diff --git a/apps/api/prod-default.yaml b/apps/api/prod-default.yaml
index 7a332fbeb25..406eae4c97b 100644
--- a/apps/api/prod-default.yaml
+++ b/apps/api/prod-default.yaml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ ExternalSecure: false
 TLS.Enabled: false
 Database.Postgres:
   Database: zitadel
+  AwaitInitialConn: 5m
   MaxOpenConns: 20
   MaxIdleConns: 20
   ConnMaxLifetime: 60m
diff --git a/apps/api/project.json b/apps/api/project.json
index 91b5b57654d..776b4298875 100644
--- a/apps/api/project.json
+++ b/apps/api/project.json
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@
             "options": {
                 "parallel": false,
                 "commands": [
-                    "timeout 300 bash -c 'until nx run @zitadel/devcontainer:compose exec ${API_AWAIT_DB_SERVICE} pg_isready -U postgres -h localhost; do echo \"Awaiting DB\"; sleep 2; done' || (echo \"Database readiness check timed out after 5 minutes\" && exit 1)",
                     "./.artifacts/bin/$(go env GOOS)/$(go env GOARCH)/${ZITADEL_BINARY:-zitadel.local} start-from-init --config ${API_CONFIG_FILE} --steps ${API_CONFIG_FILE} --masterkey MasterkeyNeedsToHave32Characters"
                 ]
             },
diff --git a/apps/api/test-functional-ui.yaml b/apps/api/test-functional-ui.yaml
index 9db92d26acb..5ab9128e71e 100644
--- a/apps/api/test-functional-ui.yaml
+++ b/apps/api/test-functional-ui.yaml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ Database:
   postgres:
     # This makes the e2e config reusable with an out-of-docker zitadel process and an /etc/hosts entry
     database: zitadel
+    AwaitInitialConn: 5m
     MaxOpenConns: 15
     MaxIdleConns: 10
     Database: zitadel
diff --git a/apps/api/test-integration-api.yaml b/apps/api/test-integration-api.yaml
index e381539d35b..23ca4a0fe3a 100644
--- a/apps/api/test-integration-api.yaml
+++ b/apps/api/test-integration-api.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 Database:
   Postgres:
+    AwaitInitialConn: 5m
     MaxOpenConns: 20
     MaxIdleConns: 20
     MaxConnLifetime: 1h
diff --git a/cmd/defaults.yaml b/cmd/defaults.yaml
index 6e8a179e62a..66ad2addc14 100644
--- a/cmd/defaults.yaml
+++ b/cmd/defaults.yaml
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ Database:
     Host: localhost # ZITADEL_DATABASE_POSTGRES_HOST
     Port: 5432 # ZITADEL_DATABASE_POSTGRES_PORT
     Database: zitadel # ZITADEL_DATABASE_POSTGRES_DATABASE
+    AwaitInitialConn: 0m # ZITADEL_DATABASE_POSTGRES_AWAITINITIALCONN
     MaxOpenConns: 10 # ZITADEL_DATABASE_POSTGRES_MAXOPENCONNS
     MaxIdleConns: 5 # ZITADEL_DATABASE_POSTGRES_MAXIDLECONNS
     MaxConnLifetime: 30m # ZITADEL_DATABASE_POSTGRES_MAXCONNLIFETIME
diff --git a/docs/docs/self-hosting/manage/database/_postgres.mdx b/docs/docs/self-hosting/manage/database/_postgres.mdx
index 5506c88a660..72bc16963ce 100644
--- a/docs/docs/self-hosting/manage/database/_postgres.mdx
+++ b/docs/docs/self-hosting/manage/database/_postgres.mdx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Database:
     Host: localhost
     Port: 5432
     Database: zitadel
+    AwaitInitialConn: 5m
     MaxOpenConns: 15
     MaxIdleConns: 10
     MaxConnLifetime: 1h
diff --git a/internal/database/postgres/pg.go b/internal/database/postgres/pg.go
index 2f8bb29e178..da32f8cc47c 100644
--- a/internal/database/postgres/pg.go
+++ b/internal/database/postgres/pg.go
@@ -29,15 +29,16 @@ const (
 )
 
 type Config struct {
-	Host            string
-	Port            int32
-	Database        string
-	MaxOpenConns    uint32
-	MaxIdleConns    uint32
-	MaxConnLifetime time.Duration
-	MaxConnIdleTime time.Duration
-	User            User
-	Admin           AdminUser
+	Host             string
+	Port             int32
+	Database         string
+	AwaitInitialConn time.Duration
+	MaxOpenConns     uint32
+	MaxIdleConns     uint32
+	MaxConnLifetime  time.Duration
+	MaxConnIdleTime  time.Duration
+	User             User
+	Admin            AdminUser
 	// Additional options to be appended as options=<Options>
 	// The value will be taken as is. Multiple options are space separated.
 	Options string
@@ -127,8 +128,18 @@ func (c *Config) Connect(useAdmin bool) (*sql.DB, *pgxpool.Pool, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-
-	if err := pool.Ping(context.Background()); err != nil {
+	if err = pool.Ping(context.Background()); err != nil && c.AwaitInitialConn > 0 {
+		waitUntil := time.Now().Add(c.AwaitInitialConn)
+		for time.Now().Before(waitUntil) {
+			logging.Infof("retrying initial database connection in a second: %v", err)
+			time.Sleep(time.Second)
+			if err = pool.Ping(context.Background()); err == nil {
+				break
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		pool.Close()
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}