diff --git a/src/database/index.ts b/src/database/index.ts
index 437f5a4..d3d8bc9 100644
--- a/src/database/index.ts
+++ b/src/database/index.ts
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@ import { logger } from '../utils/logger';
 
 // Prisma 7 requires a driver adapter for direct database connections.
 const resolveDbSchema = (): string => {
-  const raw = process.env.DATABASE_URL || '';
+  const raw = (process.env.DATABASE_URL || '').trim().replace(/^['"]|['"]$/g, '');
   try {
     const u = new URL(raw);
     // Prisma-style: ?schema=kord_live
-    return u.searchParams.get('schema') || 'public';
+    const schema = u.searchParams.get('schema') || 'public';
+    // Guard against invalid/unsafe identifiers in connection options.
+    return /^[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*$/.test(schema) ? schema : 'public';
   } catch {
     return 'public';
   }
@@ -18,6 +20,8 @@ const resolveDbSchema = (): string => {
 const dbSchema = resolveDbSchema();
 const pool = new Pool({
   connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL,
+  // Fail fast when DB is temporarily unreachable; connectDB will retry.
+  connectionTimeoutMillis: 5_000,
   // pg(Pool) doesn't understand Prisma's `?schema=...` param.
   // Force PostgreSQL search_path so both Prisma adapter and raw queries
   // operate on the intended schema (e.g. kord_live).
@@ -30,16 +34,36 @@ export const prisma = new PrismaClient({
   log: ['warn', 'error'],
 });
 
+const sleep = (ms: number) => new Promise<void>(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
+
 export const connectDB = async () => {
-  try {
-    // Adapter-based client connects when first used, 
-    // but we can test the pool connection here.
-    const client = await pool.connect();
-    const { rows } = await client.query('SHOW search_path;');
-    client.release();
-    logger.info(`Connected to PostgreSQL successfully via Driver Adapter. (search_path=${rows?.[0]?.search_path ?? 'unknown'})`);
-  } catch (error) {
-    logger.error('Failed to connect to PostgreSQL:', error);
-    process.exit(1);
+  const maxAttempts = 6;
+  for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= maxAttempts; attempt++) {
+    try {
+      // Adapter-based client connects when first used,
+      // but we can test the pool connection here.
+      const client = await pool.connect();
+      const { rows } = await client.query('SHOW search_path;');
+      client.release();
+
+      let hostPort = 'unknown';
+      try {
+        const u = new URL((process.env.DATABASE_URL || '').trim().replace(/^['"]|['"]$/g, ''));
+        hostPort = `${u.hostname}:${u.port || '5432'}`;
+      } catch {
+        // ignore
+      }
+
+      logger.info(
+        `Connected to PostgreSQL successfully via Driver Adapter. (targetSchema=${dbSchema}, search_path=${rows?.[0]?.search_path ?? 'unknown'}, host=${hostPort})`,
+      );
+      return;
+    } catch (error) {
+      const isLast = attempt === maxAttempts;
+      logger.error(`Failed to connect to PostgreSQL (attempt ${attempt}/${maxAttempts}):`, error);
+      if (isLast) process.exit(1);
+      // Backoff: 0.5s, 1s, 2s, 4s, 8s...
+      await sleep(500 * 2 ** (attempt - 1));
+    }
   }
 };