diff --git a/backend/src/bootstrap/neode.js b/backend/src/bootstrap/neode.js
index 419cb1032..12ac3c299 100644
--- a/backend/src/bootstrap/neode.js
+++ b/backend/src/bootstrap/neode.js
@@ -1,88 +1,8 @@
 import Neode from 'neode'
-import uuid from 'uuid/v4'
 
 export default function setupNeode(options) {
   const { uri, username, password } = options
   const neodeInstance = new Neode(uri, username, password)
-  neodeInstance.model('InvitationCode', {
-    createdAt: { type: 'string', isoDate: true, default: () => new Date().toISOString() },
-    token: { type: 'string', primary: true, token: true },
-    generatedBy: {
-      type: 'relationship',
-      relationship: 'GENERATED',
-      target: 'User',
-      direction: 'in',
-    },
-    activated: {
-      type: 'relationship',
-      relationship: 'ACTIVATED',
-      target: 'EmailAddress',
-      direction: 'out',
-    },
-  })
-  neodeInstance.model('EmailAddress', {
-    email: { type: 'string', primary: true, lowercase: true, email: true },
-    createdAt: { type: 'string', isoDate: true, default: () => new Date().toISOString() },
-    verifiedAt: { type: 'string', isoDate: true },
-    nonce: { type: 'string', token: true },
-    belongsTo: {
-      type: 'relationship',
-      relationship: 'BELONGS_TO',
-      target: 'User',
-      direction: 'out',
-    },
-  })
-  neodeInstance.model('User', {
-    id: { type: 'string', primary: true, default: uuid }, // TODO: should be type: 'uuid' but simplified for our tests
-    actorId: { type: 'string', allow: [null] },
-    name: { type: 'string', min: 3 },
-    email: { type: 'string', lowercase: true, email: true },
-    slug: 'string',
-    encryptedPassword: 'string',
-    avatar: { type: 'string', allow: [null] },
-    coverImg: { type: 'string', allow: [null] },
-    deleted: { type: 'boolean', default: false },
-    disabled: { type: 'boolean', default: false },
-    role: 'string',
-    publicKey: 'string',
-    privateKey: 'string',
-    wasInvited: 'boolean',
-    wasSeeded: 'boolean',
-    locationName: { type: 'string', allow: [null] },
-    about: { type: 'string', allow: [null] },
-    primaryEmail: {
-      type: 'relationship',
-      relationship: 'PRIMARY_EMAIL',
-      target: 'EmailAddress',
-      direction: 'out',
-    },
-    following: {
-      type: 'relationship',
-      relationship: 'FOLLOWS',
-      target: 'User',
-      direction: 'out',
-    },
-    followedBy: {
-      type: 'relationship',
-      relationship: 'FOLLOWS',
-      target: 'User',
-      direction: 'in',
-    },
-    friends: { type: 'relationship', relationship: 'FRIENDS', target: 'User', direction: 'both' },
-    disabledBy: {
-      type: 'relationship',
-      relationship: 'DISABLED',
-      target: 'User',
-      direction: 'in',
-    },
-    invitedBy: { type: 'relationship', relationship: 'INVITED', target: 'User', direction: 'in' },
-    createdAt: { type: 'string', isoDate: true, default: () => new Date().toISOString() },
-    updatedAt: {
-      type: 'string',
-      isoDate: true,
-      required: true,
-      default: () => new Date().toISOString(),
-    },
-  })
+  neodeInstance.withDirectory(`${__dirname}/../models`)
   return neodeInstance
 }
diff --git a/backend/src/models/EmailAddress.js b/backend/src/models/EmailAddress.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ddd56c297
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/models/EmailAddress.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+module.exports = {
+  email: { type: 'string', primary: true, lowercase: true, email: true },
+  createdAt: { type: 'string', isoDate: true, default: () => new Date().toISOString() },
+  verifiedAt: { type: 'string', isoDate: true },
+  nonce: { type: 'string', token: true },
+  belongsTo: {
+    type: 'relationship',
+    relationship: 'BELONGS_TO',
+    target: 'User',
+    direction: 'out',
+  },
+}
diff --git a/backend/src/models/InvitationCode.js b/backend/src/models/InvitationCode.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f137f6c15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/models/InvitationCode.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+module.exports = {
+  createdAt: { type: 'string', isoDate: true, default: () => new Date().toISOString() },
+  token: { type: 'string', primary: true, token: true },
+  generatedBy: {
+    type: 'relationship',
+    relationship: 'GENERATED',
+    target: 'User',
+    direction: 'in',
+  },
+  activated: {
+    type: 'relationship',
+    relationship: 'ACTIVATED',
+    target: 'EmailAddress',
+    direction: 'out',
+  },
+}
diff --git a/backend/src/models/User.js b/backend/src/models/User.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9ad07cf11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/models/User.js
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import uuid from 'uuid/v4'
+
+module.exports = {
+  id: { type: 'string', primary: true, default: uuid }, // TODO: should be type: 'uuid' but simplified for our tests
+  actorId: { type: 'string', allow: [null] },
+  name: { type: 'string', min: 3 },
+  email: { type: 'string', lowercase: true, email: true },
+  slug: 'string',
+  encryptedPassword: 'string',
+  avatar: { type: 'string', allow: [null] },
+  coverImg: { type: 'string', allow: [null] },
+  deleted: { type: 'boolean', default: false },
+  disabled: { type: 'boolean', default: false },
+  role: 'string',
+  publicKey: 'string',
+  privateKey: 'string',
+  wasInvited: 'boolean',
+  wasSeeded: 'boolean',
+  locationName: { type: 'string', allow: [null] },
+  about: { type: 'string', allow: [null] },
+  primaryEmail: {
+    type: 'relationship',
+    relationship: 'PRIMARY_EMAIL',
+    target: 'EmailAddress',
+    direction: 'out',
+  },
+  following: {
+    type: 'relationship',
+    relationship: 'FOLLOWS',
+    target: 'User',
+    direction: 'out',
+  },
+  followedBy: {
+    type: 'relationship',
+    relationship: 'FOLLOWS',
+    target: 'User',
+    direction: 'in',
+  },
+  friends: { type: 'relationship', relationship: 'FRIENDS', target: 'User', direction: 'both' },
+  disabledBy: {
+    type: 'relationship',
+    relationship: 'DISABLED',
+    target: 'User',
+    direction: 'in',
+  },
+  invitedBy: { type: 'relationship', relationship: 'INVITED', target: 'User', direction: 'in' },
+  createdAt: { type: 'string', isoDate: true, default: () => new Date().toISOString() },
+  updatedAt: {
+    type: 'string',
+    isoDate: true,
+    required: true,
+    default: () => new Date().toISOString(),
+  },
+}