diff --git a/docker/docker-compose.storage-mirror.yml b/docker/docker-compose.storage-mirror.yml
--- a/docker/docker-compose.storage-mirror.yml
+++ b/docker/docker-compose.storage-mirror.yml
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
     environment:
       # unset PGHOST as db service crashes otherwise
       PGHOST:
+      # unset POSTGRES_DB: we're handling db creation ourselves in the backend
+      # service entrypoint
+      POSTGRES_DB:
 
   # and an RPC server
   swh-storage-mirror:
diff --git a/docker/docker-compose.yml b/docker/docker-compose.yml
--- a/docker/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker/docker-compose.yml
@@ -97,6 +97,9 @@
     environment:
       # unset PGHOST as db service crashes otherwise
       PGHOST:
+      # unset POSTGRES_DB: we're handling db creation ourselves in the backend
+      # service entrypoint
+      POSTGRES_DB:
 
   swh-scheduler:
     image: swh/stack
@@ -164,6 +167,9 @@
     environment:
       # unset PGHOST as db service crashes otherwise
       PGHOST:
+      # unset POSTGRES_DB: we're handling db creation ourselves in the backend
+      # service entrypoint
+      POSTGRES_DB:
 
   swh-storage:
     image: swh/stack
@@ -210,6 +216,9 @@
     environment:
       # unset PGHOST as db service crashes otherwise
       PGHOST:
+      # unset POSTGRES_DB: we're handling db creation ourselves in the backend
+      # service entrypoint
+      POSTGRES_DB:
 
   swh-idx-storage:
     image: swh/stack
@@ -284,6 +293,9 @@
     environment:
       # unset PGHOST as db service crashes otherwise
       PGHOST:
+      # unset POSTGRES_DB: we're handling db creation ourselves in the backend
+      # service entrypoint
+      POSTGRES_DB:
 
   swh-vault:
     image: swh/stack
diff --git a/docker/services/swh-indexer-storage/entrypoint.sh b/docker/services/swh-indexer-storage/entrypoint.sh
--- a/docker/services/swh-indexer-storage/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/services/swh-indexer-storage/entrypoint.sh
@@ -14,11 +14,15 @@
         ;;
     *)
 
-    wait_pgsql
+    wait_pgsql template1
 
-    echo Setup the database
-    PGPASSWORD=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD} swh db-init \
-          --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} indexer
+    echo Database setup
+    if ! check_pgsql_db_created; then
+        echo Creating database and extensions...
+        swh db create --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} indexer
+    fi
+    echo Initializing the database...
+    swh db init --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} indexer
 
     echo Starting the swh-indexer-storage API server
     exec gunicorn --bind 0.0.0.0:5007 \
diff --git a/docker/services/swh-scheduler/entrypoint.sh b/docker/services/swh-scheduler/entrypoint.sh
--- a/docker/services/swh-scheduler/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/services/swh-scheduler/entrypoint.sh
@@ -17,11 +17,15 @@
 		"$@"
 	fi
 else
-    wait_pgsql
+    wait_pgsql template1
 
-    echo Setup the swh-scheduler API database
-    PGPASSWORD=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD} swh db-init \
-        --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} scheduler
+    echo swh-scheduler database setup
+    if ! check_pgsql_db_created; then
+        echo Creating database and extensions...
+        swh db create --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} scheduler
+    fi
+    echo Initializing the database...
+    swh db init --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} scheduler
 
     echo Starting the swh-scheduler API server
     exec gunicorn --bind 0.0.0.0:5008 \
diff --git a/docker/services/swh-storage/entrypoint.sh b/docker/services/swh-storage/entrypoint.sh
--- a/docker/services/swh-storage/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/services/swh-storage/entrypoint.sh
@@ -26,11 +26,15 @@
       ;;
     *)
       if [ "$STORAGE_BACKEND" = "postgresql" ]; then
-          wait_pgsql
-
-          echo Setup the database
-          PGPASSWORD=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD} swh db-init \
-              --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} storage
+          wait_pgsql template1
+
+          echo Database setup
+          if ! check_pgsql_db_created; then
+              echo Creating database and extensions...
+              swh db create --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} storage
+          fi
+          echo Initializing the database...
+          swh db init --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} storage
       fi
 
       echo Starting the swh-storage API server
diff --git a/docker/services/swh-vault/entrypoint.sh b/docker/services/swh-vault/entrypoint.sh
--- a/docker/services/swh-vault/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/services/swh-vault/entrypoint.sh
@@ -27,11 +27,15 @@
         # ensure the pathslicing root dir for the cache exists
         mkdir -p /srv/softwareheritage/vault
 
-        wait_pgsql
+        wait_pgsql template1
 
-        echo Setup the swh-vault API database
-        PGPASSWORD=${POSTGRES_PASSWORD} swh db-init vault \
-                  --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB}
+        echo swh-vault Database setup
+        if ! check_pgsql_db_created; then
+            echo Creating database and extensions...
+            swh db create --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} vault
+        fi
+        echo Initializing the database...
+        swh db init --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} vault
 
         echo Starting the swh-vault API server
         exec swh vault rpc-serve -C ${SWH_CONFIG_FILENAME}
diff --git a/docker/utils/pgsql.sh b/docker/utils/pgsql.sh
--- a/docker/utils/pgsql.sh
+++ b/docker/utils/pgsql.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 setup_pgsql () {
-    echo "${PGHOST}:5432:postgres:${PGUSER}:${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}" > ~/.pgpass
+    : > ~/.pgpass
+
+    echo "${PGHOST}:5432:template1:${PGUSER}:${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}" >> ~/.pgpass
+    echo "${PGHOST}:5432:${PGUSER}:${PGUSER}:${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}" >> ~/.pgpass
     echo "${PGHOST}:5432:${POSTGRES_DB}:${PGUSER}:${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}" >> ~/.pgpass
     cat > ~/.pg_service.conf <<EOF
 [${POSTGRES_DB}]
@@ -14,7 +17,18 @@
 }
 
 wait_pgsql () {
-    echo Waiting for postgresql to start
+    local db_to_check
+    if [ $# -ge 1 ]; then
+        db_to_check="$1"
+    else
+        db_to_check=$POSTGRES_DB
+    fi
+
+    echo Waiting for postgresql to start and for database $db_to_check to be available.
     wait-for-it ${PGHOST}:5432 -s --timeout=0
-    until psql postgresql:///?service=${POSTGRES_DB} -c "select 1" > /dev/null 2> /dev/null; do sleep 1; done
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+    until psql "dbname=${db_to_check} port=5432 host=${PGHOST} user=${PGUSER}" -c "select 'postgresql is up!' as connected"; do sleep 1; done
+}
+
+check_pgsql_db_created () {
+    psql "dbname=${POSTGRES_DB} port=5432 host=${PGHOST} user=${PGUSER}" -c "select 'postgresql is up!' as connected" >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
+}