diff --git a/.github/workflows/helm-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/helm-tests.yml
index 837d5f3a..ca919fa0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/helm-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/helm-tests.yml
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ jobs:
             oci://registry.developers.crunchydata.com/crunchydata/pgo \
             --version ${{ env.PGO_VERSION }}
 
-      - name: helm render/install eoapi templates
+      - id: helm-render-install-eoapi-templates
+        name: helm render/install eoapi templates
+        continue-on-error: true
         run: |
           export GITSHA='${{github.sha}}'
 
@@ -87,18 +89,53 @@ jobs:
             -f ./eoapi/test-k3s-unittest-values.yaml \
             ./eoapi
 
-      - name: sleep for 10s seconds while services boot
-        shell: bash
-        run: sleep 10s
+          exit $?
 
-#      - name: Setup upterm session
-#        uses: lhotari/action-upterm@v1
+      - name: debug pgstac-migrate job failure
+        if: steps.helm-render-install-eoapi-templates.outcome == 'failure'
+        continue-on-error: true
+        run: |
+          echo "Extracting pgstac-migrate job info and logs for debugging..."
+          
+          # Get job details
+          echo "===== pgstac-migrate Job Details ====="
+          kubectl get job pgstac-migrate -o yaml || echo "Could not get pgstac-migrate job details"
+          
+          # Get pod details
+          echo "===== pgstac-migrate Pod Details ====="
+          kubectl get pods -l app=pgstac-migrate --all-namespaces || echo "Could not find pgstac-migrate pods"
+          
+          # Extract logs from pgstac-migrate pod(s)
+          echo "===== pgstac-migrate Pod Logs ====="
+          echo "Looking for completed pods from pgstac-migrate job..."
+          COMPLETED_PODS=$(kubectl get pods --selector=job-name=pgstac-migrate --field-selector=status.phase=Succeeded,status.phase=Failed -o jsonpath='{.items[*].metadata.name}' 2>/dev/null)
+          if [ -n "$COMPLETED_PODS" ]; then
+            echo "Found completed pods from pgstac-migrate job. Extracting logs from each:"
+            for POD in $COMPLETED_PODS; do
+              echo "--- Logs from completed pod $POD ---"
+              kubectl logs pod/$POD || echo "Could not get logs from pod $POD"
+            done
+          else
+            echo "No completed pods found for pgstac-migrate job"
+          fi
+          
+          # Get details about the database pods/services
+          echo "===== Database Pod/Service Details ====="
+          # Find database service
+          kubectl get svc | grep "db" || echo "Could not find database services"
+          # Find database pods
+          kubectl get pods | grep "db-" || echo "Could not find database pods"
+          
+          # Check for any events related to the job or pods
+          echo "===== Related Kubernetes Events ====="
+          kubectl get events | grep -E "pgstac|db" || echo "No relevant events found"
 
       - id: watchservices
         name: watch services boot
-        timeout-minutes: 10
+        timeout-minutes: 3
         continue-on-error: true
         run: |
+          # Now wait for services to boot up
           while [[ -z "$(kubectl get pod  | grep "^raster-$RELEASE_NAME-.*$" | cut -d' ' -f1 | xargs -I{}  kubectl logs pod/{} | grep "GET /.*/healthz" | head -n 1)" ]]; do
             echo "still waiting for raster service to start..."
