
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+exports.getSelfHostInfo = async () => {
+  const db = new CouchDB(SELF_HOST_DB)
+  return db.get(SELF_HOST_DOC)
+}
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/security/apikey.js b/packages/server/src/utilities/security/apikey.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b2fd230130
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/security/apikey.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+const { apiKeyTable } = require("../../db/dynamoClient")
+const env = require("../../environment")
+const { getSelfHostInfo } = require("../../selfhost")
+
+/**
+ * This file purely exists so that we can centralise all logic pertaining to API keys, as their usage differs
+ * in our Cloud environment versus self hosted.
+ */
+
+exports.getAPIKey = async apiKeyId => {
+  if (env.CLOUD && !env.SELF_HOSTED) {
+    return apiKeyTable.get({
+      primary: apiKeyId,
+    })
+  }
+  if (env.SELF_HOSTED) {
+    const selfHostInfo = await getSelfHostInfo()
+    // if the api key supplied is correct then return structure similar
+    return apiKeyId === selfHostInfo.apiKeyId ? { pk: apiKeyId } : null
+  }
+  return null
+}