diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 5a24139..7fe2ea4 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ includes = ["src/materia"]
 
 [tool.pdm.scripts]
 start.cmd = "python ./src/materia/main.py {args:start --app-mode development --log-level debug}"
-upgrade.cmd = "alembic -c ./src/materia/alembic.ini upgrade {args:head}"
-downgrade.shell = "alembic -c ./src/materia/alembic.ini downgrade {args:base}"
+upgrade.cmd = "alembic upgrade {args:head}"
+downgrade.cmd = "alembic downgrade {args:base}"
 rev.cmd = "alembic revision {args:--autogenerate}"
 rm-revs.shell = "rm -v ./src/materia/models/migrations/versions/*.py"
 
diff --git a/src/materia/app/app.py b/src/materia/app/app.py
index f119037..60a8b25 100644
--- a/src/materia/app/app.py
+++ b/src/materia/app/app.py
@@ -66,6 +66,13 @@ def make_lifespan(config: Config, logger: Logger):
 
 
 def make_application(config: Config, logger: Logger):
+    try:
+        import materia_frontend
+    except ModuleNotFoundError:
+        logger.warning(
+            "`materia_frontend` is not installed. No user interface will be served."
+        )
+
     app = FastAPI(
         title="materia",
         version="0.1.0",
diff --git a/src/materia/routers/resources.py b/src/materia/routers/resources.py
index 3be7816..1fc9b31 100644
--- a/src/materia/routers/resources.py
+++ b/src/materia/routers/resources.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException, status, Response
-from fastapi.staticfiles import StaticFiles
 from PIL import Image
 import io
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -7,7 +6,6 @@ import mimetypes
 
 from materia.routers import middleware
 from materia.config import Config
-import materia_frontend
 
 router = APIRouter(tags=["resources"], prefix="/resources")
 
@@ -41,16 +39,22 @@ async def avatar(
     return Response(content=buffer.getvalue(), media_type=Image.MIME[format])
 
 
-@router.get("/assets/{filename}")
-async def assets(filename: str):
-    path = Path(materia_frontend.__path__[0]).joinpath(
-        "dist", "resources", "assets", filename
-    )
+try:
+    import materia_frontend
+except ModuleNotFoundError:
+    pass
+else:
 
-    if not path.exists():
-        return Response(status_code=status.HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND)
+    @router.get("/assets/{filename}")
+    async def assets(filename: str):
+        path = Path(materia_frontend.__path__[0]).joinpath(
+            "dist", "resources", "assets", filename
+        )
 
-    content = path.read_bytes()
-    mime = mimetypes.guess_type(path)[0]
+        if not path.exists():
+            return Response(status_code=status.HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND)
 
-    return Response(content, media_type=mime)
+        content = path.read_bytes()
+        mime = mimetypes.guess_type(path)[0]
+
+        return Response(content, media_type=mime)
diff --git a/src/materia/routers/root.py b/src/materia/routers/root.py
index dfa1654..6b26ac2 100644
--- a/src/materia/routers/root.py
+++ b/src/materia/routers/root.py
@@ -2,13 +2,19 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Request
 from fastapi.responses import HTMLResponse
 from fastapi.templating import Jinja2Templates
-import materia_frontend
-
 
 router = APIRouter(tags=["root"])
-templates = Jinja2Templates(directory=Path(materia_frontend.__path__[0]) / "dist")
 
+try:
+    import materia_frontend
+except ModuleNotFoundError:
+    pass
+else:
 
-@router.get("/{spa:path}", response_class=HTMLResponse)
-async def root(request: Request):
-    return templates.TemplateResponse("base.html", {"request": request, "view": "app"})
+    templates = Jinja2Templates(directory=Path(materia_frontend.__path__[0]) / "dist")
+
+    @router.get("/{spa:path}", response_class=HTMLResponse)
+    async def root(request: Request):
+        return templates.TemplateResponse(
+            "base.html", {"request": request, "view": "app"}
+        )