diff --git a/docker/docker-compose.yml b/docker/docker-compose.yml
--- a/docker/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker/docker-compose.yml
@@ -158,12 +158,6 @@
     image: postgres:12
     env_file:
       - ./env/storage-db.env
-    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
@@ -176,7 +170,7 @@
       - kafka
     env_file:
       - ./env/common_python.env
-      - ./env/storage-db.env
+      - ./env/storage.env
     environment:
       SWH_CONFIG_FILENAME: /storage.yml
       STORAGE_BACKEND: postgresql
@@ -207,12 +201,6 @@
     image: postgres:12
     env_file:
       - ./env/indexers-db.env
-    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
@@ -224,6 +212,7 @@
     env_file:
       - ./env/common_python.env
       - ./env/indexers-db.env
+      - ./env/indexers.env
     environment:
       SWH_CONFIG_FILENAME: /indexer_storage.yml
     entrypoint: /entrypoint.sh
@@ -256,9 +245,6 @@
     image: postgres:12
     env_file:
       - ./env/deposit-db.env
-    environment:
-      # unset PGHOST as db service crashes otherwise
-      PGHOST:
 
   swh-deposit:
     image: swh/stack
@@ -271,6 +257,7 @@
     env_file:
       - ./env/common_python.env
       - ./env/deposit-db.env
+      - ./env/deposit.env
     environment:
       VERBOSITY: 3
       SWH_CONFIG_FILENAME: /deposit.yml
@@ -284,12 +271,6 @@
     image: postgres:12
     env_file:
       - ./env/vault-db.env
-    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
@@ -297,6 +278,7 @@
     env_file:
       - ./env/common_python.env
       - ./env/vault-db.env
+      - ./env/vault.env
     environment:
       SWH_CONFIG_FILENAME: /vault.yml
     command: server
@@ -336,9 +318,6 @@
     image: postgres:12
     env_file:
       - ./env/listers-db.env
-    environment:
-      # unset PGHOST as db service crashes otherwise
-      PGHOST:
 
   swh-lister:
     image: swh/stack
@@ -346,6 +325,7 @@
     env_file:
       - ./env/common_python.env
       - ./env/listers-db.env
+      - ./env/listers.env
       - ./env/workers.env
     user: swh
     environment:
@@ -393,6 +373,7 @@
     env_file:
       - ./env/common_python.env
       - ./env/indexers-db.env
+      - ./env/indexers.env
       - ./env/workers.env
     environment:
       SWH_WORKER_INSTANCE: indexer
diff --git a/docker/env/deposit-db.env b/docker/env/deposit-db.env
--- a/docker/env/deposit-db.env
+++ b/docker/env/deposit-db.env
@@ -1,5 +1,2 @@
-PGHOST=swh-deposit-db
-PGUSER=postgres
 POSTGRES_PASSWORD=testpassword
 POSTGRES_DB=swh-deposit
-
diff --git a/docker/env/deposit.env b/docker/env/deposit.env
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/env/deposit.env
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+PGHOST=swh-deposit-db
+PGUSER=postgres
diff --git a/docker/env/indexers-db.env b/docker/env/indexers-db.env
--- a/docker/env/indexers-db.env
+++ b/docker/env/indexers-db.env
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
-PGHOST=swh-idx-storage-db
-PGUSER=postgres
 POSTGRES_PASSWORD=testpassword
-POSTGRES_DB=swh-indexers
\ No newline at end of file
+POSTGRES_DB=swh-indexers
diff --git a/docker/env/indexers.env b/docker/env/indexers.env
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/env/indexers.env
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+PGHOST=swh-idx-storage-db
+PGUSER=postgres
diff --git a/docker/env/listers-db.env b/docker/env/listers-db.env
--- a/docker/env/listers-db.env
+++ b/docker/env/listers-db.env
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
-PGHOST=swh-listers-db
-PGUSER=postgres
 POSTGRES_PASSWORD=testpassword
 POSTGRES_DB=swh-listers
diff --git a/docker/env/listers.env b/docker/env/listers.env
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/env/listers.env
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+PGHOST=swh-listers-db
+PGUSER=postgres
diff --git a/docker/env/scheduler-db.env b/docker/env/scheduler-db.env
--- a/docker/env/scheduler-db.env
+++ b/docker/env/scheduler-db.env
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
-PGUSER=postgres
 POSTGRES_PASSWORD=testpassword
 POSTGRES_DB=swh-scheduler
diff --git a/docker/env/scheduler.env b/docker/env/scheduler.env
--- a/docker/env/scheduler.env
+++ b/docker/env/scheduler.env
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 PGHOST=swh-scheduler-db
+PGUSER=postgres
+
 SWH_WORKER_INSTANCE=scheduler
 LOGLEVEL=INFO
 CELERY_BROKER_URL=amqp://amqp//
diff --git a/docker/env/storage-db.env b/docker/env/storage-db.env
--- a/docker/env/storage-db.env
+++ b/docker/env/storage-db.env
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 # Please sync changes in storage-read-replica-db.env
 
