diff --git a/bookwyrm/migrations/0124_auto_20220106_1759.py b/bookwyrm/migrations/0124_auto_20220106_1759.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c7516e4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/migrations/0124_auto_20220106_1759.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# Generated by Django 3.2.10 on 2022-01-06 17:59
+
+from django.contrib.auth.models import AbstractUser
+from django.db import migrations
+
+
+def get_admins(apps, schema_editor):
+    """add any superusers to the "admin" group"""
+
+    db_alias = schema_editor.connection.alias
+    groups = apps.get_model("auth", "Group")
+    group = groups.objects.using(db_alias).get(name="admin")
+
+    users = apps.get_model("bookwyrm", "User")
+    admins = users.objects.using(db_alias).filter(is_superuser=True)
+
+    for admin in admins:
+        admin.groups.add(group)
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ("bookwyrm", "0123_alter_user_preferred_language"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.RunPython(get_admins, reverse_code=migrations.RunPython.noop),
+    ]