diff --git a/app/__main__.py b/app/__main__.py
index af746e4..c036a54 100644
--- a/app/__main__.py
+++ b/app/__main__.py
@@ -25,7 +25,32 @@ if int(os.getenv("SANIC_MAINTENANCE", '0')) == 1:
     while True:
         time.sleep(1)
 
-from app.core.models import Memory
+
+def init_db_schema_sync() -> None:
+    """Initialise all SQLAlchemy models in the database before services start.
+
+    This ensures that every table defined on AlchemyBase.metadata (including
+    newer ones like DHT and service_config) exists before any component
+    accesses the database.
+    """
+    try:
+        from sqlalchemy import create_engine
+        from app.core.models import AlchemyBase  # imports all models and populates metadata
+
+        db_url = os.environ.get('DATABASE_URL')
+        if not db_url:
+            raise RuntimeError('DATABASE_URL is not set')
+
+        # Normalise DSN to sync driver for schema creation
+        if '+asyncpg' in db_url:
+            db_url_sync = db_url.replace('+asyncpg', '+psycopg2')
+        else:
+            db_url_sync = db_url
+
+        sync_engine = create_engine(db_url_sync, pool_pre_ping=True)
+        AlchemyBase.metadata.create_all(sync_engine)
+    except Exception as e:
+        make_log('Startup', f'DB sync init failed: {e}', level='error')
 
 
 async def queue_daemon(app):
@@ -78,27 +103,15 @@ async def execute_queue(app):
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
+    # Ensure DB schema is fully initialised for all models
+    init_db_schema_sync()
+
+    from app.core.models import Memory
     main_memory = Memory()
     if startup_target == '__main__':
         # Defer heavy imports to avoid side effects in background services
         # Mark this process as the primary node for seeding/config init
         os.environ.setdefault('NODE_ROLE', 'primary')
-        # Create DB tables synchronously before importing HTTP app to satisfy _secrets
-        try:
-            from sqlalchemy import create_engine
-            from app.core.models import AlchemyBase  # imports all models
-            db_url = os.environ.get('DATABASE_URL')
-            if not db_url:
-                raise RuntimeError('DATABASE_URL is not set')
-            # Normalize to sync driver
-            if '+asyncpg' in db_url:
-                db_url_sync = db_url.replace('+asyncpg', '+psycopg2')
-            else:
-                db_url_sync = db_url
-            sync_engine = create_engine(db_url_sync, pool_pre_ping=True)
-            AlchemyBase.metadata.create_all(sync_engine)
-        except Exception as e:
-            make_log('Startup', f'DB sync init failed: {e}', level='error')
         from app.api import app
         # Delay aiogram dispatcher creation until loop is running
         from app.core._config import SANIC_PORT, PROJECT_HOST, DATABASE_URL
diff --git a/app/core/_secrets.py b/app/core/_secrets.py
index be4ff79..282d715 100644
--- a/app/core/_secrets.py
+++ b/app/core/_secrets.py
@@ -32,22 +32,6 @@ def _init_seed_via_db() -> bytes:
     engine = create_engine(DATABASE_URL, pool_pre_ping=True)
     role = os.getenv("NODE_ROLE", "worker").lower()
 
-    # Best-effort: ensure service_config table exists before waiting on it.
-    # This complements the synchronous init in app.__main__ and protects
-    # against ordering issues where _secrets is imported before that init runs.
-    try:
-        from sqlalchemy.exc import SQLAlchemyError
-
-        with engine.begin() as conn:
-            inspector = inspect(conn)
-            if not inspector.has_table('service_config'):
-                ServiceConfigValue.__table__.create(bind=conn, checkfirst=True)
-    except SQLAlchemyError as exc:
-        make_log("HotWallet", f"Failed to ensure service_config table: {exc}", level="error")
-    except Exception:
-        # Avoid failing hard here; the fallback waiter below may still succeed
-        pass
-
     def db_ready(conn) -> bool:
         try:
             inspector = inspect(conn)
diff --git a/app/core/network/dht/store.py b/app/core/network/dht/store.py
index 9dc4991..bbca705 100644
--- a/app/core/network/dht/store.py
+++ b/app/core/network/dht/store.py
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ class DHTStore:
 try:
     from sqlalchemy import create_engine
     from sqlalchemy.orm import sessionmaker
+
     from app.core._config import DATABASE_URL
     from app.core.models.dht import DHTRecordRow