diff --git a/CollabTableServer/package-lock.json b/CollabTableServer/package-lock.json
index 041ca74..3f7feb0 100644
--- a/CollabTableServer/package-lock.json
+++ b/CollabTableServer/package-lock.json
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@
         "eslint-config-prettier": "^9.1.0",
         "express": "^4.18.2",
         "pg": "^8.11.3",
-        "prettier": "^3.3.3",
-        "ws": "^8.16.0"
+        "prettier": "^3.3.3"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "@types/better-sqlite3": "^7.6.11",
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@
         "@types/express": "^4.17.21",
         "@types/node": "^20.10.6",
         "@types/pg": "^8.10.2",
-        "@types/ws": "^8.5.10",
         "ts-node-dev": "^2.0.0",
         "typescript": "^5.3.3"
       }
@@ -452,16 +450,6 @@
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT"
     },
-    "node_modules/@types/ws": {
-      "version": "8.18.1",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/ws/-/ws-8.18.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-ThVF6DCVhA8kUGy+aazFQ4kXQ7E1Ty7A3ypFOe0IcJV8O/M511G99AW24irKrW56Wt44yG9+ij8FaqoBGkuBXg==",
-      "dev": true,
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "@types/node": "*"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin": {
       "version": "7.18.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin/-/eslint-plugin-7.18.0.tgz",
@@ -3717,27 +3705,6 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-l4Sp/DRseor9wL6EvV2+TuQn63dMkPjZ/sp9XkghTEbV9KlPS1xUsZ3u7/IQO4wxtcFB4bgpQPRcR3QCvezPcQ==",
       "license": "ISC"
     },
-    "node_modules/ws": {
-      "version": "8.18.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ws/-/ws-8.18.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-PEIGCY5tSlUt50cqyMXfCzX+oOPqN0vuGqWzbcJ2xvnkzkq46oOpz7dQaTDBdfICb4N14+GARUDw2XV2N4tvzg==",
-      "license": "MIT",
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">=10.0.0"
-      },
-      "peerDependencies": {
-        "bufferutil": "^4.0.1",
-        "utf-8-validate": ">=5.0.2"
-      },
-      "peerDependenciesMeta": {
-        "bufferutil": {
-          "optional": true
-        },
-        "utf-8-validate": {
-          "optional": true
-        }
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/xtend": {
       "version": "4.0.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/xtend/-/xtend-4.0.2.tgz",
diff --git a/CollabTableServer/src/db.ts b/CollabTableServer/src/db.ts
index f47d34b..d177ef4 100644
--- a/CollabTableServer/src/db.ts
+++ b/CollabTableServer/src/db.ts
@@ -296,7 +296,33 @@ export const dbAdapter: DBAdapter = clientType === 'postgres' || clientType ===
   : new SqliteAdapter();
 
 export async function initializeDatabase() {
-  await dbAdapter.initialize();
+  const parsedRetries = parseInt(process.env.DB_CONNECT_RETRIES || '10', 10);
+  const maxRetries = Number.isNaN(parsedRetries) || parsedRetries < 1 ? 10 : parsedRetries;
+
+  const parsedDelay = parseInt(process.env.DB_CONNECT_RETRY_DELAY_MS || '3000', 10);
+  const retryDelayMs = Number.isNaN(parsedDelay) || parsedDelay < 0 ? 3000 : parsedDelay;
+
+  for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= maxRetries; attempt++) {
+    try {
+      await dbAdapter.initialize();
+      return;
+    } catch (err: any) {
+      const isConnectionError =
+        err?.code === 'ECONNREFUSED' ||
+        err?.code === 'ENOTFOUND' ||
+        err?.code === 'ETIMEDOUT';
+
+      if (!isConnectionError || attempt === maxRetries) {
+        throw err;
+      }
+
+      const delay = retryDelayMs * Math.pow(2, attempt - 1);
+      console.warn(
+        `Database connection attempt ${attempt}/${maxRetries} failed (${err.code || err.message}). Retrying in ${delay}ms...`
+      );
+      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 export type { DBAdapter };