diff --git a/deploy/ansible/roles/app/tasks/main.yml b/deploy/ansible/roles/app/tasks/main.yml
index 93e61e4..bcd3329 100644
--- a/deploy/ansible/roles/app/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/deploy/ansible/roles/app/tasks/main.yml
@@ -140,6 +140,13 @@
     active_color: "{{ deploy_target }}"
   when: is_first_deploy
 
+- name: Wipe database on target volume to force fresh download (first deploy)
+  ansible.builtin.shell: |
+    docker run --rm -v rustyip_db_data_{{ deploy_target }}:/data \
+      alpine:3 sh -c 'rm -f /data/Merged-IP.mmdb /data/Merged-IP.mmdb.tmp'
+  changed_when: true
+  when: is_first_deploy
+
 - name: Start target app container (first deploy)
   ansible.builtin.shell: |
     docker compose -f /opt/rustyip/docker-compose.yml up -d "app-{{ deploy_target }}"
@@ -148,7 +155,7 @@
 
 - name: Wait for target container health check (first deploy)
   ansible.builtin.shell: |
-    for i in $(seq 1 60); do
+    for i in $(seq 1 180); do
       status=$(docker inspect --format='{% raw %}{{.State.Health.Status}}{% endraw %}' "rustyip-app-{{ deploy_target }}" 2>/dev/null)
       if [ "$status" = "healthy" ]; then
         echo "healthy"
@@ -183,6 +190,12 @@
 - name: Blue-green deployment
   when: not is_first_deploy
   block:
+    - name: Wipe database on standby volume to force fresh download
+      ansible.builtin.shell: |
+        docker run --rm -v rustyip_db_data_{{ deploy_target }}:/data \
+          alpine:3 sh -c 'rm -f /data/Merged-IP.mmdb /data/Merged-IP.mmdb.tmp'
+      changed_when: true
+
     - name: Start standby container with new image
       ansible.builtin.shell: |
         docker compose -f /opt/rustyip/docker-compose.yml up -d "app-{{ deploy_target }}"
@@ -190,7 +203,7 @@
 
     - name: Wait for standby container health check
       ansible.builtin.shell: |
-        for i in $(seq 1 60); do
+        for i in $(seq 1 180); do
           status=$(docker inspect --format='{% raw %}{{.State.Health.Status}}{% endraw %}' "rustyip-app-{{ deploy_target }}" 2>/dev/null)
           if [ "$status" = "healthy" ]; then
             echo "healthy"
diff --git a/src/handlers/api.rs b/src/handlers/api.rs
index c57a58c..8a705e4 100644
--- a/src/handlers/api.rs
+++ b/src/handlers/api.rs
@@ -10,8 +10,12 @@ use crate::models::IpInfo;
 
 use super::{AppState, IpQuery, extract_ip_from_header, lookup_ip, resolve_ip};
 
-pub async fn health() -> StatusCode {
-    StatusCode::OK
+pub async fn health(State(state): State<AppState>) -> StatusCode {
+    if db::is_ready(&state.db) {
+        StatusCode::OK
+    } else {
+        StatusCode::SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE
+    }
 }
 
 pub async fn ipv4_ip_handler(
diff --git a/tests/integration.rs b/tests/integration.rs
index 9db8e51..60ab1bf 100644
--- a/tests/integration.rs
+++ b/tests/integration.rs
@@ -78,6 +78,24 @@ async fn health_returns_200() {
     assert_eq!(status, StatusCode::OK);
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn health_returns_503_when_db_not_loaded() {
+    let shared_db = db::new_empty();
+    let site_domain: std::sync::Arc<str> = "test.example.com".into();
+    let openapi_json = build_openapi_json(&site_domain);
+    let ipv4_domain: std::sync::Arc<str> = "noipv6.test.example.com".into();
+    let state = AppState {
+        db: shared_db,
+        site_domain,
+        ipv4_domain,
+        dev_mode: false,
+        openapi_json,
+    };
+    let app = build_router(state);
+    let (status, _) = get(&app, "/health").await;
+    assert_eq!(status, StatusCode::SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE);
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn json_endpoint_returns_full_info() {
     let app = build_test_app();