diff --git a/optional/postgresql/Dockerfile b/optional/postgresql/Dockerfile
index f0e603e9..6a78f600 100644
--- a/optional/postgresql/Dockerfile
+++ b/optional/postgresql/Dockerfile
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ RUN apk add --no-cache \
 RUN pip3 install jinja2
 # Image specific layers under this line
 RUN apk add --no-cache \
-    postgresql postgresql-libs postgresql-contrib busybox-suid \
+    postgresql postgresql-libs postgresql-contrib busybox-suid sudo\
   && apk add --virtual .build-deps gcc musl-dev postgresql-dev python3-dev \
   && pip3 install psycopg2 anosql \
   && apk --purge del .build-deps
@@ -30,3 +30,4 @@ VOLUME /backup
 EXPOSE 5432
 
 CMD /start.py
+HEALTHCHECK CMD psql -h 127.0.0.1 -d postgres -U health -c "select 1 as ok;" || exit 1
diff --git a/optional/postgresql/conf/pg_hba.conf b/optional/postgresql/conf/pg_hba.conf
index f1333b20..af5122e8 100644
--- a/optional/postgresql/conf/pg_hba.conf
+++ b/optional/postgresql/conf/pg_hba.conf
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
 local   all             all                                     peer map=local
 # IPv4 connections:
 host    all             mailu           {{ SUBNET }}            md5
-host    postgres        health          127.0.0.1/32            md5
+host    postgres        health          127.0.0.1/32            trust
 # IPv6 local connections:
 host    all             all             ::1/128                 reject
 # Allow replication connections from localhost, by a user with the
diff --git a/optional/postgresql/conf/pg_ident.conf b/optional/postgresql/conf/pg_ident.conf
index dcfa34f3..4538ff9c 100644
--- a/optional/postgresql/conf/pg_ident.conf
+++ b/optional/postgresql/conf/pg_ident.conf
@@ -42,4 +42,3 @@
 # MAPNAME       SYSTEM-USERNAME         PG-USERNAME
 local           postgres                postgres
 local           root                    postgres
-local           root                    health
diff --git a/optional/postgresql/conf/queries.sql b/optional/postgresql/conf/queries.sql
index 3a058a94..999efbb2 100644
--- a/optional/postgresql/conf/queries.sql
+++ b/optional/postgresql/conf/queries.sql
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@ begin
 end
 $$;
 
+-- name: grant_health!
+-- Grant connect permission for the health user
+grant connect
+    on database postgres
+    to health;
+
 -- name: update_pw!
 alter
     user mailu
diff --git a/optional/postgresql/start.py b/optional/postgresql/start.py
index 65f0a57c..1ee540d5 100755
--- a/optional/postgresql/start.py
+++ b/optional/postgresql/start.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ def setup():
     queries.update_pw(conn, pw=os.environ.get("SECRET_KEY"))
     # Healthcheck user
     queries.create_health_user(conn)
+    queries.grant_health(conn)
     conn.commit()
     # create db cannot be atomic. But this script is the only active connection, this is kinda safe.
     if not queries.check_db(conn):
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ def setup():
 # Bootstrap the database if postgresql is running for the first time
 if not os.path.exists('/data/pg_wal'):
     os.system("chown -R postgres:postgres /data")
-    os.system("su - postgres -c 'initdb -D /data'")
+    os.system("sudo -u postgres initdb -D /data")
 
 # Create backup directory structure, if it does not yet exist
 os.system("mkdir -p /backup/wal_archive")
@@ -42,13 +43,13 @@ for pg_file in glob.glob("/conf/*.conf"):
     convert(pg_file, os.path.join("/data", os.path.basename(pg_file)))
 
 # Run postgresql locally for DB and user creation
-os.system("su - postgres -c 'pg_ctl start -D /data -o \"-h localhost\"'")
+os.system("sudo -u postgres pg_ctl start -D /data -o '-h \"''\" '")
 setup()
-os.system("su - postgres -c 'pg_ctl stop -m smart -w -D /data'")
+os.system("sudo -u postgres pg_ctl stop -m smart -w -D /data")
 
 out=open("/proc/1/fd/1", "w")
 err=open("/proc/1/fd/2", "w")
 # Run the cron deamon
-subprocess.Popen(["crond", "-f", "-d7"], stdout=out, stderr=err)
+subprocess.Popen(["crond", "-f"], stdout=out, stderr=err)
 # Run postgresql service
-os.system("su - postgres -c 'postgres -D /data -h \*'")
+os.system("sudo -u postgres postgres -D /data -h \*")