diff --git a/be/app/database.py b/be/app/database.py
index 37781f4..eab4cbf 100644
--- a/be/app/database.py
+++ b/be/app/database.py
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ engine = create_async_engine(
     settings.DATABASE_URL,
     echo=True,  # Log SQL queries (useful for debugging)
     future=True, # Use SQLAlchemy 2.0 style features
-    pool_recycle=3600 # Optional: recycle connections after 1 hour
+    pool_recycle=3600, # Optional: recycle connections after 1 hour
+    pool_pre_ping=True # Add this line to ensure connections are live
 )
 
 # Create a configured "Session" class