             sleep 1
@@ -124,14 +161,6 @@ jobs:
           echo "===== Pod Status ====="
           kubectl get pods
           
-          # Extract logs from database pod
-          echo "===== Database Pod Logs ====="
-          kubectl get pod | grep "^db-$RELEASE_NAME" | cut -d' ' -f1 | xargs -I{} kubectl logs pod/{} --tail=100 || echo "Could not get database logs"
-          
-          # Extract logs from pgstacbootstrap pod
-          echo "===== PGSTACBootstrap Pod Logs ====="
-          kubectl get pod | grep "^pgstacbootstrap-$RELEASE_NAME" | cut -d' ' -f1 | xargs -I{} kubectl logs pod/{} --tail=100 || echo "Could not get pgstacbootstrap logs"
-          
           # Extract logs from raster pod init container (wait-for-pgstacbootstrap)
           echo "===== Raster Pod Init Container Logs (wait-for-pgstacbootstrap) ====="
           kubectl get pod | grep "^raster-$RELEASE_NAME" | cut -d' ' -f1 | xargs -I{} kubectl logs pod/{} -c wait-for-pgstacbootstrap --tail=100 || echo "Could not get raster init container logs"
@@ -161,7 +190,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: run the tests
         id: testrunner
-        continue-on-error: true
+        # continue-on-error: true
         run: |
           kubectl get svc --all-namespaces
           kubectl get ingress --all-namespaces -o jsonpath='{range .items[0]}kubectl describe ingress {.metadata.name} -n {.metadata.namespace}{end}' | sh
@@ -192,14 +221,6 @@ jobs:
           echo "===== Pod Status ====="
           kubectl get pods
           
-          # Extract logs from database pod
-          echo "===== Database Pod Logs ====="
-          kubectl get pod | grep "^db-$RELEASE_NAME" | cut -d' ' -f1 | xargs -I{} kubectl logs pod/{} --tail=100 || echo "Could not get database logs"
-          
-          # Extract logs from pgstacbootstrap pod
-          echo "===== PGSTACBootstrap Pod Logs ====="
-          kubectl get pod | grep "^pgstacbootstrap-$RELEASE_NAME" | cut -d' ' -f1 | xargs -I{} kubectl logs pod/{} --tail=100 || echo "Could not get pgstacbootstrap logs"
-          
           # Extract logs from raster pod init container (wait-for-pgstacbootstrap)
           echo "===== Raster Pod Init Container Logs (wait-for-pgstacbootstrap) ====="
           kubectl get pod | grep "^raster-$RELEASE_NAME" | cut -d' ' -f1 | xargs -I{} kubectl logs pod/{} -c wait-for-pgstacbootstrap --tail=100 || echo "Could not get raster init container logs"
@@ -225,4 +246,4 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: helm uninstall eoapi templates
         run: |
-          helm uninstall $RELEASE_NAME
\ No newline at end of file
+          helm uninstall $RELEASE_NAME
diff --git a/helm-chart/eoapi/README.md b/helm-chart/eoapi/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f24990e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm-chart/eoapi/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+# EOAPI Helm Chart
+
+This Helm chart deploys the EOAPI (Earth Observation API) stack, which includes STAC API, raster tile services, vector tile services, and a multidimensional data service.
+
+## Overview
+
+The chart sets up:
+
+- A PostgreSQL database with PostGIS and PgSTAC extensions
+- STAC API service for metadata discovery and search
+- Titiler for raster tile services
+- TIPG for vector tile services
+- Optional multidimensional data service
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- Kubernetes 1.16+
+- Helm 3.0+
+- PV provisioner support in the underlying infrastructure
+- CrunchyData Postgres Operator (for the PostgreSQL database)
+
+## Installation
+
+```bash
+# Install Postgres Operator first
+helm install --set disable_check_for_upgrades=true pgo oci://registry.developers.crunchydata.com/crunchydata/pgo
+
+# Then install eoapi
+helm install eoapi ./eoapi
+```
+
+## Configuration
+
+The chart can be configured via `values.yaml`. See the chart's `values.yaml` file for all available options and detailed descriptions.
+
+Key configuration sections:
+
+```yaml
+# Services to enable
+apiServices:
+  - raster
+  - stac
+  - vector
+  # - multidim (disabled by default)
+
+# Ingress configuration
+ingress:
+  enabled: true
+  className: "nginx"
+  # ...
+
+# Database configuration
+postgrescluster:
+  enabled: true
+  # ...
+```
+
+## PgSTAC Bootstrap Process
+
+The chart includes a streamlined process for initializing and setting up the PgSTAC database.
