diff --git a/.env.development b/.env.development
index 4f8265c..9037b4e 100755
--- a/.env.development
+++ b/.env.development
@@ -21,4 +21,6 @@ GCP_CLOUD_SQL_PASSWORD=q2O}1PU-R:|l57S0
 
 TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID=ACd700c6fb9f691ccd9ccab73f2dd4173d
 TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN=fb8979ccb172032a249014c9c30eba80
-TWILIO_MESSAGING_SERVICE_SID=MGMGaa07992a9231c841b1bfb879649026d6
\ No newline at end of file
+TWILIO_MESSAGING_SERVICE_SID=MGMGaa07992a9231c841b1bfb879649026d6
+
+JWT_SECRET=gW4QsOu4AJA4MooIUC9ld2i71VbBovzV1INsaU6ftxYPrxLIeMq6/OY61j0X2RV7
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/server2.js b/backend/server2.js
index e9695fd..d6374d0 100755
--- a/backend/server2.js
+++ b/backend/server2.js
@@ -62,34 +62,29 @@ app.get('/healthz', (req, res) => res.sendStatus(204));   // 204 No Content
  * DB connections
  **************************************************/
 
-
 let db;
-const initDB = async () => {
+let userProfileDb;
+
+async function initDatabases() {
   try {
     db = await open({
       filename: '/home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/salary_info.db',
-      driver: sqlite3.Database,
+      driver  : sqlite3.Database
     });
-    console.log('Connected to SQLite salary_info.db');
-  } catch (error) {
-    console.error('Error connecting to salary_info.db:', error);
-  }
-};
-initDB();
+    console.log('✅  Connected to salary_info.db');
 
-let userProfileDb;
-const initUserProfileDb = async () => {
-  try {
     userProfileDb = await open({
       filename: '/home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/user_profile.db',
-      driver: sqlite3.Database,
+      driver  : sqlite3.Database
     });
-    console.log('Connected to user_profile.db.');
-  } catch (error) {
-    console.error('Error connecting to user_profile.db:', error);
+    console.log('✅  Connected to user_profile.db');
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error('❌  DB init failed →', err);
+    process.exit(1);          // let Docker restart the service
   }
-};
-initUserProfileDb();
+}
+
+await initDatabases();         
 
 /**************************************************
  * Security, CORS, JSON Body
diff --git a/docker-compose.prod.yml b/docker-compose.prod.yml
index 378a307..99b567e 100644
--- a/docker-compose.prod.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.prod.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ services:
       - SALARY_DB=/home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/salary_info.db
     volumes:
       - /home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/salary_info.db:/home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/salary_info.db:ro
-      - /home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/user_profile.db:/home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/user_profile.db:ro
+      - /home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/user_profile.db:/home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/user_profile.db
       - /home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/public:/home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/public:ro
 
   # ─── server3 ───
@@ -39,4 +39,4 @@ services:
       - TWILIO_MESSAGING_SERVICE_SID=MGMGaa07992a9231c841b1bfb879649026d6
     volumes:
       - /home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/public:/home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/public:ro
-      - /home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/user_profile.db:/home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/user_profile.db:ro
\ No newline at end of file
+      - /home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/user_profile.db:/home/jcoakley/aptiva-dev1-app/user_profile.db
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/user_profile.db b/user_profile.db
index 00f0fa0..88314bd 100644
Binary files a/user_profile.db and b/user_profile.db differ