diff --git a/backend/Dockerfile b/backend/Dockerfile
index a672786..f659e6a 100644
--- a/backend/Dockerfile
+++ b/backend/Dockerfile
@@ -16,4 +16,4 @@ RUN mkdir -p /app/geo
 COPY geo/ /app/geo/
 
 EXPOSE 8000
-CMD ["gunicorn", "app.main:app", "-k", "uvicorn.workers.UvicornWorker", "-b", "0.0.0.0:8000", "--workers", "2", "--timeout", "120"]
+CMD ["gunicorn", "app.main:app", "-k", "uvicorn.workers.UvicornWorker", "-b", "0.0.0.0:8000", "--workers", "1", "--timeout", "120"]
diff --git a/backend/app/main.py b/backend/app/main.py
index cc4701f..81f0db4 100644
--- a/backend/app/main.py
+++ b/backend/app/main.py
@@ -106,7 +106,13 @@ async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
     # Create tables on startup, then patch any missing columns
     async with engine.begin() as conn:
         await conn.run_sync(_cleanup_orphaned_sequences)
-        await conn.run_sync(Base.metadata.create_all)
+        try:
+            await conn.run_sync(Base.metadata.create_all)
+        except Exception as e:
+            if "duplicate" in str(e).lower():
+                print(f"  → Tables already exist (partial creation from prior restart): {e}")
+            else:
+                raise
         await conn.run_sync(_migrate_add_missing_columns)
 
     # Auto-seed if database is empty
@@ -117,7 +123,7 @@ async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
             print("  → Database is empty — running seed...")
             from seed import seed as run_seed
             await run_seed()
-            return  # Full seed already included station config
+            print("  ✓ Full seed completed (skipping station config check)")
 
     # Ensure station config exists (runs even if DB already had data)
     async with async_session() as session:
diff --git a/docker-entrypoint.sh b/docker-entrypoint.sh
index dfdb8fc..c2f7d6e 100644
--- a/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 # Render config templates with environment variables, then start nginx.
 set -e
 
+# Ensure nginx can write to the shared logs directory
+mkdir -p /logs && chown nginx:nginx /logs
+
 sed "s|__API_UPSTREAM__|${API_UPSTREAM}|g" /etc/nginx/conf.d/nginx.conf.template > /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf
 envsubst '${API_PUBLIC_URL}' < /usr/share/nginx/html/config.json.template > /usr/share/nginx/html/config.json