diff --git a/apps/database/healthcheck.sh b/apps/database/healthcheck.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b46c856
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/database/healthcheck.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Credentials from environment variables
+MYSQL_USER="${MARIADB_USER:-default}"
+MYSQL_PASSWORD="${MARIADB_PASSWORD:-default}"
+MYSQL_HOST="127.0.0.1"
+
+ROOT_PASSWORD=$(cat /run/secrets/mariadb_root)
+
+echo "🔑 READ ROOT PASSWORD FROM SECRETS"  
+
+# Check if MariaDB is running
+if ! mariadb -h "$MYSQL_HOST" -u root -p"$ROOT_PASSWORD" -e "SELECT 1;" &>/dev/null; then
+    echo "❌ MariaDB is not responding" 
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Check if a specific user exists
+USER_EXISTS=$(mariadb -h "$MYSQL_HOST" -u root -p"$ROOT_PASSWORD" -e "SELECT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM mysql.user WHERE user = '${MYSQL_USER}');" | tail -n 1)
+
+if [ "$USER_EXISTS" -ne 1 ]; then
+    echo "❌ User '${MYSQL_USER}' does not exist"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Check if the user can log in with the provided password
+if ! mariadb -h "$MYSQL_HOST" -u "$MYSQL_USER" -p"$MYSQL_PASSWORD" -e "SELECT 1;" &>/dev/null; then
+    echo "❌ User '${MYSQL_USER}' exists, but authentication failed with the provided password."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "✅ MariaDB is healthy"
+exit 0
diff --git a/apps/database/init-user.sh b/apps/database/init-user.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..14777b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/database/init-user.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+echo "🔄 Running MariaDB initialization script..."
+
+# Wait until MariaDB is ready
+until mysqladmin ping -h localhost --silent; do
+    sleep 2
+done
+
+echo "✅ MariaDB is ready. Checking root credentials..."
+
+# Try logging in with the root password
+if ! mysql -u root -p"$MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD" -e "SELECT 1;" &>/dev/null; then
+    echo "❌ ERROR: Root password in .env does not match the database!"
+    echo "🔄 Attempting to reset the root password..."
+
+    # Stop MariaDB safely
+    echo "⚠️ Stopping MariaDB..."
+    service mysql stop || pkill mysqld
+    sleep 5
+
+    # Start MariaDB in recovery mode
+    echo "🚀 Starting MariaDB in recovery mode..."
+    mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables --skip-networking &
+    sleep 5
+
+    # Reset root password
+    echo "🔐 Resetting root password..."
+    mysql -u root <<EOSQL
+ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY '${MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD}';
+ALTER USER 'root'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY '${MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD}';
+FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
+EOSQL
+
+    echo "✅ Root password reset successfully!"
+
+    # Restart MariaDB in normal mode
+    echo "🔄 Restarting MariaDB in production mode..."
+    service mysql stop || pkill mysqld
+    sleep 3
+    mysqld_safe &
+    sleep 5
+else
+    echo "✅ Root password is correct."
+fi
+
+# Check if the database exists
+DB_EXISTS=$(mysql -u root -p"$MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD" -e "SHOW DATABASES LIKE '${MARIADB_DATABASE}';" | grep "${MARIADB_DATABASE}" > /dev/null; echo "$?")
+
+if [ "$DB_EXISTS" -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "⚠️ Database '${MARIADB_DATABASE}' does not exist. Creating it now..."
+    mysql -u root -p"$MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD" -e "CREATE DATABASE ${MARIADB_DATABASE};"
+    echo "✅ Database '${MARIADB_DATABASE}' created!"
+else
+    echo "✅ Database '${MARIADB_DATABASE}' already exists."
+fi
+
+# Ensure the database user exists and has the correct password
+USER_EXISTS=$(mysql -u root -p"$MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD" -e "SELECT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM mysql.user WHERE user = '${MARIADB_USER}');" | tail -n 1)
+
+if [ "$USER_EXISTS" -eq 0 ]; then
+    echo "⚠️ User '${MARIADB_USER}' does not exist. Creating it now..."
+    mysql -u root -p"$MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD" <<EOSQL
+CREATE USER '${MARIADB_USER}'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY '${MARIADB_PASSWORD}';
+GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ${MARIADB_DATABASE}.* TO '${MARIADB_USER}'@'%';
+FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
+EOSQL
+    echo "✅ User '${MARIADB_USER}' created and granted access to '${MARIADB_DATABASE}'!"
+else
+    echo "✅ User '${MARIADB_USER}' already exists. Ensuring correct password."
+    mysql -u root -p"$MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD" -e "ALTER USER '${MARIADB_USER}'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY '${MARIADB_PASSWORD}'; FLUSH PRIVILEGES;"
+    echo "✅ Password for '${MARIADB_USER}' updated!"
+fi
+
+echo "🎉 MariaDB initialization complete!"