+
+### PgSTAC Bootstrap Overview
+
+The setup process consists of two main jobs:
+
+1. **pgstac-migrate job**: Runs the pypgstac migrate command to initialize the database schema, applies settings, and sets necessary permissions.
+2. **pgstac-load-samples job**: (Optional) Loads sample STAC data only when sample loading is enabled.
+
+### Improvements in PgSTAC Bootstrap
+
+- Replaced custom Python script with pypgstac migrate command
+- Moved SQL settings to a dedicated SQL file for better maintainability
+- Separated sample data loading into an optional job
+- Uses standard PostgreSQL environment variables
+- Ensures the process remains idempotent for safe re-runs
+
+### PgSTAC Directory Structure
+
+The codebase has been reorganized to separate different types of files:
+
+- `initdb-data/settings/`: Contains configuration settings like the PgSTAC settings SQL file
+- `initdb-data/samples/`: Contains sample data files that are loaded only when sample loading is enabled
+
+### PgSTAC Configuration
+
+- Enable/disable the setup process through `pgstacBootstrap.enabled`
+- Control sample data loading: 
+  - New approach: `pgstacBootstrap.settings.loadSamples` (recommended)
+  - Legacy approach: `pgstacBootstrap.settings.envVars.LOAD_FIXTURES` (deprecated)
+
+Example configuration:
+
+```yaml
+pgstacBootstrap:
+  enabled: true
+  settings:
+    # General configuration options
+    loadSamples: true      # Set to false to disable sample data loading
+    
+    resources:
+      requests:
+        cpu: "512m"
+        memory: "1024Mi"
+      limits:
+        cpu: "512m"
+        memory: "1024Mi"
+```
+
+## Services
+
+### STAC API
+
+The STAC API service provides a standardized way to search and discover geospatial data.
+
+### Raster Services (Titiler)
+
+Provides dynamic tiling for raster data through the TiTiler implementation.
+
+### Vector Services (TIPG)
+
+Provides vector tile services for PostGIS data through the TIPG implementation.
+
+### Multidimensional Services (Optional)
+
+Provides services for multidimensional data (time series, etc.).
+
+## Persistence
+
+The chart uses PostgreSQL for data persistence. Make sure to configure appropriate storage for production use.
+
+## Upgrading
+
+When upgrading the chart, consider any changes to values.yaml and migrations that might need to be applied.
+
+## Uninstallation
+
+```bash
+helm delete eoapi
+```
+
+Note that PVs may need to be manually deleted if you want to remove all data.
diff --git a/helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/pgstac-setup.py b/helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/pgstac-setup.py
deleted file mode 100644
index b05b5349..00000000
--- a/helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/pgstac-setup.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,60 +0,0 @@
-#! /usr/bin/env python3
-
-# This script is used to setup the pgstac database.
-# It is run as a job in the pgstacbootstrap pod.
-# It is important that this script and all of its steps are idempotent.
