diff --git a/python/tools/prepare-db-downgrade.sh b/python/tools/prepare-db-downgrade.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..df5571d3fe6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/tools/prepare-db-downgrade.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Prepare the downgrade script directory for a Python database schema downgrade.
+
+set -e
+set -u
+
+app_name="$(basename "$0")"
+
+usage()
+{
+  exit_code="$1"
+  shift
+
+  cat >&2 <<EOF
+${app_name}: $@
+${app_name}: Generate skeleton downgrade script.
+Usage: ${app_name} [--prev_hash <COMMITISH>]"
+
+--prev-hash <COMMITISH>
+        Hash/branch to use to get SHA1 for previous DB scheme.
+        Default: origin/main
+
+Must be run within the git repo needing an update.
+EOF
+  exit "${exit_code}"
+}
+
+prev_hash="origin/main"
+
+while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    -x)
+      set -x
+      ;;
+    -h | --help)
+      usage 0
+      ;;
+    --prev-hash)
+      if [ $# -eq 1 ]; then
+        usage 2 "--prev-hash requires Commit/Branch option"
+      fi
+      shift
+      prev_hash="$1"
+      ;;
+    --)
+      shift
+      break
+      ;;
+    -*)
+      usage 2 "Unrecognised option: $1"
+      ;;
+    *)
+      break
+      ;;
+  esac
+  shift
+done
+
+if [ $# -gt 0 ]; then
+  usage 2 "Unrecognised operand: $1"
+fi
+
+scheme_file_name="semmlecode.python.dbscheme"
+scheme_file="ql/lib/${scheme_file_name}"
+downgrade_root="ql/downgrades"
+
+check_hash_valid()
+{
+  if [ ${#2} -ne 40 ]; then
+    echo "Did not get expected $1 hash: $2" >&2
+    exit 2
+  fi
+}
+
+# Get the hash of the previous and current DB Schema files
+prev_hash="$(git show "${prev_hash}:python/${scheme_file}" | git hash-object --stdin)"
+check_hash_valid previous "${prev_hash}"
+current_hash="$(git hash-object "${scheme_file}")"
+check_hash_valid current "${current_hash}"
+if [ "${current_hash}" = "${prev_hash}" ]; then
+  echo "No work to be done."
+  exit
+fi
+
+# Copy current and new dbscheme into the downgrade dir
+downgradedir="${downgrade_root}/${current_hash}"
+mkdir -p "${downgradedir}"
+
+cp "${scheme_file}" "${downgradedir}/old.dbscheme"
+git cat-file blob "${prev_hash}" > "${downgradedir}/${scheme_file_name}"
+
+# Create the template downgrade.properties file.
+cat <<EOF > "${downgradedir}/downgrade.properties"
+description: <INSERT DESCRIPTION HERE>
+compatibility: full|backwards|partial|breaking
+EOF
+
+# Tell user what we've done
+cat <<EOF
+Created downgrade directory here:
+  ${downgradedir}
+
+Please update:
+  ${downgradedir}/downgrade.properties
+with appropriate downgrade instructions
+EOF
diff --git a/python/tools/prepare-db-upgrade.sh b/python/tools/prepare-db-upgrade.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..d751ea8b652
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/tools/prepare-db-upgrade.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Prepare the upgrade script directory for a Python database schema upgrade.
+
+set -e
+set -u
+
+app_name="$(basename "$0")"
+
+usage()
+{
+  exit_code="$1"
+  shift
+
+  cat >&2 <<EOF
+${app_name}: $@
+${app_name}: Generate skeleton upgrade script.
+Usage: ${app_name} [--prev_hash <COMMITISH>]"
+
+--prev-hash <COMMITISH>
+        Hash/branch to use to get SHA1 for previous DB scheme.
+        Default: origin/main
+
+Must be run within the git repo needing an update.
+EOF
+  exit "${exit_code}"
+}
+
+prev_hash="origin/main"
+
+while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    -x)
+      set -x
+      ;;
+    -h | --help)
+      usage 0
+      ;;
+    --prev-hash)
+      if [ $# -eq 1 ]; then
+        usage 2 "--prev-hash requires Commit/Branch option"
+      fi
+      shift
+      prev_hash="$1"
+      ;;
+    --)
+      shift
+      break
+      ;;
+    -*)
+      usage 2 "Unrecognised option: $1"
+      ;;
+    *)
+      break
+      ;;
+  esac
+  shift
+done
+
+if [ $# -gt 0 ]; then
+  usage 2 "Unrecognised operand: $1"
+fi
+
+scheme_file="ql/lib/semmlecode.python.dbscheme"
+upgrade_root="ql/upgrades"
+
+check_hash_valid()
+{
+  if [ ${#2} -ne 40 ]; then
+    echo "Did not get expected $1 hash: $2" >&2
+    exit 2
+  fi
+}
+
+# Get the hash of the previous and current DB Schema files
+prev_hash="$(git show "${prev_hash}:python/${scheme_file}" | git hash-object --stdin)"
+check_hash_valid previous "${prev_hash}"
+current_hash="$(git hash-object "${scheme_file}")"
+check_hash_valid current "${current_hash}"
+if [ "${current_hash}" = "${prev_hash}" ]; then
+  echo "No work to be done."
+  exit
+fi
+
+# Copy current and new dbscheme into the upgrade dir
+upgradedir="${upgrade_root}/${prev_hash}"
+mkdir -p "${upgradedir}"
+
+cp "${scheme_file}" "${upgradedir}"
+git cat-file blob "${prev_hash}" > "${upgradedir}/old.dbscheme"
+
+# Create the template upgrade.properties file.
+cat <<EOF > "${upgradedir}/upgrade.properties"
+description: <INSERT DESCRIPTION HERE>
+compatibility: full|backwards|partial|breaking
+EOF
+
+# Tell user what we've done
+cat <<EOF
+Created upgrade directory here:
+  ${upgradedir}
+
+Please update:
+  ${upgradedir}/upgrade.properties
+with appropriate upgrade instructions
+EOF