diff --git a/apps/dokploy/__test__/setup/postgres-setup.test.ts b/apps/dokploy/__test__/setup/postgres-setup.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..72610f23932
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/dokploy/__test__/setup/postgres-setup.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+import { initializePostgres } from "@dokploy/server/setup/postgres-setup";
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+type ServiceOptions = {
+	version?: number;
+	TaskTemplate?: {
+		ContainerSpec?: {
+			Image?: string;
+			Env?: string[];
+			Mounts?: Array<{ Type?: string; Source?: string; Target?: string }>;
+		};
+	};
+};
+
+const {
+	getServiceMock,
+	inspectMock,
+	updateMock,
+	createServiceMock,
+	pullImageMock,
+} = vi.hoisted(() => {
+	const inspect = vi.fn<() => Promise<unknown>>();
+	const update = vi.fn<(options: ServiceOptions) => Promise<unknown>>(
+		async () => undefined,
+	);
+	const createService = vi.fn<(options: ServiceOptions) => Promise<unknown>>(
+		async () => undefined,
+	);
+	const getService = vi.fn(() => ({ inspect, update }));
+	const pullImage = vi.fn<(image: string) => Promise<void>>(
+		async () => undefined,
+	);
+	return {
+		getServiceMock: getService,
+		inspectMock: inspect,
+		updateMock: update,
+		createServiceMock: createService,
+		pullImageMock: pullImage,
+	};
+});
+
+vi.mock("@dokploy/server/constants", () => ({
+	docker: {
+		getService: getServiceMock,
+		createService: createServiceMock,
+	},
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@dokploy/server/utils/docker/utils", () => ({
+	pullImage: pullImageMock,
+}));
+
+const serviceNotFound = () =>
+	Object.assign(new Error("service not found"), { statusCode: 404 });
+
+describe("initializePostgres", () => {
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		vi.clearAllMocks();
+		pullImageMock.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+		createServiceMock.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+		inspectMock.mockRejectedValue(serviceNotFound());
+	});
+
+	it("pulls postgres 18.6 and creates the service with PGDATA when none exists", async () => {
+		await initializePostgres();
+
+		expect(pullImageMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith("postgres:18.6");
+		expect(updateMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+		expect(createServiceMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+		const options = createServiceMock.mock.calls[0]?.[0];
+		const spec = options?.TaskTemplate?.ContainerSpec;
+		expect(spec?.Image).toBe("postgres:18.6");
+		expect(spec?.Env).toContain("PGDATA=/var/lib/postgresql/data");
+		expect(spec?.Mounts).toEqual([
+			expect.objectContaining({ Target: "/var/lib/postgresql/data" }),
+		]);
+	});
+
+	it("creates the service from a local image when the pull fails", async () => {
+		pullImageMock.mockRejectedValue(
+			Object.assign(new Error("getaddrinfo ENOTFOUND registry.test"), {
+				code: "ENOTFOUND",
+			}),
+		);
+
+		await expect(initializePostgres()).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+
+		expect(pullImageMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith("postgres:18.6");
+		expect(createServiceMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+		const options = createServiceMock.mock.calls[0]?.[0];
+		const spec = options?.TaskTemplate?.ContainerSpec;
+		expect(spec?.Image).toBe("postgres:18.6");
+		expect(spec?.Env).toContain("PGDATA=/var/lib/postgresql/data");
+	});
+
+	it("leaves an existing service unchanged, including its secrets and mounts", async () => {
+		inspectMock.mockResolvedValue({
+			Version: { Index: 7 },
+			Spec: {
+				TaskTemplate: {
+					ContainerSpec: {
+						Image: "postgres:16",
+						Env: ["POSTGRES_PASSWORD_FILE=/run/secrets/pg"],
+						Secrets: [{ SecretName: "pg", SecretID: "test-secret-id" }],
+						Mounts: [
+							{
+								Type: "volume",
+								Source: "test-postgres-volume",
+								Target: "/var/lib/postgresql",
+							},
+						],
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		});
+
+		await expect(initializePostgres()).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+
+		expect(updateMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+		expect(createServiceMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+		expect(pullImageMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+	});
+
