diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a203661
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+services:
+  db:
+    image: postgres:17-alpine
+    container_name: krisenvorrat-db
+    restart: unless-stopped
+    environment:
+      POSTGRES_DB: krisenvorrat
+      POSTGRES_USER: krisenvorrat
+      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: krisenvorrat
+    ports:
+      - "5432:5432"
+    volumes:
+      - pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
+
+  krisenvorrat:
+    build: .
+    container_name: krisenvorrat-server
+    restart: unless-stopped
+    ports:
+      - "8080:8080"
+    environment:
+      - KRISENVORRAT_JWT_SECRET=sRKnyOBAgwkoDYptqixc9I26SlUWFhGXL5jaTM1vPbe78Q0r
+      - KRISENVORRAT_DB_URL=jdbc:postgresql://db:5432/krisenvorrat
+      - KRISENVORRAT_DB_USER=krisenvorrat
+      - KRISENVORRAT_DB_PASSWORD=krisenvorrat
+    depends_on:
+      - db
+
+volumes:
+  pgdata:
diff --git a/gradle/libs.versions.toml b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
index 2d9c389..a86cc79 100644
--- a/gradle/libs.versions.toml
+++ b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ ktor = "3.1.2"
 logback = "1.5.18"
 exposed = "0.58.0"
 h2 = "2.3.232"
+postgresql = "42.7.4"
+hikaricp = "6.2.1"
 jbcrypt = "0.4"
 
 [libraries]
@@ -71,6 +73,8 @@ logback-classic = { group = "ch.qos.logback", name = "logback-classic", version.
 exposed-core = { group = "org.jetbrains.exposed", name = "exposed-core", version.ref = "exposed" }
 exposed-jdbc = { group = "org.jetbrains.exposed", name = "exposed-jdbc", version.ref = "exposed" }
 h2-database = { group = "com.h2database", name = "h2", version.ref = "h2" }
+postgresql = { group = "org.postgresql", name = "postgresql", version.ref = "postgresql" }
+hikaricp = { group = "com.zaxxer", name = "HikariCP", version.ref = "hikaricp" }
 
 [plugins]
 android-application = { id = "com.android.application", version.ref = "agp" }
diff --git a/server/build.gradle.kts b/server/build.gradle.kts
index cc4c701..257f56b 100644
--- a/server/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/server/build.gradle.kts
@@ -41,8 +41,10 @@ dependencies {
     implementation(libs.logback.classic)
     implementation(libs.exposed.core)
     implementation(libs.exposed.jdbc)
-    implementation(libs.h2.database)
+    implementation(libs.postgresql)
+    implementation(libs.hikaricp)
 
+    testImplementation(libs.h2.database)
     testImplementation(libs.ktor.server.test.host)
     testImplementation(libs.ktor.client.websockets)
     testImplementation(libs.junit)
diff --git a/server/src/main/kotlin/de/krisenvorrat/server/db/DatabaseFactory.kt b/server/src/main/kotlin/de/krisenvorrat/server/db/DatabaseFactory.kt
index bd62b62..2c9562e 100644
--- a/server/src/main/kotlin/de/krisenvorrat/server/db/DatabaseFactory.kt
+++ b/server/src/main/kotlin/de/krisenvorrat/server/db/DatabaseFactory.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package de.krisenvorrat.server.db
 
+import com.zaxxer.hikari.HikariConfig
+import com.zaxxer.hikari.HikariDataSource
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.Database
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.SchemaUtils
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.insert
@@ -15,11 +17,30 @@ private val logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger("DatabaseFactory")
 internal object DatabaseFactory {
 
     fun init(
-        jdbcUrl: String = "jdbc:h2:file:./data/krisenvorrat",
-        driver: String = "org.h2.Driver",
-        adminPassword: String? = System.getenv("KRISENVORRAT_ADMIN_PASSWORD")
+        jdbcUrl: String = System.getenv("KRISENVORRAT_DB_URL")
+            ?: "jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/krisenvorrat",
+        driver: String = System.getenv("KRISENVORRAT_DB_DRIVER")
+            ?: "org.postgresql.Driver",
+        dbUser: String = System.getenv("KRISENVORRAT_DB_USER") ?: "krisenvorrat",
+        dbPassword: String = System.getenv("KRISENVORRAT_DB_PASSWORD") ?: "krisenvorrat",
+        adminPassword: String? = System.getenv("KRISENVORRAT_ADMIN_PASSWORD"),
+        usePool: Boolean = !driver.contains("h2", ignoreCase = true)
     ) {
-        Database.connect(jdbcUrl, driver)
+        if (usePool) {
+            val config = HikariConfig().apply {
+                this.jdbcUrl = jdbcUrl
+                this.driverClassName = driver
+                this.username = dbUser
+                this.password = dbPassword
+                maximumPoolSize = 10
+                isAutoCommit = false
+                transactionIsolation = "TRANSACTION_REPEATABLE_READ"
+                validate()
+            }
+            Database.connect(HikariDataSource(config))
+        } else {
+            Database.connect(jdbcUrl, driver)
+        }
         transaction {
             SchemaUtils.create(Inventories, Users, Categories, Locations, Items, Settings, Messages)
             SchemaUtils.createMissingTablesAndColumns(Inventories, Users, Categories, Locations, Items, Settings, Messages)
@@ -51,10 +72,10 @@ internal object DatabaseFactory {
                 // The exec() calls are wrapped in try/catch because the user_id column may not
                 // exist in fresh databases (only in upgraded databases from older schema).
                 try {
-                    exec("UPDATE ITEMS SET INVENTORY_ID = '$inventoryId' WHERE USER_ID = '$userId' AND INVENTORY_ID IS NULL")
-                    exec("UPDATE CATEGORIES SET INVENTORY_ID = '$inventoryId' WHERE USER_ID = '$userId' AND INVENTORY_ID IS NULL")
-                    exec("UPDATE LOCATIONS SET INVENTORY_ID = '$inventoryId' WHERE USER_ID = '$userId' AND INVENTORY_ID IS NULL")
-                    exec("UPDATE SETTINGS SET INVENTORY_ID = '$inventoryId' WHERE USER_ID = '$userId' AND INVENTORY_ID IS NULL")
+                    exec("UPDATE items SET inventory_id = '$inventoryId' WHERE user_id = '$userId' AND inventory_id IS NULL")
+                    exec("UPDATE categories SET inventory_id = '$inventoryId' WHERE user_id = '$userId' AND inventory_id IS NULL")
+                    exec("UPDATE locations SET inventory_id = '$inventoryId' WHERE user_id = '$userId' AND inventory_id IS NULL")
+                    exec("UPDATE settings SET inventory_id = '$inventoryId' WHERE user_id = '$userId' AND inventory_id IS NULL")
                 } catch (_: Exception) {
                     // user_id column doesn't exist – fresh database, nothing to migrate
                 }