-
-import os
-import psycopg
-from psycopg import sql
-from psycopg.conninfo import make_conninfo
-from pypgstac.db import PgstacDB
-from pypgstac.migrate import Migrate
-
-admin_db_conninfo = make_conninfo(os.environ['PGADMIN_URI'])
-print("[ REGISTER ]: postgis")
-with psycopg.connect(admin_db_conninfo, autocommit=True) as conn:
-    with conn.cursor() as cur:
-        cur.execute(sql.SQL("CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS postgis;"))
-
-pgdb = PgstacDB(dsn=os.environ['PGADMIN_URI'], debug=True)
-print(f"[ VERSION ]: {pgdb.version=}")
-Migrate(pgdb).run_migration(pgdb.version)
-
-with psycopg.connect(admin_db_conninfo, autocommit=True) as conn:
-    with conn.cursor() as cur:
-        # NOTE: most of these should've been set up by postgresql operator
-        # see `helm-chart/eoapi/values.yaml:postgrescluster` but in case
-        # they haven't been
-        cur.execute(
-            sql.SQL(
-                "GRANT CONNECT ON DATABASE {db_name} TO {username};"
-                "GRANT CREATE ON DATABASE {db_name} TO {username};"  # Allow schema creation
-                "GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA public TO {username};"
-                "ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES IN SCHEMA public "
-                "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON TABLES TO {username};"
-                "ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES IN SCHEMA public "
-                "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON SEQUENCES TO {username};"
-                "GRANT pgstac_read TO {username};"
-                "GRANT pgstac_ingest TO {username};"
-                "GRANT pgstac_admin TO {username};"
-                "ALTER USER {username} SET search_path TO pgstac, public;" # add pgstac to search_path by default
-            ).format(
-                db_name=sql.Identifier(os.environ["POSTGRES_DBNAME"]),
-                username=sql.Identifier(os.environ["POSTGRES_USER"]),
-            )
-        )
-
-with psycopg.connect(admin_db_conninfo, autocommit=True) as conn:
-    with conn.cursor() as cur:
-        cur.execute(
-            sql.SQL(
-                "INSERT INTO pgstac.pgstac_settings (name, value) "
-                "   VALUES "
-                "       ('context', 'auto'),"
-                "       ('context_estimated_count', '100000'),"
-                "       ('context_estimated_cost', '100000'),"
-                "       ('context_stats_ttl', '1 day')"
-                "   ON CONFLICT ON CONSTRAINT pgstac_settings_pkey DO UPDATE SET value = excluded.value;"
-            )
-        )
diff --git a/helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/my_data.sql b/helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/samples/my_data.sql
similarity index 100%
rename from helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/my_data.sql
rename to helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/samples/my_data.sql
diff --git a/helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/noaa-emergency-response.json b/helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/samples/noaa-emergency-response.json
similarity index 100%
rename from helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/noaa-emergency-response.json
rename to helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/samples/noaa-emergency-response.json
diff --git a/helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/noaa-eri-nashville2020.json b/helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/samples/noaa-eri-nashville2020.json
similarity index 100%
rename from helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/noaa-eri-nashville2020.json
rename to helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/samples/noaa-eri-nashville2020.json
diff --git a/helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/settings/pgstac-settings.sql b/helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/settings/pgstac-settings.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2827508a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm-chart/eoapi/initdb-data/settings/pgstac-settings.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+-- Apply pgstac settings
+DELETE FROM pgstac.pgstac_settings WHERE name = 'context';
+INSERT INTO pgstac.pgstac_settings (name, value) VALUES ('context', 'auto');
+
+DELETE FROM pgstac.pgstac_settings WHERE name = 'context_estimated_count';
