diff --git a/data/Dockerfiles/dovecot/docker-entrypoint.sh b/data/Dockerfiles/dovecot/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 0a66275f6..f97a3ff6d 100755
--- a/data/Dockerfiles/dovecot/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/data/Dockerfiles/dovecot/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -307,12 +307,18 @@ echo "$(envsubst < /usr/local/bin/maildir_gc.sh)" > /usr/local/bin/maildir_gc.sh
 
 # Wait for updated schema (DB_VERSION from docker-compose.yml), the userdb query reads tables the init_db of php-fpm creates on updates
 DBV_NOW=$(mariadb --skip-ssl --socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock -u ${DBUSER} -p${DBPASS} ${DBNAME} -e "SELECT version FROM versions WHERE application = 'db_schema';" -BN)
-while [[ "${DBV_NOW}" != "${DB_VERSION}" ]]; do
+DBV_WAIT=0
+while [[ "${DBV_NOW}" != "${DB_VERSION}" ]] && [[ ${DBV_WAIT} -lt 60 ]]; do
   echo "Waiting for schema update..."
   sleep 5
+  DBV_WAIT=$((DBV_WAIT + 1))
   DBV_NOW=$(mariadb --skip-ssl --socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock -u ${DBUSER} -p${DBPASS} ${DBNAME} -e "SELECT version FROM versions WHERE application = 'db_schema';" -BN)
 done
-echo "DB schema is ${DBV_NOW}"
+if [[ "${DBV_NOW}" != "${DB_VERSION}" ]]; then
+  echo -e "\e[31mDB schema is ${DBV_NOW}, expected ${DB_VERSION} - starting anyway, check the php-fpm log (init_db)\e[0m"
+else
+  echo "DB schema is ${DBV_NOW}"
+fi
 
 # GUID generation
 while [[ ${VERSIONS_OK} != 'OK' ]]; do
diff --git a/data/Dockerfiles/watchdog/watchdog.sh b/data/Dockerfiles/watchdog/watchdog.sh
index 020f3f838..91eb05890 100755
--- a/data/Dockerfiles/watchdog/watchdog.sh
+++ b/data/Dockerfiles/watchdog/watchdog.sh
@@ -43,6 +43,19 @@ while ! mariadb-admin status --skip-ssl --socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock -u$
   sleep 2
 done
 
+# Wait for the schema update (DB_VERSION) at startup, do not restart them meanwhile.
+DBV_NOW=$(mariadb --skip-ssl --socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock -u${DBUSER} -p${DBPASS} ${DBNAME} -e "SELECT version FROM versions WHERE application = 'db_schema';" -BN)
+DBV_WAIT=0
+while [[ "${DBV_NOW}" != "${DB_VERSION}" ]] && [[ ${DBV_WAIT} -lt 60 ]]; do
+  echo "Waiting for schema update..."
+  sleep 5
+  DBV_WAIT=$((DBV_WAIT + 1))
+  DBV_NOW=$(mariadb --skip-ssl --socket=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock -u${DBUSER} -p${DBPASS} ${DBNAME} -e "SELECT version FROM versions WHERE application = 'db_schema';" -BN)
+done
+if [[ "${DBV_NOW}" != "${DB_VERSION}" ]]; then
+  echo -e "\e[31m$(date) - DB schema is ${DBV_NOW}, expected ${DB_VERSION} - starting checks anyway, check the php-fpm log (init_db)\e[0m"
+fi
+
 # Do not attempt to write to slave
 if [[ ! -z ${REDIS_SLAVEOF_IP} ]]; then
   REDIS_CMDLINE="redis-cli -h ${REDIS_SLAVEOF_IP} -p ${REDIS_SLAVEOF_PORT} -a ${REDISPASS} --no-auth-warning"
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 1c0d099f4..05afa2aaa 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ services:
         - /lib/modules:/lib/modules:ro
 
     watchdog-mailcow:
-      image: ghcr.io/mailcow/watchdog:2.12
+      image: ghcr.io/mailcow/watchdog:2.13
       dns:
         - ${IPV4_NETWORK:-172.22.1}.254
       tmpfs:
@@ -553,6 +553,7 @@ services:
         - acme-mailcow
         - redis-mailcow
       environment:
+        - *db_version
         - IPV6_NETWORK=${IPV6_NETWORK:-fd4d:6169:6c63:6f77::/64}
         - LOG_LINES=${LOG_LINES:-9999}
         - TZ=${TZ}