diff --git a/docker/bootstrap b/docker/bootstrap
index 4d878accd3..637b5012ae 100755
--- a/docker/bootstrap
+++ b/docker/bootstrap
@@ -44,5 +44,5 @@ notice_msg "Getting latest alavetelitheme commits..."
 alaveteli=`pwd`
 alavetelitheme="$themes_dir/alavetelitheme"
 [ ! -d $alavetelitheme ] && git clone https://github.com/mysociety/alavetelitheme.git $alavetelitheme >/dev/null
-cd $alavetelitheme && git pull && cd $alaveteli
+cd $alavetelitheme && git pull --quiet && cd $alaveteli
 success_msg 'done'
diff --git a/docker/reset b/docker/reset
index 1d12dec910..c821ebba2c 100755
--- a/docker/reset
+++ b/docker/reset
@@ -1,23 +1,22 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-set -e
-
 cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
 
 . docker/env
 
 docker compose down
 
-db_volume="$(basename $(pwd))_postgres"
-if docker volume ls | grep $db_volume >/dev/null; then
+ARGS=()
+DB_VOLUME="$(basename $(pwd))_postgres"
+if docker volume ls | grep $DB_VOLUME >/dev/null; then
   while true
   do
     read -r -p 'Do you also want to reset your development database? ' choice
     case "$choice" in
       n|N) break;;
       y|Y)
-        docker volume rm $db_volume >/dev/null
-        data_reset=true
+        docker volume rm $DB_VOLUME >/dev/null
+        ARGS+=("--reset_data")
         break;;
       *) echo 'Response not valid';;
     esac
@@ -26,4 +25,4 @@ fi
 
 docker compose build --pull
 
-./docker/setup $data_reset
+./docker/setup "${ARGS[@]}"
diff --git a/docker/setup b/docker/setup
index a107e5032a..48846199ff 100755
--- a/docker/setup
+++ b/docker/setup
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-set -e
-
 cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
 
 if [ -z "$DOCKER" ]; then
@@ -15,33 +13,63 @@ error_msg() { printf "\033[31m%s\033[0m\n" "$*"; }
 notice_msg() { printf "\033[33m%s\033[0m " "$*"; }
 success_msg() { printf "\033[32m%s\033[0m\n" "$*"; }
 
-data_reset="${1:-false}"
-
 notice_msg 'Installing Ruby gems...'
-bundle install
+bundle check >/dev/null || bundle install
 success_msg 'done'
 
 if [ -L config/general.yml ]; then
-  theme=$(basename -s .yml $(readlink config/general.yml) | sed 's/^general-//')
-  notice_msg "Switching to $theme..."
-  bundle exec script/switch-theme.rb $theme 2>/dev/null
+  THEME=$(basename -s .yml $(readlink config/general.yml) | sed 's/^general-//')
+  notice_msg "Switching to $THEME..."
+  bundle exec script/switch-theme.rb $THEME 2>/dev/null
   bin/rails assets:clean >/dev/null
   success_msg 'done'
 fi
 
-if $data_reset; then
-  notice_msg 'Migrating development and test databases...'
+# check to see if the database has ever been seeded, if not then set the
+# RESET_DATA_FLAG regardless of arguments passed to the script
+bin/rails runner 'User.find(1)' 2>/dev/null
+RESET_DATA_FLAG=$?
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  case $arg in
+    --reset-data)
+      RESET_DATA_FLAG=1
+      shift
+      ;;
+    *);;
+  esac
+done
+
+notice_msg 'Migrating development and test databases...'
+if [ $RESET_DATA_FLAG -eq 1 ]; then
   bin/rails db:migrate db:seed >/dev/null
   bin/rails db:migrate RAILS_ENV=test >/dev/null
   success_msg 'done'
+else
+  error_msg 'skipped'
+fi
 
-  notice_msg 'Loading sample data...'
+notice_msg 'Loading sample data...'
+if [ $RESET_DATA_FLAG -eq 1 ]; then
   bundle exec script/load-sample-data > /dev/null
   success_msg 'done'
+else
+  error_msg 'skipped'
+fi
+
+notice_msg 'Removing external requests...'
+if [ $RESET_DATA_FLAG -eq 1 ]; then
+  bin/rails runner 'InfoRequest.external.destroy_all'
+  success_msg 'done'
+else
+  error_msg 'skipped'
+fi
 
-  notice_msg 'Rebuilding Xapian index...'
+notice_msg 'Rebuilding Xapian index...'
+if [ $RESET_DATA_FLAG -eq 1 ]; then
   bundle exec script/destroy-and-rebuild-xapian-index > /dev/null
   success_msg 'done'
+else
+  error_msg 'skipped'
 fi
 
 success_msg 'Setup finished'