diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ea6b5436..7e257f1e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+symmetricds
+
 # Created by .ignore support plugin (hsz.mobi)
 ### Python template
 # Byte-compiled / optimized / DLL files
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6b93d091..6e7de2ce 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -47,3 +47,9 @@ Run `python manage.py runserver` from the root of this Git repo
 
 # HOWTO Run tests locally
 Run `python manage.py test`
+
+# HOWTO Install SymmetricDS
+```
+cd symmetricds
+make install
+```
diff --git a/symmetricds/Makefile b/symmetricds/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f940e273
--- /dev/null
+++ b/symmetricds/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+SYMD_DOWNLOAD_URL=https://sourceforge.net/projects/symmetricds/files/symmetricds/symmetricds-3.8/symmetric-server-3.8.43.zip/download
+
+symmetricds.zip:
+	$(if $(shell command -v wget 2> /dev/null),\
+		wget -O symmetricds.zip ${SYMD_DOWNLOAD_URL},\
+		curl -Lo symmetricds.zip ${SYMD_DOWNLOAD_URL} \
+	)
+	touch $@
+
+symmetricds: symmetricds.zip
+	unzip symmetricds.zip
+	mv symmetric-server-3.8.43 symmetricds
+	touch $@
+
+# https://stackoverflow.com/a/37197276/1556838
+install: symmetricds
+	$(if $(shell command -v java 2> /dev/null),$(info Found `java`),$(error Please install `java`))
+
+clean:
+	rm -rf symmetricds.zip symmetricds