diff --git a/backend/Dockerfile b/backend/Dockerfile
index 6c5e3a3..e0b5705 100644
--- a/backend/Dockerfile
+++ b/backend/Dockerfile
@@ -1,15 +1,6 @@
 FROM python:3.12-slim
 
-# Force IPv4 and use German mirror with aggressive retry/timeout settings
-RUN echo "Acquire::ForceIPv4 \"true\";" > /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/99force-ipv4 && \
-    echo "Acquire::Retries \"5\";" > /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/80-retries && \
-    echo "Acquire::http::Timeout \"10\";" >> /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/80-retries && \
-    echo "Acquire::ftp::Timeout \"10\";" >> /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/80-retries && \
-    echo "deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian bookworm main" > /etc/apt/sources.list && \
-    echo "deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list
-
-# Install PostgreSQL client for psql (needed for startup.sh)
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y postgresql-client && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+# No system packages needed - we use Python (psycopg2-binary) for PostgreSQL checks
 
 WORKDIR /app
 
diff --git a/backend/db_init.py b/backend/db_init.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..86481cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/db_init.py
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Database initialization script for PostgreSQL.
+Replaces psql commands in startup.sh with pure Python.
+"""
+import os
+import sys
+import time
+import psycopg2
+from psycopg2 import OperationalError
+
+DB_HOST = os.getenv("DB_HOST", "localhost")
+DB_PORT = os.getenv("DB_PORT", "5432")
+DB_NAME = os.getenv("DB_NAME", "mitai_dev")
+DB_USER = os.getenv("DB_USER", "mitai_dev")
+DB_PASSWORD = os.getenv("DB_PASSWORD", "")
+
+def get_connection():
+    """Get PostgreSQL connection."""
+    return psycopg2.connect(
+        host=DB_HOST,
+        port=DB_PORT,
+        database=DB_NAME,
+        user=DB_USER,
+        password=DB_PASSWORD
+    )
+
+def wait_for_postgres(max_retries=30):
+    """Wait for PostgreSQL to be ready."""
+    print("\nChecking PostgreSQL connection...")
+    for i in range(1, max_retries + 1):
+        try:
+            conn = get_connection()
+            conn.close()
+            print("✓ PostgreSQL ready")
+            return True
+        except OperationalError:
+            print(f"  Waiting for PostgreSQL... (attempt {i}/{max_retries})")
+            time.sleep(2)
+
+    print(f"✗ PostgreSQL not ready after {max_retries} attempts")
+    return False
+
+def check_table_exists(table_name="profiles"):
+    """Check if a table exists."""
+    try:
+        conn = get_connection()
+        cur = conn.cursor()
+        cur.execute("""
+            SELECT COUNT(*)
+            FROM information_schema.tables
+            WHERE table_schema='public' AND table_name=%s
+        """, (table_name,))
+        count = cur.fetchone()[0]
+        cur.close()
+        conn.close()
+        return count > 0
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"Error checking table: {e}")
+        return False
+
+def load_schema(schema_file="/app/schema.sql"):
+    """Load schema from SQL file."""
+    try:
+        with open(schema_file, 'r') as f:
+            schema_sql = f.read()
+
+        conn = get_connection()
+        cur = conn.cursor()
+        cur.execute(schema_sql)
+        conn.commit()
+        cur.close()
+        conn.close()
+        print("✓ Schema loaded from schema.sql")
+        return True
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"✗ Error loading schema: {e}")
+        return False
+
+def get_profile_count():
+    """Get number of profiles in database."""
+    try:
+        conn = get_connection()
+        cur = conn.cursor()
+        cur.execute("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM profiles")
+        count = cur.fetchone()[0]
+        cur.close()
+        conn.close()
+        return count
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"Error getting profile count: {e}")
+        return -1
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    print("═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════")
+    print("MITAI JINKENDO - Database Initialization (v9b)")
+    print("═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════")
+
+    # Wait for PostgreSQL
+    if not wait_for_postgres():
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    # Check schema
+    print("\nChecking database schema...")
+    if not check_table_exists("profiles"):
+        print("  Schema not found, initializing...")
+        if not load_schema():
+            sys.exit(1)
+    else:
+        print("✓ Schema already exists")
+
+    # Check for migration
+    print("\nChecking for SQLite data migration...")
+    sqlite_db = "/app/data/bodytrack.db"
+    profile_count = get_profile_count()
+
+    if os.path.exists(sqlite_db) and profile_count == 0:
+        print("  SQLite database found and PostgreSQL is empty")
+        print("  Starting automatic migration...")
+        # Import and run migration
+        try:
+            import migrate_to_postgres
+            print("✓ Migration completed")
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(f"✗ Migration failed: {e}")
+            sys.exit(1)
+    elif os.path.exists(sqlite_db) and profile_count > 0:
+        print(f"⚠ SQLite DB exists but PostgreSQL already has {profile_count} profiles")
+        print("  Skipping migration (already migrated)")
+    elif not os.path.exists(sqlite_db):
+        print("✓ No SQLite database found (fresh install or already migrated)")
+    else:
+        print("✓ No migration needed")
+
+    print("\n✓ Database initialization complete")
diff --git a/backend/startup.sh b/backend/startup.sh
index 54bd626..5ee2bb4 100644
--- a/backend/startup.sh
+++ b/backend/startup.sh
@@ -1,66 +1,12 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 set -e
 