+	it("rethrows an inspect error that is not a 404", async () => {
+		inspectMock.mockRejectedValue(
+			Object.assign(new Error("connection refused"), { statusCode: 500 }),
+		);
+
+		await expect(initializePostgres()).rejects.toThrow("connection refused");
+
+		expect(pullImageMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+		expect(createServiceMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+	});
+
+	it("resolves when createService reports the service already exists (409)", async () => {
+		createServiceMock.mockRejectedValueOnce(
+			Object.assign(new Error("service already exists"), { statusCode: 409 }),
+		);
+
+		await expect(initializePostgres()).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+
+		expect(pullImageMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith("postgres:18.6");
+		expect(createServiceMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/packages/server/src/setup/postgres-setup.ts b/packages/server/src/setup/postgres-setup.ts
index ddf5a3d5fd7..9a05e075f7b 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/setup/postgres-setup.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/setup/postgres-setup.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { CreateServiceOptions } from "dockerode";
+import type { ContainerSpec, CreateServiceOptions } from "dockerode";
 import { docker } from "../constants";
 import {
 	POSTGRES_DB,
@@ -6,28 +6,33 @@ import {
 	resolvePostgresPassword,
 } from "../db/constants";
 import { pullImage } from "../utils/docker/utils";
+import { PINNED_VERSIONS } from "./component-versions";
 export const initializePostgres = async () => {
-	const imageName = "postgres:16";
+	const imageName = `postgres:${PINNED_VERSIONS.postgres}`;
 	const containerName = "dokploy-postgres";
 	const postgresPassword = resolvePostgresPassword({ allowDatabaseUrl: true });
+	const containerSpec: ContainerSpec = {
+		Image: imageName,
+		Env: [
+			`POSTGRES_USER=${POSTGRES_USER}`,
+			`POSTGRES_DB=${POSTGRES_DB}`,
+			`POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${postgresPassword}`,
+			// The PostgreSQL 18 image otherwise keeps data in a version directory
+			// under /var/lib/postgresql; this keeps the mount path existing volumes use.
+			"PGDATA=/var/lib/postgresql/data",
+		],
+		Mounts: [
+			{
+				Type: "volume",
+				Source: "dokploy-postgres",
+				Target: "/var/lib/postgresql/data",
+			},
+		],
+	};
 	const settings: CreateServiceOptions = {
 		Name: containerName,
 		TaskTemplate: {
-			ContainerSpec: {
-				Image: imageName,
-				Env: [
-					`POSTGRES_USER=${POSTGRES_USER}`,
-					`POSTGRES_DB=${POSTGRES_DB}`,
-					`POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${postgresPassword}`,
-				],
-				Mounts: [
-					{
-						Type: "volume",
-						Source: "dokploy-postgres",
-						Target: "/var/lib/postgresql/data",
-					},
-				],
-			},
+			ContainerSpec: containerSpec,
 			Networks: [{ Target: "dokploy-network" }],
 			Placement: {
 				Constraints: ["node.role==manager"],
@@ -51,25 +56,35 @@ export const initializePostgres = async () => {
 			},
 		}),
 	};
+
+	const service = docker.getService(containerName);
+	const inspect = await service.inspect().catch((error: any) => {
+		if (error?.statusCode === 404) {
+			return undefined;
+		}
+		throw error;
+	});
+
+	if (inspect) {
+		console.log("Postgres service already exists, leaving it unchanged");
+		return;
+	}
+
 	try {
 		await pullImage(imageName);
-
-		const service = docker.getService(containerName);
-		const inspect = await service.inspect();
-		await service.update({
-			version: Number.parseInt(inspect.Version.Index, 10),
-			...settings,
-		});
-		console.log("Postgres Started ✅");
 	} catch (_) {
-		try {
-			await docker.createService(settings);
-		} catch (error: any) {
-			if (error?.statusCode !== 409) {
-				throw error;
-			}
-			console.log("Postgres service already exists, continuing...");
+		// Offline hosts can still run an image that is already present locally.
+		console.warn(
+			`Could not pull ${imageName}; a local copy will be used if one exists.`,
+		);
+	}
+	try {
+		await docker.createService(settings);
+	} catch (error: any) {
+		if (error?.statusCode !== 409) {
+			throw error;
 		}
-		console.log("Postgres Not Found: Starting ✅");
+		console.log("Postgres service already exists, continuing...");
 	}
+	console.log("Postgres Not Found: Starting ✅");
 };