diff --git a/backend/config/sequelize-cli.cjs b/backend/config/sequelize-cli.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1dd96f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/config/sequelize-cli.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+const path = require('path');
+const dotenv = require('dotenv');
+
+const envPath = process.env.SEQUELIZE_ENV_FILE
+  ? path.resolve(process.cwd(), process.env.SEQUELIZE_ENV_FILE)
+  : path.resolve(process.cwd(), '.env');
+
+dotenv.config({ path: envPath });
+
+const dialectOptions = {};
+if (process.env.DB_SSL === '1' || process.env.PGSSLMODE === 'require') {
+  dialectOptions.ssl = process.env.DB_SSL_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED === '0'
+    ? { rejectUnauthorized: false }
+    : true;
+}
+
+const shared = {
+  username: process.env.DB_USER,
+  password: process.env.DB_PASS || '',
+  database: process.env.DB_NAME,
+  host: process.env.DB_HOST || '127.0.0.1',
+  port: Number.parseInt(process.env.DB_PORT || '5432', 10),
+  dialect: 'postgres',
+  logging: false,
+  dialectOptions
+};
+
+module.exports = {
+  development: shared,
+  test: shared,
+  production: shared
+};
diff --git a/backend/package.json b/backend/package.json
index 820cb8d..13e832e 100644
--- a/backend/package.json
+++ b/backend/package.json
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
     "dev": "NODE_ENV=development node server.js",
     "start-daemon": "node daemonServer.js",
     "sync-db": "node sync-database.js",
+    "db:migrate": "sequelize-cli db:migrate --config config/sequelize-cli.cjs --migrations-path migrations --env production",
     "sync-tables": "node sync-tables-only.js",
     "check-connections": "node check-connections.js",
     "cleanup-connections": "node cleanup-connections.js",
diff --git a/backend/utils/syncDatabase.js b/backend/utils/syncDatabase.js
index c3732a9..1cf3776 100644
--- a/backend/utils/syncDatabase.js
+++ b/backend/utils/syncDatabase.js
@@ -77,6 +77,13 @@ import initializeWidgetTypes from './initializeWidgetTypes.js';
 // Normale Synchronisation (nur bei STAGE=dev Schema-Updates)
 const syncDatabase = async () => {
     try {
+        const runInitOnStart = process.env.APP_INIT_ON_START === '1';
+        if (!runInitOnStart) {
+            console.log('⏭️  APP_INIT_ON_START!=1: Überspringe datenbankseitige Initialisierungs-/Ensure-Routinen beim Start.');
+            console.log('💡 Empfehlung: Schema-Änderungen via Migrationen im Deploy ausführen (npm run db:migrate).');
+            return;
+        }
+
         // Zeige den aktuellen Stage an
         const currentStage = process.env.STAGE || 'nicht gesetzt';
         console.log(`🚀 Starte Datenbank-Synchronisation (Stage: ${currentStage})`);
diff --git a/update-backend.sh b/update-backend.sh
index d7b43fb..b603998 100755
--- a/update-backend.sh
+++ b/update-backend.sh
@@ -62,4 +62,14 @@ echo "Running database synchronization..."
 cd "$BACKEND_DIR"
 export STAGE="$STAGE"
 
+echo "Führe Migrationen aus..."
+npm run db:migrate
+
+if [ "${RUN_LEGACY_SYNC_DB_ON_DEPLOY:-0}" = "1" ]; then
+  echo "RUN_LEGACY_SYNC_DB_ON_DEPLOY=1 gesetzt -> führe zusätzlich legacy sync-db aus..."
+  npm run sync-db
+else
+  echo "Legacy sync-db übersprungen (Standard)."
+fi
+
 echo "Backend update completed!"