diff --git a/.github/workflows/complementary-config-test.yaml b/.github/workflows/complementary-config-test.yaml
index 5e13b55c..a75cc474 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/complementary-config-test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/complementary-config-test.yaml
@@ -60,8 +60,7 @@ jobs:
           export LOCAL_GID=$(id -g $USER)
           cd ./datacube-ows
           export $(grep -v '^#' ./complementary_config_test/.env_complementary_config_dea_dev | xargs)
-          docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.cleandb.yaml up -d
-          docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.cleandb.yaml exec -T ows_18 /bin/sh -c "cd /code; sh ./docker/ows/wait-for-db"
+          docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.cleandb.yaml up -d --wait
           docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.cleandb.yaml exec -T ows_18 /bin/sh -c "datacube system init; datacube system check"
           docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.cleandb.yaml exec -T ows_18 /bin/sh -c "curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GeoscienceAustralia/dea-config/master/dev/services/wms/inventory.json -o /tmp/inventory.json"
           docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.db.yaml exec -T ows_18 /bin/sh -c "cd /code; ./compare-cfg.sh"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-prod.yaml b/.github/workflows/test-prod.yaml
index 7af740cc..bae2251f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-prod.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-prod.yaml
@@ -57,12 +57,7 @@ jobs:
           export LOCAL_UID=$(id -u $USER)
           export LOCAL_GID=$(id -g $USER)
           export $(grep -v '^#' .env_simple | xargs)
-          docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.db.yaml -f docker-compose.prod.yaml up -d
-
-      - name: Sleep for 10 seconds
-        uses: whatnick/wait-action@master
-        with:
-          time: '10s'
+          docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.db.yaml -f docker-compose.prod.yaml up -d --wait
 
       # Run some tests on the images
       # These tests require a working database
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index c156fd45..d2a46e28 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ jobs:
           export LOCAL_UID=$(id -u $USER)
           export LOCAL_GID=$(id -g $USER)
           export $(grep -v '^#' .env_simple | xargs)
-          docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.db.yaml up -d
+          docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.db.yaml up -d --wait
           docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.db.yaml exec -T ows_18 /bin/sh -c "cd /code;./check-code-all.sh"
           docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.db.yaml down
 
diff --git a/check-code-all.sh b/check-code-all.sh
index 8ac70aa0..fba63de0 100755
--- a/check-code-all.sh
+++ b/check-code-all.sh
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@
 # Convenience script for running Travis-like checks.
 set -ex
 
-# ensure db is ready
-sh ./docker/ows/wait-for-db
 # Run tests, taking coverage.
 # Users can specify extra folders as arguments.
 
diff --git a/docker-compose.cleandb.yaml b/docker-compose.cleandb.yaml
index 5a771f79..b3b05f77 100644
--- a/docker-compose.cleandb.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose.cleandb.yaml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ services:
   postgres:
     # clean postgis db
     image: kartoza/postgis:13-3.1
+    hostname: postgres
     environment:
       - POSTGRES_DB=${DB_DATABASE}
       - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${DB_PASSWORD}
@@ -9,9 +10,17 @@ services:
     ports:
       - "${DB_PORT}:5432"
     restart: always
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD", "pg_isready", "-h", "postgres", "-q", "-d", "$$POSTGRES_DB", "-U", "$$POSTGRES_USER"]
+      timeout: 45s
+      interval: 10s
+      retries: 10
   # Overwrite ows so it can talk to docker db
   ows_18:
     ports:
       - 8000:8000
     environment:
       DB_PORT: 5432
+    depends_on:
+      postgres:
+        condition: service_healthy
diff --git a/docker-compose.db.yaml b/docker-compose.db.yaml
index e1c6d758..00d1c0fc 100644
--- a/docker-compose.db.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose.db.yaml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ services:
   postgres:
     # db with some data from s2_l2a pre-indexed
     build: docker/database/
+    hostname: postgres
     environment:
       - POSTGRES_DB=${DB_DATABASE}
       - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${DB_PASSWORD}
@@ -9,9 +10,17 @@ services:
     ports:
       - "${DB_PORT}:5432"
     restart: always
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD", "pg_isready", "-h", "postgres", "-q", "-d", "$$POSTGRES_DB", "-U", "$$POSTGRES_USER"]
+      timeout: 45s
+      interval: 10s
+      retries: 10
   # Overwrite ows so it can talk to docker db
   ows_18:
     ports:
       - 8000:8000
     environment:
       DB_PORT: 5432
+    depends_on:
+      postgres:
+        condition: service_healthy
diff --git a/docker-compose.index.yaml b/docker-compose.index.yaml
index d2c5e3dc..7b264adf 100644
--- a/docker-compose.index.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose.index.yaml
@@ -9,5 +9,6 @@ services:
       DB_DATABASE: ${DB_DATABASE}
     restart: always
     depends_on:
-      - postgres
+      postgres:
+        condition: service_healthy
     command: tail -f /dev/null
diff --git a/docker-compose.pyspy.yaml b/docker-compose.pyspy.yaml
index 2bba0f49..436c1707 100644
--- a/docker-compose.pyspy.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose.pyspy.yaml
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ services:
   ows_18:
     cap_add:
       - SYS_PTRACE
+    depends_on:
+      postgres:
+        condition: service_healthy
 
   pyspy:
     build: docker/pyspy/
diff --git a/docker-compose.yaml b/docker-compose.yaml
index ba687afb..dec1fbc7 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@ services:
       SENTRY_DSN: "${SENTRY_DSN}"
     volumes:
       - ${OWS_CFG_DIR}:${OWS_CFG_MOUNT_DIR}
-      - ./docker/ows/wait-for-db:/usr/local/bin/wait-for-db
       - ./:/code/
       - ./artifacts:/mnt/artifacts
     restart: always
-    command: ["wait-for-db", "flask", "run", "--host=0.0.0.0", "--port=8000"]
+    command: ["flask", "run", "--host=0.0.0.0", "--port=8000"]
diff --git a/docker/ows/wait-for-db b/docker/ows/wait-for-db
deleted file mode 100755
index 732e4970..00000000
--- a/docker/ows/wait-for-db
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-RETRIES=10
-
-# Wait until Database is ready
-until pg_isready --dbname=$DB_DATABASE --host=$DB_HOSTNAME --port=$DB_PORT --username=$DB_USERNAME || [ $RETRIES -eq 0 ]; do
-  echo "Waiting for $DB_HOSTNAME server, $((RETRIES-=1)) remaining attempts..."
-  sleep 2
-done
-
-exec "$@"