diff --git a/containers/bookstack/docker-compose.yml b/containers/bookstack/docker-compose.yml
index 5bb0f13..1c93a4d 100755
--- a/containers/bookstack/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/containers/bookstack/docker-compose.yml
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ services:
     labels:
       libreportal.category: "CATEGORY_DATA" #LIBREPORTAL|CATEGORY_TAG|CATEGORY_DATA
       libreportal.title: "TITLE_DATA" #LIBREPORTAL|TITLE_TAG|TITLE_DATA
+      libreportal.backup.db: "mariadb:bookstack_db:db:"
       traefik.enable: TRAEFIK_ENABLE_DATA #LIBREPORTAL|TRAEFIK_ENABLE_TAG|TRAEFIK_ENABLE_DATA
       # TRAEFIK_PORT_1_BEGIN
       traefik.http.routers.bookstack-service.entrypoints: web,websecure
diff --git a/containers/invidious/docker-compose.yml b/containers/invidious/docker-compose.yml
index 1aba516..2bbb4a2 100644
--- a/containers/invidious/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/containers/invidious/docker-compose.yml
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ services:
     labels:
       libreportal.category: "CATEGORY_DATA" #LIBREPORTAL|CATEGORY_TAG|CATEGORY_DATA
       libreportal.title: "TITLE_DATA" #LIBREPORTAL|TITLE_TAG|TITLE_DATA
+      libreportal.backup.db: "postgres:invidious-db:postgresdata:"
       traefik.enable: TRAEFIK_ENABLE_DATA #LIBREPORTAL|TRAEFIK_ENABLE_TAG|TRAEFIK_ENABLE_DATA
       # TRAEFIK_PORT_1_BEGIN
       traefik.http.routers.invidious-service.entrypoints: web,websecure
diff --git a/containers/mastodon/docker-compose.yml b/containers/mastodon/docker-compose.yml
index fcadaa0..0a0c70f 100755
--- a/containers/mastodon/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/containers/mastodon/docker-compose.yml
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ services:
         labels:
             libreportal.category: "CATEGORY_DATA" #LIBREPORTAL|CATEGORY_TAG|CATEGORY_DATA
             libreportal.title: "TITLE_DATA" #LIBREPORTAL|TITLE_TAG|TITLE_DATA
+            libreportal.backup.db: "postgres:mastodon-postgres:postgres:"
             traefik.enable: TRAEFIK_ENABLE_DATA #LIBREPORTAL|TRAEFIK_ENABLE_TAG|TRAEFIK_ENABLE_DATA
             # TRAEFIK_PORT_1_BEGIN
             traefik.http.routers.mastodon-service.entrypoints: web,websecure
diff --git a/containers/nextcloud/docker-compose.yml b/containers/nextcloud/docker-compose.yml
index c95492e..efb0c21 100644
--- a/containers/nextcloud/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/containers/nextcloud/docker-compose.yml
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ services:
     labels:
       libreportal.category: "CATEGORY_DATA" #LIBREPORTAL|CATEGORY_TAG|CATEGORY_DATA
       libreportal.title: "TITLE_DATA" #LIBREPORTAL|TITLE_TAG|TITLE_DATA
+      libreportal.backup.db: "mariadb:nextcloud-db:db_data:"
       traefik.enable: TRAEFIK_ENABLE_DATA #LIBREPORTAL|TRAEFIK_ENABLE_TAG|TRAEFIK_ENABLE_DATA
       # TRAEFIK_PORT_1_BEGIN
       traefik.http.routers.nextcloud-service.entrypoints: web,websecure
diff --git a/containers/owncloud/docker-compose.yml b/containers/owncloud/docker-compose.yml
index 3200e19..0f7fa55 100755
--- a/containers/owncloud/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/containers/owncloud/docker-compose.yml
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ services:
     labels:
       libreportal.category: "CATEGORY_DATA" #LIBREPORTAL|CATEGORY_TAG|CATEGORY_DATA
       libreportal.title: "TITLE_DATA" #LIBREPORTAL|TITLE_TAG|TITLE_DATA
+      libreportal.backup.db: "mariadb:owncloud-mariadb:mysql:"
       traefik.enable: TRAEFIK_ENABLE_DATA #LIBREPORTAL|TRAEFIK_ENABLE_TAG|TRAEFIK_ENABLE_DATA
       # TRAEFIK_PORT_1_BEGIN
       traefik.http.routers.owncloud-service.entrypoints: web,websecure
diff --git a/scripts/backup/app/backup_app_start.sh b/scripts/backup/app/backup_app_start.sh
index 2607a52..0de894c 100755
--- a/scripts/backup/app/backup_app_start.sh
+++ b/scripts/backup/app/backup_app_start.sh
@@ -41,7 +41,12 @@ backupAppStart()
         dockerComposePause "$stored_app_name" 2>/dev/null || dockerComposeDown "$stored_app_name"
     elif [[ "$strategy" == "live" ]]; then
         isNotice "Live strategy — containers stay running; databases dumped consistently"
-        backupDbDump "$stored_app_name"
+        if ! backupDbDump "$stored_app_name"; then
+            isError "Live database dump failed — falling back to stop-snapshot-start for safety"
+            sudo rm -rf "${containers_dir:?}$stored_app_name/.lp-backup"
+            strategy="stop-snapshot-start"
+            dockerComposeDown "$stored_app_name"
+        fi
     else
         dockerComposeDown "$stored_app_name"
     fi
diff --git a/scripts/backup/db/backup_db.sh b/scripts/backup/db/backup_db.sh
index eea222a..336cf4c 100644
--- a/scripts/backup/db/backup_db.sh
+++ b/scripts/backup/db/backup_db.sh
@@ -159,7 +159,12 @@ backupDbDump()
                 isNotice "Dumping sqlite ($path) — live, consistent"
                 local src="$app_dir/$path"
                 if [[ ! -f "$src" ]]; then
-                    isNotice "sqlite file $path not present yet — skipping"
+                    # Declared but not found — could be a fresh app, or a wrong
+                    # path. Treat as a dump failure so the caller falls back to
+                    # the safe stop-snapshot-start rather than snapshotting a
+                    # live sqlite file untorn.
+                    isError "sqlite file $path not found — cannot dump"
+                    rc=1
                     continue
                 fi
                 # .backup takes a consistent copy even while the app writes.