-echo "═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════"
-echo "MITAI JINKENDO - Backend Startup (v9b)"
-echo "═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════"
+# Run database initialization with Python (no psql needed!)
+python /app/db_init.py
 
-# ── PostgreSQL Connection Check ───────────────────────────────
-echo ""
-echo "Checking PostgreSQL connection..."
-
-MAX_RETRIES=30
-RETRY_COUNT=0
-
-until PGPASSWORD=$DB_PASSWORD psql -h "$DB_HOST" -U "$DB_USER" -d "$DB_NAME" -c '\q' 2>/dev/null; do
-  RETRY_COUNT=$((RETRY_COUNT + 1))
-  if [ $RETRY_COUNT -ge $MAX_RETRIES ]; then
-    echo "✗ PostgreSQL not ready after ${MAX_RETRIES} attempts"
-    echo "  Exiting..."
-    exit 1
-  fi
-  echo "  Waiting for PostgreSQL... (attempt $RETRY_COUNT/$MAX_RETRIES)"
-  sleep 2
-done
-
-echo "✓ PostgreSQL ready"
-
-# ── Schema Initialization ──────────────────────────────────────
-echo ""
-echo "Checking database schema..."
-
-# Check if profiles table exists
-TABLE_EXISTS=$(PGPASSWORD=$DB_PASSWORD psql -h "$DB_HOST" -U "$DB_USER" -d "$DB_NAME" -tAc \
-  "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_schema='public' AND table_name='profiles'")
-
-if [ "$TABLE_EXISTS" = "0" ]; then
-  echo "  Schema not found, initializing..."
-  PGPASSWORD=$DB_PASSWORD psql -h "$DB_HOST" -U "$DB_USER" -d "$DB_NAME" -f /app/schema.sql
-  echo "✓ Schema loaded from schema.sql"
-else
-  echo "✓ Schema already exists"
-fi
-
-# ── Auto-Migration (SQLite → PostgreSQL) ───────────────────────
-echo ""
-echo "Checking for SQLite data migration..."
-
-SQLITE_DB="/app/data/bodytrack.db"
-PROFILE_COUNT=$(PGPASSWORD=$DB_PASSWORD psql -h "$DB_HOST" -U "$DB_USER" -d "$DB_NAME" -tAc \
-  "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM profiles")
-
-if [ -f "$SQLITE_DB" ] && [ "$PROFILE_COUNT" = "0" ]; then
-  echo "  SQLite database found and PostgreSQL is empty"
-  echo "  Starting automatic migration..."
-  python /app/migrate_to_postgres.py
-  echo "✓ Migration completed"
-elif [ -f "$SQLITE_DB" ] && [ "$PROFILE_COUNT" != "0" ]; then
-  echo "⚠ SQLite DB exists but PostgreSQL already has $PROFILE_COUNT profiles"
-  echo "  Skipping migration (already migrated)"
-elif [ ! -f "$SQLITE_DB" ]; then
-  echo "✓ No SQLite database found (fresh install or already migrated)"
-else
-  echo "✓ No migration needed"
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+  echo "✗ Database initialization failed"
+  exit 1
 fi
 
 # ── Start Application ──────────────────────────────────────────