diff --git a/config/packages/security.yaml b/config/packages/security.yaml
index 367af25..4c54ce5 100644
--- a/config/packages/security.yaml
+++ b/config/packages/security.yaml
@@ -4,14 +4,22 @@ security:
         Symfony\Component\Security\Core\User\PasswordAuthenticatedUserInterface: 'auto'
     # https://symfony.com/doc/current/security.html#loading-the-user-the-user-provider
     providers:
-        users_in_memory: { memory: null }
+        # used to reload user from session & other features (e.g. switch_user)
+        app_user_provider:
+            entity:
+                class: App\Entity\User
+                property: username
     firewalls:
         dev:
             pattern: ^/(_(profiler|wdt)|css|images|js)/
             security: false
         main:
             lazy: true
-            provider: users_in_memory
+            provider: app_user_provider
+            json_login:
+                check_path: app_login
+                username_path: username
+                password_path: password
 
             # activate different ways to authenticate
             # https://symfony.com/doc/current/security.html#the-firewall
diff --git a/migrations/Version20241219065444.php b/migrations/Version20241219065444.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..78169bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/Version20241219065444.php
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace DoctrineMigrations;
+
+use Doctrine\DBAL\Schema\Schema;
+use Doctrine\Migrations\AbstractMigration;
+
+/**
+ * Auto-generated Migration: Please modify to your needs!
+ */
+final class Version20241219065444 extends AbstractMigration
+{
+    public function getDescription(): string
+    {
+        return '';
+    }
+
+    public function up(Schema $schema): void
+    {
+        $this->addSql('CREATE TABLE user (id INT AUTO_INCREMENT NOT NULL, username VARCHAR(180) NOT NULL, roles JSON NOT NULL COMMENT \'(DC2Type:json)\', password VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL, UNIQUE INDEX UNIQ_IDENTIFIER_USERNAME (username), PRIMARY KEY(id)) DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE `utf8mb4_unicode_ci` ENGINE = InnoDB');
+    }
+
+    public function down(Schema $schema): void
+    {
+        // this down() migration is auto-generated, please modify it to your needs
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Entity/User.php b/src/Entity/User.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..97ee5ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Entity/User.php
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Entity;
+
+use App\Repository\UserRepository;
+use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping as ORM;
+use Symfony\Component\Security\Core\User\PasswordAuthenticatedUserInterface;
+use Symfony\Component\Security\Core\User\UserInterface;
+
+#[ORM\Entity(repositoryClass: UserRepository::class)]
+#[ORM\UniqueConstraint(name: 'UNIQ_IDENTIFIER_USERNAME', fields: ['username'])]
+class User implements UserInterface, PasswordAuthenticatedUserInterface
+{
+    #[ORM\Id]
+    #[ORM\GeneratedValue]
+    #[ORM\Column]
+    private ?int $id = null;
+
+    #[ORM\Column(length: 180)]
+    private ?string $username = null;
+
+    /**
+     * @var list<string> The user roles
+     */
+    #[ORM\Column]
+    private array $roles = [];
+
+    /**
+     * @var string The hashed password
+     */
+    #[ORM\Column]
+    private ?string $password = null;
+
+    public function getId(): ?int
+    {
+        return $this->id;
+    }
+
+    public function getUsername(): ?string
+    {
+        return $this->username;
+    }
+
+    public function setUsername(string $username): static
+    {
+        $this->username = $username;
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * A visual identifier that represents this user.
+     *
+     * @see UserInterface
+     */
+    public function getUserIdentifier(): string
+    {
+        return (string) $this->username;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @see UserInterface
+     *
+     * @return list<string>
+     */
+    public function getRoles(): array
+    {
+        $roles = $this->roles;
+        // guarantee every user at least has ROLE_USER
+        $roles[] = 'ROLE_USER';
+
+        return array_unique($roles);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param list<string> $roles
+     */
+    public function setRoles(array $roles): static
+    {
+        $this->roles = $roles;
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @see PasswordAuthenticatedUserInterface
+     */
+    public function getPassword(): ?string
+    {
+        return $this->password;
+    }
+
+    public function setPassword(string $password): static
+    {
+        $this->password = $password;
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @see UserInterface
+     */
+    public function eraseCredentials(): void
+    {
+        // If you store any temporary, sensitive data on the user, clear it here
+        // $this->plainPassword = null;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Repository/UserRepository.php b/src/Repository/UserRepository.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4f2804e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Repository/UserRepository.php
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Repository;
+
+use App\Entity\User;
+use Doctrine\Bundle\DoctrineBundle\Repository\ServiceEntityRepository;
+use Doctrine\Persistence\ManagerRegistry;
+use Symfony\Component\Security\Core\Exception\UnsupportedUserException;
+use Symfony\Component\Security\Core\User\PasswordAuthenticatedUserInterface;
+use Symfony\Component\Security\Core\User\PasswordUpgraderInterface;
+
+/**
+ * @extends ServiceEntityRepository<User>
+ */
+class UserRepository extends ServiceEntityRepository implements PasswordUpgraderInterface
+{
+    public function __construct(ManagerRegistry $registry)
+    {
+        parent::__construct($registry, User::class);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Used to upgrade (rehash) the user's password automatically over time.
+     */
+    public function upgradePassword(PasswordAuthenticatedUserInterface $user, string $newHashedPassword): void
+    {
+        if (!$user instanceof User) {
+            throw new UnsupportedUserException(sprintf('Instances of "%s" are not supported.', $user::class));
+        }
+
+        $user->setPassword($newHashedPassword);
+        $this->getEntityManager()->persist($user);
+        $this->getEntityManager()->flush();
+    }
+
+    //    /**
+    //     * @return User[] Returns an array of User objects
+    //     */
+    //    public function findByExampleField($value): array
+    //    {
+    //        return $this->createQueryBuilder('u')
+    //            ->andWhere('u.exampleField = :val')
+    //            ->setParameter('val', $value)
+    //            ->orderBy('u.id', 'ASC')
+    //            ->setMaxResults(10)
+    //            ->getQuery()
+    //            ->getResult()
+    //        ;
+    //    }
+
+    //    public function findOneBySomeField($value): ?User
+    //    {
+    //        return $this->createQueryBuilder('u')
+    //            ->andWhere('u.exampleField = :val')
+    //            ->setParameter('val', $value)
+    //            ->getQuery()
+    //            ->getOneOrNullResult()
+    //        ;
+    //    }
+}