+INSERT INTO pgstac.pgstac_settings (name, value) VALUES ('context_estimated_count', '100000');
+
+DELETE FROM pgstac.pgstac_settings WHERE name = 'context_estimated_cost';
+INSERT INTO pgstac.pgstac_settings (name, value) VALUES ('context_estimated_cost', '100000');
+
+DELETE FROM pgstac.pgstac_settings WHERE name = 'context_stats_ttl';
+INSERT INTO pgstac.pgstac_settings (name, value) VALUES ('context_stats_ttl', '1 day');
diff --git a/helm-chart/eoapi/templates/db/configmap.yaml b/helm-chart/eoapi/templates/db/configmap.yaml
index 26bb30b2..00d5d5b9 100644
--- a/helm-chart/eoapi/templates/db/configmap.yaml
+++ b/helm-chart/eoapi/templates/db/configmap.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 {{- if .Values.db.enabled }}
----
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: ConfigMap
 metadata:
diff --git a/helm-chart/eoapi/templates/pgstacboostrap/configmap.yaml b/helm-chart/eoapi/templates/pgstacboostrap/configmap.yaml
index ff059efc..e82dcc6f 100644
--- a/helm-chart/eoapi/templates/pgstacboostrap/configmap.yaml
+++ b/helm-chart/eoapi/templates/pgstacboostrap/configmap.yaml
@@ -6,80 +6,70 @@
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: ConfigMap
 metadata:
-  name: initdb-sql-config-{{ $.Release.Name }}
+  name: pgstac-settings-config-{{ $.Release.Name }}
   annotations:
     helm.sh/hook: "post-install,post-upgrade"
     helm.sh/hook-weight: "-6"
     helm.sh/hook-delete-policy: "before-hook-creation,hook-succeeded"
 data:
-  initdb.sql: |
-    {{- range $path, $bytes := $.Files.Glob "initdb-data/*.sql"  -}}
-    {{ $.Files.Get $path | nindent 4 }}
-    {{- end }}
+  pgstac-settings.sql: |
+    {{ $.Files.Get "initdb-data/settings/pgstac-settings.sql" | nindent 4 }}
 ---
+{{- if or .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.loadSamples (eq .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.envVars.LOAD_FIXTURES "true") }}
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: ConfigMap
 metadata:
-  name: initdb-json-config-{{ $.Release.Name }}
+  name: initdb-sql-config-{{ $.Release.Name }}
   annotations:
     helm.sh/hook: "post-install,post-upgrade"
     helm.sh/hook-weight: "-6"
     helm.sh/hook-delete-policy: "before-hook-creation,hook-succeeded"
 data:
-  {{- range $path, $bytes := $.Files.Glob "initdb-data/*.json"  -}}
-  {{- base $path | nindent 2 -}}: | {{- $.Files.Get $path | nindent 4 -}}
-  {{- end }}
+  initdb.sql: |
+    {{- range $path, $bytes := $.Files.Glob "initdb-data/samples/*.sql"  -}}
+    {{ $.Files.Get $path | nindent 4 }}
+    {{- end }}
 ---
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: ConfigMap
 metadata:
-  name: pgstac-setup-config-{{ $.Release.Name }}
+  name: initdb-json-config-{{ $.Release.Name }}
   annotations:
     helm.sh/hook: "post-install,post-upgrade"
     helm.sh/hook-weight: "-6"
     helm.sh/hook-delete-policy: "before-hook-creation,hook-succeeded"
 data:
-  pgstac-migrate.py: |
-    {{- range $path, $bytes := $.Files.Glob "initdb-data/*.py"  -}}
-    {{- $.Files.Get $path | nindent 4 -}}
-    {{- end }}
+  {{- range $path, $bytes := $.Files.Glob "initdb-data/samples/*.json"  -}}
+  {{- base $path | nindent 2 -}}: | {{- $.Files.Get $path | nindent 4 -}}
+  {{- end }}
+{{- end }}
+{{- end }}
 ---
+{{- if .Values.postgrescluster.enabled }}
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: ConfigMap
 metadata:
-  name: initdb-sh-config-{{ $.Release.Name }}
+  name: initdb
   annotations:
     helm.sh/hook: "post-install,post-upgrade"
     helm.sh/hook-weight: "-6"
     helm.sh/hook-delete-policy: "before-hook-creation,hook-succeeded"
 data:
-  run-forever.sh: |
-    #!/bin/bash
-    pypgstac pgready --dsn $PGADMIN_URI
-    while true; do sleep 86400; done
-  apt-and-pip-install.sh: |
-    #!/bin/bash
-    apt update -y && apt install python3 python3-pip -y
-    pip install pypgstac[psycopg]
-  run-migrate-and-load.sh: |
-    #!/bin/bash
-    bash /opt/initdb/apt-and-pip-install.sh
-    # make sure crunchydata postgresql operator has seeded our secrets and we're ready to go
-    pypgstac pgready --dsn $PGADMIN_URI
-    # run migrations
-    python3 /opt/initdb/python-scripts/pgstac-migrate.py
-
-    if [ "$LOAD_FIXTURES" = "true" ]; then
-        pypgstac load collections /opt/initdb/json-data/noaa-emergency-response.json --dsn $PGADMIN_URI --method insert_ignore
-        pypgstac load items /opt/initdb/json-data/noaa-eri-nashville2020.json --dsn $PGADMIN_URI --method insert_ignore
-        psql $PGADMIN_URI -f /opt/initdb/sql-data/initdb.sql
-        echo "DONE LOADING!!!!!!"
