diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index cf6dfc4..408473e 100644
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -70,6 +70,15 @@ app.config['LDAP_GROUP_OBJECT_FILTER'] = '(objectclass=posixGroup)'
 app.config['LDAP_BIND_USER_DN'] = None
 app.config['LDAP_BIND_USER_PASSWORD'] = None
 
+# stop db restarts from causing stales and client-side 'server errors' - its a
+# touch hacky, e.g. it issues a select 1 before EVERY request, likely should
+# ditch this and just have a short-lived pool, but need to work out if/where I
+# can catch the right exception myself and then dont need this, but for now...
+app.config['SQLALCHEMY_ENGINE_OPTIONS'] = {
+    "pool_pre_ping": True,
+    "pool_recycle": 280,  # Good practice to include this with pre-ping
+}
+
 
 db = SQLAlchemy(app)                           # create the (flask) sqlalchemy connection
 ma = Marshmallow(app)                          # set up Marshmallow - data marshalling / serialising