diff --git a/flavours/classic/config/runtime.exs b/flavours/classic/config/runtime.exs
index d72474de4d..2ca510c0af 100755
--- a/flavours/classic/config/runtime.exs
+++ b/flavours/classic/config/runtime.exs
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ IO.puts("🔥 Welcome to Bonfire!")
 host = System.get_env("HOSTNAME", "localhost")
 server_port = String.to_integer(System.get_env("SERVER_PORT", "4000"))
 public_port = String.to_integer(System.get_env("PUBLIC_PORT", "4000"))
+test_instance = System.get_env("TEST_INSTANCE")
+
+yes? = ~w(true yes 1)
+no? = ~w(false no 0)
 
 repos =
   if Code.ensure_loaded?(Beacon.Repo),
@@ -16,7 +20,7 @@ repos =
     else: [Bonfire.Common.Repo]
 
 repos =
-  if System.get_env("TEST_INSTANCE") == "yes",
+  if test_instance in yes?,
     do: repos ++ [Bonfire.Common.TestInstanceRepo],
     else: repos
 
@@ -40,14 +44,20 @@ System.get_env("DATABASE_URL") || System.get_env("POSTGRES_PASSWORD") || System.
   and POSTGRES_USER (default: postgres) and POSTGRES_HOST (default: localhost)
   """
 
+maybe_repo_ipv6 = if System.get_env("ECTO_IPV6") in yes?, do: [:inet6], else: []
+
 repo_connection_config =
   if System.get_env("DATABASE_URL") do
-    [url: System.get_env("DATABASE_URL")]
+    [
+      url: System.get_env("DATABASE_URL"),
+      socket_options: maybe_repo_ipv6
+    ]
   else
     [
       username: System.get_env("POSTGRES_USER", "postgres"),
       password: System.get_env("POSTGRES_PASSWORD", "postgres"),
-      hostname: System.get_env("POSTGRES_HOST", "localhost")
+      hostname: System.get_env("POSTGRES_HOST", "localhost"),
+      socket_options: maybe_repo_ipv6
     ]
   end
 
@@ -90,12 +100,13 @@ config :bonfire,
     dir: cute_gifs_dir
   ]
 
+phx_server = System.get_env("PHX_SERVER")
 use_cowboy? = System.get_env("PLUG_SERVER") == "cowboy"
 
 config :bonfire, Bonfire.Web.Endpoint,
   server:
-    config_env() != :test or System.get_env("TEST_INSTANCE") == "yes" or
-      System.get_env("START_SERVER") == "yes",
+    phx_server not in no? and
+      (config_env() != :test or test_instance in yes? or phx_server in yes?),
   url: [
     host: host,
     port: public_port
@@ -152,7 +163,7 @@ IO.puts("Note: Starting database connection pool of #{pool_size}")
 database =
   case config_env() do
     :test ->
-      "bonfire_test_#{System.get_env("TEST_INSTANCE")}_#{System.get_env("MIX_TEST_PARTITION")}"
+      "bonfire_test_#{test_instance}_#{System.get_env("MIX_TEST_PARTITION")}"
 
     :dev ->
       System.get_env("POSTGRES_DB", "bonfire_dev")
@@ -227,7 +238,7 @@ case System.get_env("GRAPH_DB_URL") do
       pool_size: pool_size
 end
 
-if (config_env() == :prod or System.get_env("OTEL_ENABLED") == "1") and
+if (config_env() == :prod or System.get_env("OTEL_ENABLED") in yes?) and
      (System.get_env("OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT") || System.get_env("OTEL_LIGHTSTEP_API_KEY") ||
         System.get_env("OTEL_HONEYCOMB_API_KEY")) do
   config :opentelemetry_exporter,
diff --git a/flavours/classic/config/test.exs b/flavours/classic/config/test.exs
index def4c6768d..17a08ef077 100755
--- a/flavours/classic/config/test.exs
+++ b/flavours/classic/config/test.exs
@@ -88,8 +88,7 @@ config :exsync,
 
 # use Ecto sandbox?
 config :bonfire,
-  sql_sandbox:
-    System.get_env("START_SERVER") != "yes" and System.get_env("TEST_INSTANCE") != "yes"
+  sql_sandbox: System.get_env("PHX_SERVER") != "yes" and System.get_env("TEST_INSTANCE") != "yes"
 
 {chromedriver_path, _} = System.cmd("sh", ["-c", "command -v chromedriver"])
 
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index c7a8beb2be..0641b3b44d 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ recompile *args='':
 	just compile --force $args
 
 dev-test:
-	@MIX_ENV=test START_SERVER=yes just dev-run
+	@MIX_ENV=test PHX_SERVER=yes just dev-run
 
 # Run the app in dev mode, as a background service
 dev-bg: init
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ test-federation-dance-positions:
 	TEST_INSTANCE=yes MIX_ENV=test just mix deps.clean bonfire --build
 
 test-federation-live-DRAGONS *args='':
-	FEDERATE=yes START_SERVER=yes HOSTNAME=$(just local-tunnel-hostname) PUBLIC_PORT=443 just test --only live_federation $@
+	FEDERATE=yes PHX_SERVER=yes HOSTNAME=$(just local-tunnel-hostname) PUBLIC_PORT=443 just test --only live_federation $@
 
 load_testing:
 	TEST_INSTANCE=yes just mix bonfire.load_testing
diff --git a/rel/overlays/bin/migrate b/rel/overlays/bin/migrate
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6d4c9f0599
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rel/overlays/bin/migrate
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+cd -P -- "$(dirname -- "$0")"
+exec ./bonfire eval Bonfire.Common.Repo.migrate
diff --git a/rel/overlays/bin/migrate.bat b/rel/overlays/bin/migrate.bat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c043e70467
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rel/overlays/bin/migrate.bat
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+call "%~dp0\bonfire" eval Bonfire.Common.Repo.migrate
diff --git a/rel/overlays/bin/no_server b/rel/overlays/bin/no_server
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..825d02370b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rel/overlays/bin/no_server
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+cd -P -- "$(dirname -- "$0")"
+PHX_SERVER=no exec ./bonfire start
diff --git a/rel/overlays/bin/no_server.bat b/rel/overlays/bin/no_server.bat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a815ea8243
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rel/overlays/bin/no_server.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+set PHX_SERVER=no
+call "%~dp0\bonfire" start
diff --git a/rel/overlays/bin/server b/rel/overlays/bin/server
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..42b6a75cd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rel/overlays/bin/server
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+cd -P -- "$(dirname -- "$0")"
+PHX_SERVER=yes exec ./bonfire start
diff --git a/rel/overlays/bin/server.bat b/rel/overlays/bin/server.bat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5f70f97907
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rel/overlays/bin/server.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+set PHX_SERVER=yes
+call "%~dp0\bonfire" start
diff --git a/test/test_helper.exs b/test/test_helper.exs
index d6246b71db..3cd4967c5f 100755
--- a/test/test_helper.exs
+++ b/test/test_helper.exs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Mix.Task.run("ecto.migrate")
 
 # Ecto.Adapters.SQL.Sandbox.mode(repo(), :manual)
 
-# if System.get_env("START_SERVER") !="yes" do
+# if System.get_env("PHX_SERVER") !="yes" do
 Ecto.Adapters.SQL.Sandbox.mode(repo(), :auto)
 # end