-    fi
-
-    if [ "$KEEP_ALIVE" = "true" ]; then
-        bash /opt/initdb/run-forever.sh
-    fi
-
-    # let the k8's pod know we've completed successfully
-    exit 0
+  initdb.sql: |
+    \c {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.database }}
+    CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS postgis;
+    CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS btree_gist;
+    CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS unaccent;
+    CREATE ROLE pgstac_admin;
+    CREATE ROLE pgstac_read;
+    CREATE ROLE pgstac_ingest;
+    ALTER DATABASE {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.database }} OWNER TO {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.user }};
+    ALTER USER {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.user }} SET search_path TO pgstac, public;
+    ALTER DATABASE {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.database }} set search_path to pgstac, public;
+    GRANT CONNECT ON DATABASE {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.database }} TO {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.user }};
+    GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON TABLES TO {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.user }};
+    GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON SEQUENCES TO {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.user }};
+    GRANT pgstac_read TO {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.user }} WITH ADMIN OPTION;
+    GRANT pgstac_ingest TO {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.user }} WITH ADMIN OPTION;
+    GRANT pgstac_admin TO {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.user }} WITH ADMIN OPTION;
 {{- end }}
diff --git a/helm-chart/eoapi/templates/pgstacboostrap/job.yaml b/helm-chart/eoapi/templates/pgstacboostrap/job.yaml
index 4ebcf16b..ec8cbeb3 100644
--- a/helm-chart/eoapi/templates/pgstacboostrap/job.yaml
+++ b/helm-chart/eoapi/templates/pgstacboostrap/job.yaml
@@ -10,12 +10,22 @@
 # 3. The "before-hook-creation,hook-succeeded" delete policy ensures the job is recreated
 #    on each helm install/upgrade and is cleaned up after successful completion
 #
+# DEBUGGING NOTES:
+# If the job fails with "BackoffLimitExceeded" error:
+# 1. Check database connectivity - ensure the database is running and accessible
+# 2. Check database credentials - make sure POSTGRES_HOST, POSTGRES_PORT, etc. are correct
+# 3. Check for pgstac migration errors - examine container logs for migration failures
+# 4. Verify database initialization - ensure postgres extensions and roles are created
+#
+# The CI workflow has been enhanced with a debug step that captures comprehensive logs 
+# from all pgstac-migrate pods to help diagnose failures during testing.
+#
 apiVersion: batch/v1
 kind: Job
 metadata:
-  name: pgstacbootstrap
+  name: pgstac-migrate
   labels:
-    app: pgstacbootstrap
+    app: pgstac-migrate
   annotations:
     helm.sh/hook: "post-install,post-upgrade"
     helm.sh/hook-weight: "-5"
@@ -24,33 +34,118 @@ spec:
   template:
     metadata:
       labels:
-        app: pgstacbootstrap
+        app: pgstac-migrate
+    spec:
+      restartPolicy: Never
+      containers:
+        - name: pgstac-migrate
+          image: {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.image.name }}:{{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.image.tag }}
+          command:
+            - "/bin/sh"
+            - "-c"
+          args:
+            - |
+              # Set standard PG environment variables from secrets
+              export PGHOST=$POSTGRES_HOST
+              export PGPORT=$POSTGRES_PORT
+              export PGUSER=$POSTGRES_USER
+              export PGPASSWORD=$POSTGRES_PASS
+              export PGDATABASE=$POSTGRES_DBNAME
+                            
+              # Wait for the database to be ready
+              echo "Waiting for database to be ready..."
+              pypgstac pgready
+
+              # Exit immediately if a command exits with a non-zero status
+              set -e
+              
+              # Run migration
+              echo "Running PgSTAC migrations..."
+              pypgstac migrate
+              
+              # Apply settings
+              echo "Applying PgSTAC settings..."
