diff --git a/scripts/deploy-remote.sh b/scripts/deploy-remote.sh
index 21db159..6ffc478 100755
--- a/scripts/deploy-remote.sh
+++ b/scripts/deploy-remote.sh
@@ -10,9 +10,11 @@ esac
 case "$directory:$origin" in
   /opt/esports:https://esports.vash.software)
     environment=/etc/esports/prod.env
+    migration_environment=/etc/esports/prod-migrations.env
     host_port=3100 ;;
   /opt/esports-staging:https://esports-staging.vash.software)
     environment=/etc/esports-staging/staging.env
+    migration_environment=/etc/esports/staging-migrations.env
     host_port=3101 ;;
   *) echo 'Unrecognized deployment target' >&2; exit 2 ;;
 esac
@@ -72,10 +74,11 @@ rollback() {
 trap rollback ERR
 
 port=$host_port
-if [ "${FORCE_DEPLOY:-}" != 1 ] && curl --fail --silent --show-error "http://127.0.0.1:${port}/api/health" > /tmp/esports-health.json; then
-  python3 - <<'PY'
-import json
-data = json.load(open("/tmp/esports-health.json"))
+health=$(mktemp)
+if [ "${FORCE_DEPLOY:-}" != 1 ] && curl --fail --silent --show-error "http://127.0.0.1:${port}/api/health" > "$health"; then
+  HEALTH_FILE=$health python3 - <<'PY'
+import json, os
+data = json.load(open(os.environ["HEALTH_FILE"]))
 active = int(data.get("activeMatches") or data.get("irc", {}).get("activeLobbies") or 0)
 if active:
     raise SystemExit(f"{active} matches are still live. Drain them from the admin page, or set FORCE_DEPLOY=1.")
@@ -118,8 +121,10 @@ sudo docker run --rm --network backend --env-file "$environment" \
     pg_restore --list "/backups/$BACKUP_FILE" >/dev/null'
 echo "Verified $environment_name database backup at $backup_dir/$backup_name"
 
-sudo docker run --rm --network backend --env-file "$environment" "$image" \
-  bun scripts/migrate.ts
+# The app's database role cannot create tables; the migrations file overrides
+# DATABASE_URL with the owner role and keeps the rest (ROOT_ADMIN_USER_ID).
+sudo docker run --rm --network backend --env-file "$environment" \
+  --env-file "$migration_environment" "$image" bun scripts/migrate.ts
 
 write_release "$sha"
 switched=1