diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a19cda836..9f02e71d5 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 /target
 **/*.rs.bk
 Cargo.lock
-*.db
 
 # ignore vi temporaries
 *~
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 580961258..7849aca1d 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -22,15 +22,18 @@ reqwest = "0.9.15"
 num-derive = "0.2.5"
 num-traits = "0.2.6"
 
+[dev-dependencies]
+tempfile = "3.0.7"
+
 [workspace]
 members = [
   "deltachat-ffi"
 ]
 
-
 [[example]]
 name = "simple"
 
 [[example]]
 name = "repl"
 path = "examples/repl/main.rs"
+
diff --git a/examples/simple.rs b/examples/simple.rs
index 93af71221..24d54dfae 100644
--- a/examples/simple.rs
+++ b/examples/simple.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ extern crate deltachat;
 
 use std::ffi::{CStr, CString};
 use std::ptr::NonNull;
+use tempfile::tempdir;
 
 use deltachat::constants::Event;
 use deltachat::dc_chat::*;
@@ -73,24 +74,24 @@ fn main() {
             dc_perform_smtp_idle(sendable_ctx.0.as_ptr());
         });
 
-        let dbfile = CString::new("../deltachat-core/build/hello2.db").unwrap();
-        println!("opening dir");
+        let dir = tempdir().unwrap();
+        let dbfile = CString::new(dir.path().join("db.sqlite").to_str().unwrap()).unwrap();
+
+        println!("opening database {:?}", dbfile);
         dc_open(ctx, dbfile.as_ptr(), std::ptr::null());
 
-        if dc_is_configured(ctx) == 0 {
-            println!("configuring");
-            dc_set_config(
-                ctx,
-                CString::new("addr").unwrap().as_ptr(),
-                CString::new("d@testrun.org").unwrap().as_ptr(),
-            );
-            dc_set_config(
-                ctx,
-                CString::new("mail_pw").unwrap().as_ptr(),
-                CString::new("***").unwrap().as_ptr(),
-            );
-            dc_configure(ctx);
-        }
+        println!("configuring");
+        dc_set_config(
+            ctx,
+            CString::new("addr").unwrap().as_ptr(),
+            CString::new("d@testrun.org").unwrap().as_ptr(),
+        );
+        dc_set_config(
+            ctx,
+            CString::new("mail_pw").unwrap().as_ptr(),
+            CString::new("***").unwrap().as_ptr(),
+        );
+        dc_configure(ctx);
 
         std::thread::sleep_ms(4000);