diff --git a/cypress.config.js b/cypress.config.js
index 009b094f..a9fd5973 100644
--- a/cypress.config.js
+++ b/cypress.config.js
@@ -1,18 +1,97 @@
 const { defineConfig } = require("cypress");
+const net = require("net");
+
+const DEFAULT_DB_HOST =
+  process.env.CYPRESS_DB_HOST ?? process.env.MARIADB_HOST ?? "127.0.0.1";
+const DEFAULT_DB_PORT = Number(
+  process.env.CYPRESS_DB_PORT ?? process.env.MARIADB_PORT ?? 3306,
+);
+const DEFAULT_DB_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS = Number(
+  process.env.CYPRESS_DB_WAIT_TIMEOUT ?? 30_000,
+);
+
+const RETRY_DELAY_MS = 1_000;
+const SOCKET_TIMEOUT_MS = 2_000;
+
+/**
+ * @param {{ host?: string; port?: number; timeoutMs?: number }} [options]
+ * @param {{ dbHost?: string; dbPort?: number; dbWaitTimeoutMs?: number }} [env]
+ */
+async function waitForDatabase(options = {}, env = {}) {
+  const host = options.host ?? env.dbHost ?? DEFAULT_DB_HOST;
+  const port = Number(options.port ?? env.dbPort ?? DEFAULT_DB_PORT);
+  const timeoutMs = Number(
+    options.timeoutMs ?? env.dbWaitTimeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_DB_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  );
+
+  if (!Number.isFinite(port)) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid database port provided for waitForDbHealthy: ${port}`);
+  }
+
+  const deadline = Date.now() + timeoutMs;
+
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    const attemptConnection = () => {
+      const socket = net.createConnection({ host, port });
+
+      const cleanup = () => {
+        socket.removeAllListeners();
+      };
+
+      const scheduleRetry = (error) => {
+        cleanup();
+        socket.destroy();
+
+        if (Date.now() >= deadline) {
+          reject(
+            new Error(
+              `Timed out waiting for MariaDB at ${host}:${port} (${error.message})`,
+            ),
+          );
+          return;
+        }
+
+        setTimeout(attemptConnection, RETRY_DELAY_MS);
+      };
+
+      socket.once("connect", () => {
+        cleanup();
+        socket.end();
+        resolve(null);
+      });
+
+      socket.once("error", scheduleRetry);
+      socket.setTimeout(SOCKET_TIMEOUT_MS, () => {
+        scheduleRetry(new Error("Connection attempt timed out"));
+      });
+    };
+
+    attemptConnection();
+  });
+}
 
 module.exports = defineConfig({
   e2e: {
-    setupNodeEvents(on, _config) {
-      require('@cypress/code-coverage/task')(on, _config)
+    setupNodeEvents(on, config) {
+      require('@cypress/code-coverage/task')(on, config)
+
+      on('task', {
+        waitForDbHealthy(options) {
+          return waitForDatabase(options, config.env)
+        },
+      })
 
       // It's IMPORTANT to return the config object
       // with any changed environment variables
-      return _config
+      return config
     },
     baseUrl: 'http://localhost:5173/',
   },
   env: {
-    databaseResetUrl: "http://localhost:4000/test/reset-test-database"
+    databaseResetUrl: "http://localhost:4000/test/reset-test-database",
+    dbHost: DEFAULT_DB_HOST,
+    dbPort: DEFAULT_DB_PORT,
+    dbWaitTimeoutMs: DEFAULT_DB_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS,
   },
   viewportHeight: 900,
   viewportWidth: 1200,
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/updateLogNavigation.cy.ts b/cypress/e2e/updateLogNavigation.cy.ts
index 111dab67..5570cd8c 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/updateLogNavigation.cy.ts
+++ b/cypress/e2e/updateLogNavigation.cy.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 /// <reference types="cypress" />
 
 describe('Update log navigation', () => {
+  before('Wait for database to become ready', () => {
+    cy.task('waitForDbHealthy')
+  })
+
   before('Reset database', () => {
     cy.request(Cypress.env('databaseResetUrl'))
   })
diff --git a/cypress/support/index.d.ts b/cypress/support/index.d.ts
index 0bd5f9fd..6e611763 100644
--- a/cypress/support/index.d.ts
+++ b/cypress/support/index.d.ts
@@ -8,4 +8,14 @@ declare namespace Cypress {
     addReferenceAndSave(): Chainable<void>
     clearNewSpeciesForm(): Chainable<void>
   }
+
+  interface Tasks {
+    waitForDbHealthy(options?: WaitForDbHealthyOptions): null
+  }
+}
+
+interface WaitForDbHealthyOptions {
+  host?: string
+  port?: number
+  timeoutMs?: number
 }
diff --git a/docker-compose.anon.yml b/docker-compose.anon.yml
index 30b1fe09..22588c37 100644
--- a/docker-compose.anon.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.anon.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ services:
     container_name: nowdb-db-anon
     image: mariadb:11.4.3
     env_file: .anon.env
+    environment:
+      - MYSQL_WAIT_TIMEOUT=28800
+      - MYSQL_INTERACTIVE_TIMEOUT=28800
     volumes:
       - ./test_data/:/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d
       - nowdb-db-anon:/var/lib/mysql/data