diff --git a/tests/resources/test_snippets.py b/tests/resources/test_snippets.py
index ab1eca0..4d6cd17 100644
--- a/tests/resources/test_snippets.py
+++ b/tests/resources/test_snippets.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class TestSnippets(metaclass=AIOTestMeta):
     async def test_get_no_snippets(self):
         app = create_app(self.conf)
 
-        await app['db'].snippets.drop()
+        await app['db'].snippets.remove()
 
         async with AIOTestApp(app) as testapp:
             resp = await testapp.get('/snippets')
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ async def test_get_no_snippets(self):
     async def test_get_snippets(self):
         app = create_app(self.conf)
 
-        await app['db'].snippets.drop()
+        await app['db'].snippets.remove()
         await app['db'].snippets.insert(self.snippets)
 
         async with AIOTestApp(app) as testapp:
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ async def test_get_snippets(self):
     async def test_post_snippet(self):
         app = create_app(self.conf)
 
-        await app['db'].snippets.drop()
+        await app['db'].snippets.remove()
 
         async with AIOTestApp(app) as testapp:
             snippet = copy.deepcopy(self.snippets[0])
@@ -91,3 +91,13 @@ async def test_post_snippet(self):
             )
 
             assert snippet_resp == snippet_db
+
+    async def test_data_model_indexes_exist(self):
+        app = create_app(self.conf)
+
+        res = await app['db'].snippets.index_information()
+
+        assert res['author_idx']['key'] == [('author_id', 1)]
+        assert res['tags_idx']['key'] == [('tags', 1)]
+        assert res['updated_idx']['key'] == [('updated_at', -1)]
+        assert res['created_idx']['key'] == [('created_at', -1)]
diff --git a/xsnippet_api/database.py b/xsnippet_api/database.py
index 1ab759d..fc7507a 100644
--- a/xsnippet_api/database.py
+++ b/xsnippet_api/database.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 
 from motor.motor_asyncio import AsyncIOMotorClient
 from pymongo.son_manipulator import SONManipulator
+import pymongo
 
 
 def create_connection(conf, loop=None):
@@ -44,6 +45,21 @@ def create_connection(conf, loop=None):
     # is doing this implicitly for us on application level.
     db.add_son_manipulator(_AutoincrementId())
 
+    # ensure necessary indexes exist. background=True allows operations
+    # read/write operations on collections while indexes are being built
+    db.snippets.create_index('author_id',
+                             name='author_idx',
+                             background=True)
+    db.snippets.create_index('tags',
+                             name='tags_idx',
+                             background=True),
+    db.snippets.create_index([('created_at', pymongo.DESCENDING)],
+                             name='created_idx',
+                             background=True)
+    db.snippets.create_index([('updated_at', pymongo.DESCENDING)],
+                             name='updated_idx',
+                             background=True)
+
     return db