+              psql -f /opt/settings/pgstac-settings.sql
+
+              echo "PgSTAC migration and setup complete"
+          resources:
+            {{- toYaml .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.resources | nindent 12 }}
+          volumeMounts:
+            - mountPath: /opt/settings
+              name: pgstac-settings-volume-{{ $.Release.Name }}
+          env:
+            {{ include "eoapi.pgstacSecrets" . | nindent 12 }}
+      volumes:
+        - name: pgstac-settings-volume-{{ $.Release.Name }}
+          configMap:
+            name: pgstac-settings-config-{{ $.Release.Name }}
+      {{- with .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.affinity }}
+      affinity:
+        {{- toYaml . | nindent 8 }}
+      {{- end }}
+      {{- with .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.tolerations }}
+      tolerations:
+        {{- toYaml . | nindent 8 }}
+      {{- end }}
+  backoffLimit: 1
+{{- end }}
+
+{{- if and .Values.pgstacBootstrap.enabled (or .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.loadSamples (eq .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.envVars.LOAD_FIXTURES "true")) }}
+---
+apiVersion: batch/v1
+kind: Job
+metadata:
+  name: pgstac-load-samples
+  labels:
+    app: pgstac-load-samples
+  annotations:
+    helm.sh/hook: "post-install,post-upgrade"
+    helm.sh/hook-weight: "-4"
+    helm.sh/hook-delete-policy: "before-hook-creation,hook-succeeded"
+spec:
+  template:
+    metadata:
+      labels:
+        app: pgstac-load-samples
     spec:
       restartPolicy: Never
       containers:
-        - name: pgstacbootstrap
+        - name: pgstac-load-samples
           image: {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.image.name }}:{{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.image.tag }}
-          command: {{- toYaml .Values.pgstacBootstrap.command | nindent 12 }}
+          command:
+            - "/bin/sh"
+            - "-c"
           args:
-            {{- toYaml .Values.pgstacBootstrap.args | nindent 12 }}
-          ports:
-            - containerPort: 5432
+            - |
+              # Exit immediately if a command exits with a non-zero status
+              set -e
+              
+              # Set standard PG environment variables from secrets
+              export PGHOST=$POSTGRES_HOST
+              export PGPORT=$POSTGRES_PORT
+              export PGUSER=$POSTGRES_USER
+              export PGPASSWORD=$POSTGRES_PASS
+              export PGDATABASE=$POSTGRES_DBNAME
+              
+              # Load sample data
+              echo "Loading sample collections..."
+              pypgstac load collections /opt/data/noaa-emergency-response.json --method insert_ignore
+              
+              echo "Loading sample items..."
+              pypgstac load items /opt/data/noaa-eri-nashville2020.json --method insert_ignore
+              
+              echo "Running custom SQL..."
+              psql -f /opt/sql/initdb.sql
+              
+              echo "Sample data loading complete"
           resources:
             {{- toYaml .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.resources | nindent 12 }}
           volumeMounts:
-            - mountPath: /opt/initdb/sql-data
+            - mountPath: /opt/sql
               name: initdb-sql-volume-{{ $.Release.Name }}
-            - mountPath: /opt/initdb/json-data
+            - mountPath: /opt/data
               name: initdb-json-volume-{{ $.Release.Name }}
-            - mountPath: /opt/initdb/
-              name: initdb-sh-volume-{{ $.Release.Name }}
-            - mountPath: /opt/initdb/python-scripts
-              name: pgstac-setup-volume-{{ $.Release.Name }}
           env:
-            - name: LOAD_FIXTURES
-              value: {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.envVars.LOAD_FIXTURES | quote }}
-            - name: KEEP_ALIVE
-              value: {{ .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.envVars.KEEP_ALIVE | quote }}
