diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 8195efc..d655b76 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ WORKDIR /app
 COPY --from=deps /app/node_modules ./node_modules
 COPY . .
 
-RUN pnpm build && pnpm exec emdash init && pnpm exec emdash seed && mkdir -p uploads
+RUN pnpm build && pnpm exec emdash init && mkdir -p uploads
 
 FROM deps AS runner
 
@@ -26,8 +26,11 @@ ENV HOST=0.0.0.0
 
 COPY --from=builder /app/node_modules ./node_modules
 COPY --from=builder /app/dist ./dist
-COPY --from=builder /app/data.db ./data.db
+COPY --from=builder /app/uploads ./uploads
 
 EXPOSE 4321
 
-CMD ["node", "./dist/server/entry.mjs"]
+COPY entrypoint.sh /entrypoint.sh
+RUN chmod +x /entrypoint.sh
+
+ENTRYPOINT ["/entrypoint.sh"]
diff --git a/entrypoint.sh b/entrypoint.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..035e2e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/entrypoint.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Only seed on first launch (when data.db doesn't exist)
+if [ ! -f data.db ]; then
+  echo "Database missing, running emdash init & seed..."
+  pnpm exec emdash init
+  pnpm exec emdash seed
+else
+  echo "Database exists, starting normally..."
+fi
+exec node ./dist/server/entry.mjs
\ No newline at end of file