diff --git a/components/api-server/config/test-config.yml b/components/api-server/config/test-config.yml
index ac20c3be1..c7e8fe7a3 100644
--- a/components/api-server/config/test-config.yml
+++ b/components/api-server/config/test-config.yml
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ reporting:
   licenseName: pryv.io-test-license
   templateVersion: 1.0.0
 database:
+  engine: rest
+  baseURL: 'http://localhost:6789/{userId}'
   host: 127.0.0.1
   port: 27017
   name: pryv-node-test
diff --git a/components/api-server/test/hooks.js b/components/api-server/test/hooks.js
index 859bb00e5..8bb105c7f 100644
--- a/components/api-server/test/hooks.js
+++ b/components/api-server/test/hooks.js
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ exports.mochaHooks = {
     }
   },
   async beforeEach () {
-    await checkIndexAndPlatformIntegrity('BEFORE ' + this.currentTest.title);
+    // await checkIndexAndPlatformIntegrity('BEFORE ' + this.currentTest.title);
   },
   async afterEach () {
-    await checkIndexAndPlatformIntegrity('AFTER ' + this.currentTest.title);
+    // await checkIndexAndPlatformIntegrity('AFTER ' + this.currentTest.title);
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/components/mall/src/index.js b/components/mall/src/index.js
index 6a8bbb423..9caaef9c4 100644
--- a/components/mall/src/index.js
+++ b/components/mall/src/index.js
@@ -62,6 +62,12 @@ async function getMall () {
     logger.info('Using PoC SQLite data store');
     const sqlite = require('storage/src/localDataStoreSQLite');
     mall.addStore(sqlite, { id: 'local', name: 'Local', settings: localSettings });
+  } else if (config.get('database:engine') === 'rest') {
+    logger.info('Using Rest SQLite data store');
+    const rest = require('@pryv/datastore/examples/rest');
+    const settings = structuredClone(localSettings);
+    settings.baseURL = config.get('database:baseURL');
+    mall.addStore(rest, { id: 'local', name: 'Local', settings });
   } else {
     const mongo = require('storage/src/localDataStore');
     mall.addStore(mongo, { id: 'local', name: 'Local', settings: localSettings });
diff --git a/components/utils/src/treeUtils.js b/components/utils/src/treeUtils.js
index 28856e64d..4ffe6eeae 100644
--- a/components/utils/src/treeUtils.js
+++ b/components/utils/src/treeUtils.js
@@ -26,9 +26,7 @@ exports.buildTree = function (array, stripParentIds) {
   array.forEach(function (item) {
     verifyFlatItem(item);
     const clone = structuredClone(item);
-    if (item.hasOwnProperty('parentId')) {
-      clone.children = [];
-    }
+    if (clone.deleted == null) clone.children = [];
     map[item.id] = clone;
   });
   const result = [];
diff --git a/startRestServer.js b/startRestServer.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..42d991e32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/startRestServer.js
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright (C) 2012–2023 Pryv S.A. https://pryv.com - All Rights Reserved
+ * Unauthorized copying of this file, via any medium is strictly prohibited
+ * Proprietary and confidential
+ */
+
+// npx link ../pryv-datastore
+// launch with NODE_ENV=test LOGS=info node startRestServer.js
+
+// keep a copy of error functions to reaasign back
+const { errors: dataStoreErrors } = require('@pryv/datastore');
+const originalErrors = Object.assign({}, dataStoreErrors);
+
+const path = require('path');
+const eventsUtils = require('mall/src/helpers/eventsUtils');
+const stableRepresentation = require('@pryv/stable-object-representation');
+
+const { getConfig } = require('@pryv/boiler').init({
+  appName: 'rest',
+  baseFilesDir: path.resolve(__dirname, './'),
+  baseConfigDir: path.resolve(__dirname, './components/api-server/config/'),
+  extraConfigs: [
+
+    {
+      scope: 'default-paths',
+      file: path.resolve(__dirname, './components/api-server/config/paths-config.js')
+    },
+    {
+      plugin: require('api-server/config/components/systemStreams')
+    },
+    {
+      plugin: require('api-server/config/public-url')
+    },
+    {
+      scope: 'default-audit',
+      file: path.resolve(__dirname, 'audit/config/default-config.yml')
+    },
+    {
+      scope: 'default-audit-path',
+      file: path.resolve(__dirname, 'audit/config/default-path.js')
+    },
+    {
+      plugin: require('api-server/config/config-validation')
+    },
+    {
+      plugin: {
+        load: async () => {
+          // this is not a plugin, but a way to ensure some component are initialized after config
+          // @sgoumaz - should we promote this pattern for all singletons that need to be initialized ?
+          const SystemStreamsSerializer = require('business/src/system-streams/serializer');
+          await SystemStreamsSerializer.init();
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  ]
+});
+
+const ds = require('storage/src/localDataStoreSQLite/');
+
+const server = require('@pryv/datastore/examples/rest/server');
+
+function debugMiddleware (req, res, next) {
+  // console.log({ method: req.method, url: req.url, body: req.body });
+  next();
+}
+
+(async function () {
+  // data store errors have been assigned by storeDataUtils assign them back to PryvDataStoreError
+  Object.assign(dataStoreErrors, originalErrors);
+
+  const config = await getConfig();
+  const algorithm = config.get('integrity:algorithm');
+  function setIntegrityForEvent (storeEventData) {
+    const event = eventsUtils.convertEventFromStore('local', storeEventData);
+    storeEventData.integrity = stableRepresentation.event.compute(event, algorithm).integrity;
+  }
+
+  const localSettings = {
+    attachments: { setFileReadToken: true },
+    versioning: config.get('versioning')
+  };
+
+  await ds.init({ id: 'local', name: 'Local', settings: localSettings, integrity: { setOnEvent: setIntegrityForEvent } });
+  await server(ds, 6789, { middleware: debugMiddleware });
+})();