diff --git a/zerver/lib/server_initialization.py b/zerver/lib/server_initialization.py
index d42ce10db8..2f3a42dd64 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/server_initialization.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/server_initialization.py
@@ -2,13 +2,18 @@ from django.conf import settings
 
 from zerver.lib.actions import do_change_is_admin
 from zerver.lib.bulk_create import bulk_create_users
-from zerver.models import Realm, UserProfile, email_to_username, get_system_bot
+from zerver.models import Realm, UserProfile, email_to_username, get_client, \
+    get_system_bot
 
 from typing import Iterable, Optional, Set, Tuple
 
 def create_internal_realm() -> None:
     internal_realm = Realm.objects.create(string_id=settings.SYSTEM_BOT_REALM)
 
+    # Create the "website" and "API" clients:
+    get_client("website")
+    get_client("API")
+
     internal_realm_bots = [(bot['name'], bot['email_template'] % (settings.INTERNAL_BOT_DOMAIN,))
                            for bot in settings.INTERNAL_BOTS]
     create_users(internal_realm, internal_realm_bots, bot_type=UserProfile.DEFAULT_BOT)
diff --git a/zilencer/management/commands/populate_db.py b/zilencer/management/commands/populate_db.py
index 54703e3ecc..2220e1238a 100644
--- a/zilencer/management/commands/populate_db.py
+++ b/zilencer/management/commands/populate_db.py
@@ -465,12 +465,6 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             generate_and_send_messages(job)
 
         if options["delete"]:
-            # Create the "website" and "API" clients; if we don't, the
-            # default values in zerver/decorators.py will not work
-            # with the Django test suite.
-            get_client("website")
-            get_client("API")
-
             if options["test_suite"]:
                 # Create test users; the MIT ones are needed to test
                 # the Zephyr mirroring codepaths.