diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index c7fc989..fdc7c5c 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -1,10 +1,18 @@
 # Copy to .env next to docker-compose.yml and fill in.
 
-# Full connection string to your shared Postgres on the `backend` network.
-# Use the Postgres container/service name as the host (e.g. `postgres`).
-# Create the database first:  CREATE DATABASE albion;
-DATABASE_URL=postgres://albion:CHANGE_ME@postgres:5432/albion
-
+# Shared Postgres on the `backend` network. The host is the Postgres
+# CONTAINER/SERVICE name (see `docker network inspect backend`), not localhost.
+#
+# Option A — one URL. URL-encode special chars in the password (@ -> %40, : -> %3A):
+# DATABASE_URL=postgres://albion_user:CHANGE_ME@postgres:5432/albion
+#
+# Option B — discrete vars (no encoding needed). Leave DATABASE_URL unset if you use these:
+PGHOST=postgres
+PGPORT=5432
+PGUSER=albion_user
+PGPASSWORD=CHANGE_ME
+PGDATABASE=albion
+705a4391e055a633ce001ece39abd888619ce5a3bfb4cfe329d72d4d7fb83ba4
 # Bearer token the web UI and the Windows agent must send. Generate one, e.g.:
 #   openssl rand -hex 32
 ALBION_API_KEY=change-me-to-a-long-random-string
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 15d3b41..7dbc3a3 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -7,10 +7,16 @@ services:
     container_name: albion-economy
     restart: unless-stopped
     environment:
-      # Shared Postgres reachable on the internal `backend` network. Set the full
-      # URL in a .env file next to this compose, e.g.
-      #   DATABASE_URL=postgres://albion:pw@postgres:5432/albion
-      DATABASE_URL: ${DATABASE_URL:?set DATABASE_URL in .env}
+      # Shared Postgres on the internal `backend` network. EITHER set the full URL:
+      #   DATABASE_URL=postgres://albion_user:pw@<pg-container-name>:5432/albion
+      # (URL-encode special chars in the password: @ -> %40, : -> %3A, etc.)
+      # OR use the discrete vars below (no encoding needed) and leave DATABASE_URL empty.
+      DATABASE_URL: ${DATABASE_URL:-}
+      PGHOST: ${PGHOST:-}
+      PGPORT: ${PGPORT:-5432}
+      PGUSER: ${PGUSER:-}
+      PGPASSWORD: ${PGPASSWORD:-}
+      PGDATABASE: ${PGDATABASE:-}
       # REQUIRED for public deployment — the agent and web UI send this as a
       # Bearer token. Set it in .env too.
       ALBION_API_KEY: ${ALBION_API_KEY:?set ALBION_API_KEY in .env}
diff --git a/server/src/db/index.ts b/server/src/db/index.ts
index 25e7777..5d03608 100644
--- a/server/src/db/index.ts
+++ b/server/src/db/index.ts
@@ -127,10 +127,25 @@ let pool: pg.Pool | null = null;
 export function getPool(): pg.Pool {
   if (!pool) {
     const connectionString = process.env.DATABASE_URL;
-    if (!connectionString) {
-      throw new Error('DATABASE_URL is not set (e.g. postgres://user:pass@postgres:5432/albion)');
+    if (connectionString) {
+      pool = new pg.Pool({ connectionString, max: 10 });
+    } else if (process.env.PGHOST || process.env.PGUSER || process.env.PGDATABASE) {
+      // Fall back to discrete PG* env vars. This avoids URL-encoding the password
+      // (a special char like `@` in DATABASE_URL otherwise mangles the host).
+      pool = new pg.Pool({
+        host: process.env.PGHOST,
+        port: process.env.PGPORT ? Number(process.env.PGPORT) : 5432,
+        user: process.env.PGUSER,
+        password: process.env.PGPASSWORD,
+        database: process.env.PGDATABASE,
+        max: 10,
+      });
+    } else {
+      throw new Error(
+        'No database configured. Set DATABASE_URL (postgres://user:pass@host:5432/albion) ' +
+          'or the discrete PGHOST/PGPORT/PGUSER/PGPASSWORD/PGDATABASE env vars.',
+      );
     }
-    pool = new pg.Pool({ connectionString, max: 10 });
   }
   return pool;
 }