diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 20e3127..d2e210b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -55,9 +55,13 @@ npm install pgstrap --save-dev
 
 - `npm run db:migrate` - Run pending migrations
 - `npm run db:reset` - Drop and recreate the database, then run all migrations
-- `npm run db:generate` - Generate types and structure dumps. Use `pgstrap generate --pglite` to run migrations against an in-memory PGlite instance.
+- `npm run db:generate` - Run migrations in an in-memory PGlite instance and generate types and structure dumps without a running PostgreSQL server. This is also available as `bun run db:generate`.
 - `npm run db:create-migration` - Create a new migration file
 
+Initialized projects use `pgstrap generate --pglite` for `db:generate`. To generate from an existing PostgreSQL database instead, run `pgstrap generate` directly with your usual database connection configuration.
+
+The existing PGlite migration adapter supports one SQL statement per query. If a raw `pgm.sql(...)` call contains multiple commands, split them into separate calls or use the external PostgreSQL workflow above.
+
 ### Configuration
 
 After running `pgstrap init`, you'll find a `pgstrap.config.js` file in your project root. Customize it as needed:
diff --git a/src/init.ts b/src/init.ts
index b84f9cd..e396f28 100644
--- a/src/init.ts
+++ b/src/init.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export const initPgstrap = async (ctx: Pick<Context, "cwd">) => {
 
   pkg.scripts["db:migrate"] = "pgstrap migrate"
   pkg.scripts["db:reset"] = "pgstrap reset"
-  pkg.scripts["db:generate"] = "pgstrap generate"
+  pkg.scripts["db:generate"] = "pgstrap generate --pglite"
   pkg.scripts["db:create-migration"] = "pgstrap create-migration"
 
   if (!pkg.devDependencies) pkg.devDependencies = {}
diff --git a/tests/init.generate.test.ts b/tests/init.generate.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4d2b775
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/init.generate.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+import { test, expect } from "bun:test"
+import fs from "fs"
+import os from "os"
+import path from "path"
+import net from "net"
+import { buildSync } from "esbuild"
+import { initPgstrap } from "../src/init"
+
+test("initialized db:generate needs no external PostgreSQL server", async () => {
+  const tmpRoot = fs.realpathSync(os.tmpdir())
+  const project = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpRoot, "pgstrap-init-generate-"))
+  const repoRoot = path.resolve(import.meta.dir, "..")
+  const cliDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(repoRoot, ".pgstrap-cli-test-"))
+  const cli = path.join(cliDir, "cli.cjs")
+  buildSync({
+    entryPoints: [path.join(repoRoot, "src/cli.ts")],
+    outfile: cli,
+    platform: "node",
+    format: "cjs",
+    bundle: true,
+    packages: "external",
+  })
+  let externalConnections = 0
+  const unavailablePostgres = net.createServer((socket) => {
+    externalConnections += 1
+    socket.destroy()
+  })
+  await new Promise<void>((resolve) =>
+    unavailablePostgres.listen(0, "127.0.0.1", resolve),
+  )
+  const address = unavailablePostgres.address() as net.AddressInfo
+
+  try {
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(project, "package.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ name: "offline-fixture" }),
+    )
+    await initPgstrap({ cwd: project })
+
+    const migrations = path.join(project, "src", "db", "migrations")
+    fs.mkdirSync(migrations, { recursive: true })
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(migrations, "001_create_widgets.js"),
+      `
+exports.up = (pgm) => pgm.createTable('widgets', {
+  id: 'id',
+  name: { type: 'text', notNull: true },
+})
+exports.down = (pgm) => pgm.dropTable('widgets')
+`,
+    )
+
+    // Resolve the scaffolded pgstrap command to this checkout's real CLI,
+    // without publishing/installing a package or replacing database code.
+    const bin = path.join(project, "node_modules", ".bin")
+    fs.mkdirSync(bin, { recursive: true })
+    if (process.platform === "win32") {
+      fs.writeFileSync(
+        path.join(bin, "pgstrap.cmd"),
+        `@"${process.execPath}" "${cli}" %*\r\n`,
+      )
+    } else {
+      const quote = (s: string) => `'${s.replaceAll("'", "'\\''")}'`
+      const shim = path.join(bin, "pgstrap")
+      fs.writeFileSync(
+        shim,
+        `#!/bin/sh\nexec ${quote(process.execPath)} ${quote(cli)} "$@"\n`,
+      )
+      fs.chmodSync(shim, 0o755)
+    }
+
+    const child = Bun.spawn([process.execPath, "run", "db:generate"], {
+      cwd: project,
+      env: {
+        ...process.env,
+        NODE_ENV: "test",
+        PATH: `${bin}${path.delimiter}${path.dirname(process.execPath)}${path.delimiter}${process.env.PATH ?? ""}`,
+        DATABASE_URL: `postgres://fixture:fixture@127.0.0.1:${address.port}/unavailable`,
+      },
+      stdout: "pipe",
+      stderr: "pipe",
+    })
+    const timeout = setTimeout(() => child.kill(), 25000)
+    let exitCode: number
+    let output: string
+    try {
+      const [code, stdout, stderr] = await Promise.all([
+        child.exited,
+        new Response(child.stdout).text(),
+        new Response(child.stderr).text(),
+      ])
+      exitCode = code
+      output = stdout + stderr
+    } finally {
+      clearTimeout(timeout)
+    }
+
+    expect({ exitCode, externalConnections, output }).toMatchObject({
+      exitCode: 0,
+      externalConnections: 0,
+    })
+    const types = fs.readFileSync(
+      path.join(project, "src/db/zapatos/schema.d.ts"),
+      "utf8",
+    )
+    const sql = fs.readFileSync(
+      path.join(project, "src/db/structure/public/tables/widgets/table.sql"),
+      "utf8",
+    )
+    expect(types).toContain("widgets")
+    expect(types).toContain("name")
+    expect(sql).toMatch(/CREATE TABLE[\s\S]*widgets/)
+    expect(sql).toContain("name text NOT NULL")
+  } finally {
+    await new Promise<void>((resolve) =>
+      unavailablePostgres.close(() => resolve()),
+    )
+    const resolved = path.resolve(project)
+    if (
+      path.dirname(resolved) !== tmpRoot ||
+      !path.basename(resolved).startsWith("pgstrap-init-generate-")
+    ) {
+      throw new Error("Temporary fixture escaped its intended directory")
+    }
+    fs.rmSync(resolved, { recursive: true, force: true })
+    if (
+      path.dirname(path.resolve(cliDir)) !== repoRoot ||
+      !path.basename(cliDir).startsWith(".pgstrap-cli-test-")
+    ) {
+      throw new Error("Temporary CLI escaped its intended directory")
+    }
+    fs.rmSync(cliDir, { recursive: true, force: true })
+  }
+}, 30000)
diff --git a/tests/init.test.ts b/tests/init.test.ts
index cd4ec4b..aabc7f7 100644
--- a/tests/init.test.ts
+++ b/tests/init.test.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@ test("initPgstrap writes scripts to package.json", async () => {
   )
   expect(pkg.scripts["db:migrate"]).toBe("pgstrap migrate")
   expect(pkg.scripts["db:reset"]).toBe("pgstrap reset")
-  expect(pkg.scripts["db:generate"]).toBe("pgstrap generate")
+  expect(pkg.scripts["db:generate"]).toBe("pgstrap generate --pglite")
   expect(pkg.scripts["db:create-migration"]).toBe("pgstrap create-migration")
 })