diff --git a/scripts/restore-db.sh b/scripts/restore-db.sh
index 36f55a5..98831a9 100755
--- a/scripts/restore-db.sh
+++ b/scripts/restore-db.sh
@@ -3,10 +3,13 @@
 # Streams a Coolify Postgres backup artifact into the target container over
 # tailnet SSH. Refuses to run without explicit confirmation of the target.
 set -euo pipefail
-ARTIFACT="${1:?backup artifact (.sql.gz)}"; HOST="${2:?target host (tailnet name)}"; CONTAINER="${3:?postgres container name}"; DBNAME="${4:?target database name (docker exec <container> psql -U postgres -lqt to list)}"
+ARTIFACT="${1:?backup artifact (.sql.gz)}"; HOST="${2:?target host (tailnet name)}"; CONTAINER="${3:?postgres container name}"; DBNAME="${4:?target database name (docker exec <container> env | grep POSTGRES_DB)}"
 echo "About to RESTORE ${ARTIFACT} into database ${DBNAME} in ${CONTAINER} on ${HOST} — this overwrites that database."
 read -r -p "Type the target host to confirm: " CONFIRM
 [ "$CONFIRM" = "$HOST" ] || { echo "confirmation mismatch; aborting"; exit 1; }
+# Connect as the container's own superuser: Coolify provisions each Postgres
+# resource with a random POSTGRES_USER — "postgres" does not exist. Expand
+# $POSTGRES_USER inside the container (single-quoted sh -c), never client-side.
 # shellcheck disable=SC2029 # intentional: $CONTAINER/$DBNAME are local vars, expand client-side before they reach the remote shell
-gunzip -c "$ARTIFACT" | ssh "root@${HOST}" "docker exec -i ${CONTAINER} psql -U postgres -d ${DBNAME} -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1"
+gunzip -c "$ARTIFACT" | ssh "root@${HOST}" "docker exec -i ${CONTAINER} sh -c 'psql -U \"\$POSTGRES_USER\" -d ${DBNAME} -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1'"
 echo "restore complete — run the verification checks in runbooks/restore-drill.md step 4"