diff --git a/deploy/deploy.sh b/deploy/deploy.sh
index e9f5dbf..53d9515 100755
--- a/deploy/deploy.sh
+++ b/deploy/deploy.sh
@@ -43,6 +43,15 @@ fi
 .venv/bin/pip install --upgrade pip -q
 .venv/bin/pip install -r backend/requirements.txt -q
 
+# Apply any pending accounts-DB schema migrations before the new code starts, so
+# it never queries a column an older database lacks. Idempotent and tracked, so
+# every deploy can run it; sourcing the env picks up a THERMOGRAPH_ACCOUNTS_DB
+# override if one is set. Runs as the deploy user, who owns the data dir.
+echo "==> Applying database migrations"
+( set -a; . /etc/thermograph.env 2>/dev/null || true; set +a
+  "$APP_DIR/.venv/bin/python" "$APP_DIR/deploy/migrate-db.py"
+)
+
 echo "==> Restarting service"
 sudo systemctl restart thermograph