diff --git a/app/startup.sh b/app/startup.sh
index 768a65e..4d5cd37 100755
--- a/app/startup.sh
+++ b/app/startup.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ done
 DST_DIR=/var/www/html/tt-rss
 SRC_REPO=https://git.tt-rss.org/fox/tt-rss.git
 
+[ -e $DST_DIR ] && rm -f $DST_DIR/.app_is_ready
+
 export PGPASSWORD=$DB_PASS 
 
 [ ! -e /var/www/html/index.php ] && cp /index.php /var/www/html
@@ -68,5 +70,7 @@ else
 		-i.bak $DST_DIR/config.php
 fi
 
+touch $DST_DIR/.app_is_ready
+
 exec /usr/sbin/php-fpm7 -F
 
diff --git a/app/updater.sh b/app/updater.sh
index 71caf9e..2f36f47 100755
--- a/app/updater.sh
+++ b/app/updater.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/sh -ex
 
+# wait for the app container to delete .app_is_ready and perform rsync, etc.
+sleep 30
+
 while ! pg_isready -h $DB_HOST -U $DB_USER; do
 	echo waiting until $DB_HOST is ready...
 	sleep 3
@@ -7,8 +10,8 @@ done
 
 DST_DIR=/var/www/html/tt-rss
 
-while [ ! -s $DST_DIR/config.php ]; do
-	echo waiting for $DST_DIR/config.php...
+while [ ! -s $DST_DIR/config.php -a -e $DST_DIR/.app_is_ready ]; do
+	echo waiting for app container...
 	sleep 3
 done