             {{ include "eoapi.pgstacSecrets" . | nindent 12 }}
       volumes:
         - name: initdb-sql-volume-{{ $.Release.Name }}
@@ -59,12 +154,6 @@ spec:
         - name: initdb-json-volume-{{ $.Release.Name }}
           configMap:
             name: initdb-json-config-{{ $.Release.Name }}
-        - name: initdb-sh-volume-{{ $.Release.Name }}
-          configMap:
-            name: initdb-sh-config-{{ $.Release.Name }}
-        - name: pgstac-setup-volume-{{ $.Release.Name }}
-          configMap:
-            name: pgstac-setup-config-{{ $.Release.Name }}
       {{- with .Values.pgstacBootstrap.settings.affinity }}
       affinity:
         {{- toYaml . | nindent 8 }}
diff --git a/helm-chart/eoapi/values.yaml b/helm-chart/eoapi/values.yaml
index 4da68908..9a5136dd 100644
--- a/helm-chart/eoapi/values.yaml
+++ b/helm-chart/eoapi/values.yaml
@@ -105,6 +105,18 @@ postgrescluster:
   postGISVersion: 3.4
   pgBouncerReplicas: 1
   monitoring: false
+  # Configure Patroni to set proper schema permissions
+  patroni:
+    dynamicConfiguration:
+      postgresql:
+        pg_hba:
+          - "host all all 0.0.0.0/0 md5"
+        parameters:
+          shared_preload_libraries: pg_stat_statements, auto_explain
+  databaseInitSQL:
+    key: initdb.sql
+    name: initdb
+
   instances:
   - name: eoapi
     replicas: 1
@@ -118,22 +130,21 @@ postgrescluster:
           memory: "3048Mi"
   # https://access.crunchydata.com/documentation/postgres-operator/latest/architecture/user-management
   users:
-    # `postgres` always is a `SUPERUSER` and cannot be adjusted with `options` flag
+    # `postgres` always has SUPERUSER privileges
     # we use this block here to create secrets for the `postgres` user that we can mount and lookup
     - name: postgres
       databases:
         - eoapi
         - postgres
-    # if you try to grant `options: 'SUPERUSER'` below to your eoapi service user
-    # then they will not be able to connect through the pgbouncer connection pooler, so be aware
+      options: "SUPERUSER"
+    # Grant CREATEROLE privilege to eoapi user so it can create the pgstac_admin role
+    # If you grant SUPERUSER to the eoapi user, it won't be able to connect through pgbouncer
     # https://access.crunchydata.com/documentation/crunchy-postgres-containers/2.4.2/container-specifications/crunchy-pgbouncer/
-    # this user is currently unprivileged and the `pgstacBootstrap` container below will grant privileges
-    # when it boots via the `postgres` superuser above.
-    # see `/helm-chart/eoapi/templates/pgstacbootstrap/configmap.yaml:initdb-sh-config`
     - name: eoapi
       databases:
         - eoapi
         - postgres
+      options: "CREATEDB CREATEROLE"
       # default `password.type` is ASCII which follows the character set US-ASCII
       # but which can contain characters that `asyncpg` dislikes
       # see https://github.com/MagicStack/asyncpg/issues/1151
@@ -146,13 +157,15 @@ postgrescluster:
 pgstacBootstrap:
   enabled: true
   image:
-    name: ghcr.io/stac-utils/pgstac
+    name: ghcr.io/stac-utils/pgstac-pypgstac
     tag: v0.9.5
-  command:
-    - "sh"
-  args:
-    - "/opt/initdb/run-migrate-and-load.sh"
   settings:
+    # General configuration options
+    loadSamples: true      # Set to false to disable sample data loading
+    ### Database connection settings TEMPORARY UNTIL WE HAVE A BETTER SOLUTION
+    ### FOR CONFIGURING THE DB CONNECTION
+    user: eoapi
+    database: eoapi
     resources:
       requests:
         cpu: "512m"
@@ -160,11 +173,10 @@ pgstacBootstrap:
       limits:
         cpu: "512m"
         memory: "1024Mi"
+    # DEPRECATED: Use pgstacBootstrap.settings.loadSamples instead
     envVars:
       # toggle to "false" if you don't want fixtures default loaded
       LOAD_FIXTURES: "true"
-      # toggle to `true` if you want to keep the job running as db jumpbox
-      KEEP_ALIVE: "false"
 
 
 ######################