-PGHOST=swh-storage-db
-PGUSER=postgres
 POSTGRES_PASSWORD=testpassword
 POSTGRES_DB=swh-storage
diff --git a/docker/env/storage.env b/docker/env/storage.env
--- a/docker/env/storage.env
+++ b/docker/env/storage.env
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-POSTGRES_PASSWORD=testpassword
-POSTGRES_DB=swh-storage
 PGHOST=swh-storage-db
 PGUSER=postgres
-SWH_CONFIG_FILENAME=/storage.yml
\ No newline at end of file
+
+POSTGRES_PASSWORD=testpassword
+POSTGRES_DB=swh-storage
+
+SWH_CONFIG_FILENAME=/storage.yml
diff --git a/docker/env/vault-db.env b/docker/env/vault-db.env
--- a/docker/env/vault-db.env
+++ b/docker/env/vault-db.env
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
 POSTGRES_DB=swh-vault
 POSTGRES_PASSWORD=testpassword
-PGUSER=postgres
-PGHOST=swh-vault-db
diff --git a/docker/env/vault.env b/docker/env/vault.env
--- a/docker/env/vault.env
+++ b/docker/env/vault.env
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
-POSTGRES_DB=swh-vault
-POSTGRES_PASSWORD=testpassword
 PGUSER=postgres
 PGHOST=swh-vault-db
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
@@ -14,13 +14,12 @@
         ;;
     *)
 
-    wait_pgsql template1
+    wait_pgsql ${POSTGRES_DB}
 
     echo Database setup
-    if ! check_pgsql_db_created; then
-        echo Creating database and extensions...
-        swh db create --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} indexer
-    fi
+    echo Creating extensions...
+    swh db init-admin --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} indexer
+
     echo Initializing the database...
     swh db init --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} indexer
 
diff --git a/docker/services/swh-listers-worker/entrypoint.sh b/docker/services/swh-listers-worker/entrypoint.sh
--- a/docker/services/swh-listers-worker/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/services/swh-listers-worker/entrypoint.sh
@@ -13,15 +13,9 @@
         exec bash -i
         ;;
     *)
-        wait_pgsql
+        wait_pgsql ${POSTGRES_DB}
 
         echo Setup ${POSTGRES_DB} database for ${SWH_WORKER_INSTANCE}
-        if psql -lqt | cut -d \| -f 1 | grep -qw ${POSTGRES_DB}; then
-            echo Database already exists, nothing to do
-        else
-            echo Creating database
-            createdb ${POSTGRES_DB}
-        fi
 
         echo Initialize database
         swh lister -C ${SWH_CONFIG_FILENAME} db-init
diff --git a/docker/services/swh-storage/entrypoint.sh b/docker/services/swh-storage/entrypoint.sh
--- a/docker/services/swh-storage/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/services/swh-storage/entrypoint.sh
@@ -26,13 +26,13 @@
       ;;
     *)
       if [ "$STORAGE_BACKEND" = "postgresql" ]; then
-          wait_pgsql template1
+          wait_pgsql ${POSTGRES_DB}
 
           echo Database setup
-          if ! check_pgsql_db_created; then
-              echo Creating database and extensions...
-              swh db create --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} storage
-          fi
+
+          echo Creating extensions...
+          swh db init-admin --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} storage
+
           echo Initializing the database...
           swh db init --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} storage
       fi
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
@@ -27,13 +27,13 @@
         # ensure the pathslicing root dir for the cache exists
         mkdir -p /srv/softwareheritage/vault
 
-        wait_pgsql template1
+        wait_pgsql ${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 Creating extensions...
+        swh db init-admin --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} vault
+
         echo Initializing the database...
         swh db init --db-name ${POSTGRES_DB} vault