diff --git a/docker-entrypoint.sh b/docker-entrypoint.sh
index dc93ab7..d6f36c7 100644
--- a/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -1,11 +1,21 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 set -e
 
-# Ensure the data directory exists and is owned by the node user.
-# This fixes permission issues with bind-mounted volumes (e.g. ./data:/app/data)
-# where the host directory is owned by root but the container runs as node.
+# Ensure the data directory exists and is writable by the app user on every
+# container start. Bind-mounted host directories (docker-compose ./data,
+# Unraid appdata, etc.) are often owned by root or "nobody", which would
+# otherwise make the unprivileged "node" user unable to create trxtd.db.
 mkdir -p /app/data
-chown -R node:node /app/data 2>/dev/null || true
 
-# Drop privileges and run the actual application as node
-exec su-exec node "$@"
\ No newline at end of file
+# Prefer chown (sets node:node). On filesystems that do not support chown
+# (some network/9p mounts), fall back to making the directory world-writable.
+if ! chown -R node:node /app/data 2>/dev/null; then
+  chmod 777 /app/data 2>/dev/null || true
+fi
+
+# Drop privileges to the unprivileged node user when su-exec is available,
+# otherwise run as root (still fully functional).
+if command -v su-exec >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  exec su-exec node "$@"
+fi
+exec "$@"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/db.mjs b/server/db.mjs
index 4e63bb4..90cda15 100644
--- a/server/db.mjs
+++ b/server/db.mjs
@@ -9,7 +9,31 @@ if (!fs.existsSync(DATA_DIR)) {
 }
 
 const DB_PATH = path.join(DATA_DIR, 'trxtd.db')
-const db = new DatabaseSync(DB_PATH)
+
+// Fail fast with an actionable message when the database file cannot be
+// opened (most commonly a bind-mounted volume the process user cannot
+// write to). The default node:sqlite error only says "unable to open
+// database file" and hides the path and permission problem.
+let db
+try {
+  db = new DatabaseSync(DB_PATH)
+} catch (err) {
+  let writable = false
+  try {
+    fs.accessSync(DATA_DIR, fs.constants.W_OK)
+    writable = true
+  } catch {
+    /* directory not writable */
+  }
+  const uid = typeof process.getuid === 'function' ? process.getuid() : 'unbekannt'
+  console.error(
+    `[db] Datenbank konnte nicht geöffnet werden: ${DB_PATH}\n` +
+      `     Verzeichnis ${DATA_DIR} ist ${writable ? 'beschreibbar' : 'NICHT beschreibbar'} ` +
+      `(Prozess läuft als UID ${uid}).\n` +
+      `     Bitte prüfen, ob das Volume auf ${DATA_DIR} gemountet und beschreibbar ist.`,
+  )
+  throw err
+}
 
 // Performance optimizations (WAL mode, normal synchronous)
 db.exec(`