diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 0708a3a..ffeb5c6 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ RUN for binary in /app/bin/* /usr/bin/pg_dump /usr/bin/pg_restore /usr/bin/psql;
         xargs -I % sh -c 'mkdir -p $(dirname deps%); cp % deps%;'; \
     done
 
-RUN git clone https://github.com/PlaceOS/models
+# PPT-526: the tenancy migrations live on this branch until models #332 merges
+RUN git clone --branch PPT-526-partner-client https://github.com/PlaceOS/models
 
 # Create tmp directory with proper permissions
 RUN rm -rf /tmp && mkdir -p /tmp && chmod 1777 /tmp
diff --git a/shard.lock b/shard.lock
index b9a0d43..33346a7 100644
--- a/shard.lock
+++ b/shard.lock
@@ -147,15 +147,15 @@ shards:
 
   place_calendar:
     git: https://github.com/placeos/calendar.git
-    version: 4.30.0
+    version: 4.30.1
 
   placeos-log-backend:
     git: https://github.com/place-labs/log-backend.git
     version: 0.13.0
 
-  placeos-models:
+  placeos-models: # Overridden
     git: https://github.com/placeos/models.git
-    version: 9.118.1
+    version: 9.118.1+git.commit.e21d7904b1d9fe12b7852e9e835a50489647e5f6
 
   sam:
     git: https://github.com/imdrasil/sam.cr.git
diff --git a/shard.override.yml b/shard.override.yml
index 9c17593..a8bb7aa 100644
--- a/shard.override.yml
+++ b/shard.override.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 dependencies:
+  # PPT-526: build against the multi-tenancy data layer until models #332 merges
+  placeos-models:
+    github: placeos/models
+    branch: PPT-526-partner-client
+
   retriable:
     github: Sija/retriable.cr
   db:
diff --git a/src/sam.cr b/src/sam.cr
index 250055e..44edd68 100644
--- a/src/sam.cr
+++ b/src/sam.cr
@@ -261,7 +261,9 @@ namespace "create" do
 
   desc "Creates a representative set of documents in PostgreSQL DB"
   task "placeholders" do
-    PlaceOS::Tasks.create_placeholders
+    # placeholders belong to the staff organisation when one exists
+    staff = PlaceOS::Model::Organisation.where(partner_staff: true).first?
+    PlaceOS::Tasks.create_placeholders(staff.try(&.id))
   end
 
   desc "Creates an authority"
diff --git a/src/tasks/entities.cr b/src/tasks/entities.cr
index 6f46dc1..b222b5f 100644
--- a/src/tasks/entities.cr
+++ b/src/tasks/entities.cr
@@ -35,6 +35,41 @@ module PlaceOS::Tasks::Entities
     raise e
   end
 
+  # The platform operator's partner and staff organisation. The first domain
+  # belongs to that organisation, so its admins have cluster reach once
+  # tenancy enforcement is on.
+  def create_management_organisation(
+    authority : Model::Authority,
+    partner_name : String = "PlaceOS",
+  ) : Model::Organisation
+    partner = upsert_document(Model::Partner.where(management: true)) do
+      Log.info { {message: "creating management Partner", name: partner_name} }
+      Model::Partner.new(name: partner_name, description: "Platform operator (management partner)").tap do |new_partner|
+        new_partner.management = true
+      end
+    end
+
+    organisation = upsert_document(Model::Organisation.where(partner_id: partner.id, partner_staff: true)) do
+      Log.info { {message: "creating staff Organisation", name: authority.name} }
+      Model::Organisation.new(name: "#{partner_name} staff", description: "Staff of the management partner").tap do |new_org|
+        new_org.partner_id = partner.id
+        new_org.partner_staff = true
+        new_org.payer = Model::Organisation::PAYER_ORGANISATION
+      end
+    end
+
+    if authority.organisation_id.nil?
+      authority.organisation_id = organisation.id
+      authority.save!
+      Log.info { {message: "attached Authority to staff Organisation", authority: authority.id, organisation: organisation.id.to_s} }
+    end
+
+    organisation
+  rescue e
+    log_fail("Organisation", e)
+    raise e
+  end
+
   def create_interface(
     name : String,
     folder_name : String,
@@ -141,7 +176,7 @@ module PlaceOS::Tasks::Entities
     raise e
   end
 
-  def create_placeholders
+  def create_placeholders(organisation_id : UUID? = nil)
     version = UUID.random.to_s.split('-').first
 
     private_repository_uri = "https://github.com/placeos/private-drivers"
@@ -201,6 +236,7 @@ module PlaceOS::Tasks::Entities
         Model::Zone.new.tap do |zone|
           zone.name = "Zone-#{tag}-#{version}"
           zone.tags = Set{tag}
+          zone.organisation_id = organisation_id
         end
       end
     end
@@ -213,7 +249,9 @@ module PlaceOS::Tasks::Entities
     zones[2].save!
 
     control_system = upsert_document(Model::ControlSystem.all) do
-      Model::ControlSystem.new(name: "System-#{version}")
+      Model::ControlSystem.new(name: "System-#{version}").tap do |sys|
+        sys.organisation_id = organisation_id
+      end
     end
 
     upsert_document(Model::Settings.for_parent(control_system.id.as(String))) do
@@ -227,6 +265,7 @@ module PlaceOS::Tasks::Entities
     mod = upsert_document(Model::Module.where(driver_id: driver.id.as(String), control_system_id: control_system.id.as(String))) do
       Model::Generator.module(driver: driver, control_system: control_system).tap do |new_module|
         new_module.custom_name = "Module-#{version}"
+        new_module.organisation_id = organisation_id
       end
     end
 
@@ -241,6 +280,7 @@ module PlaceOS::Tasks::Entities
       trigger_description = "An automatically generated Trigger."
       new_trigger = Model::Trigger.new(name: trigger_name, description: trigger_description)
       new_trigger.control_system = control_system
+      new_trigger.organisation_id = organisation_id
       new_trigger
     end
 
diff --git a/src/tasks/initialization.cr b/src/tasks/initialization.cr
index ad2199e..0bbf5e8 100644
--- a/src/tasks/initialization.cr
+++ b/src/tasks/initialization.cr
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ module PlaceOS::Tasks::Initialization
 
     start_lock.synchronize do
       authority = Entities.create_authority(name: application_base, domain: application_base, config: metrics_config)
+      organisation = Entities.create_management_organisation(authority)
 
       Entities.create_user(authority: authority, name: username, email: email, password: password, sys_admin: true)
       Entities.create_application(authority: authority, name: application_name, base: application_base)
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ module PlaceOS::Tasks::Initialization
 
       unless PlaceOS::Tasks.production? || PlaceOS::SKIP_PLACEHOLDERS
         Log.info { "creating placeholder documents" }
-        Entities.create_placeholders
+        Entities.create_placeholders(organisation.id)
       end
     end
   end