diff --git a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/init.sh b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/init.sh
index 33a6719f966816353b10b796a1b16fac8c618e5c..2c697ad77a76fe091db7074096efb80d0d5fe7a9 100755
--- a/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/init.sh
+++ b/continuousintegration/docker/ctafrontend/cc7/opt/run/bin/init.sh
@@ -73,7 +73,13 @@ echo ${DATABASEURL} >/etc/cta/cta-catalogue.conf
 if [ "$KEEP_DATABASE" == "0" ]; then
   echo "Wiping database"
   if [ "$DATABASETYPE" != "sqlite" ]; then
-    echo yes | cta-catalogue-schema-drop /etc/cta/cta-catalogue.conf || die "ERROR: Could not wipe database. cta-catalogue-schema-drop /etc/cta/cta-catalogue.conf FAILED"
+    if ! (echo yes | cta-catalogue-schema-drop /etc/cta/cta-catalogue.conf); then
+      # pause to let db come up
+      echo "Database connection failed, pausing before a retry"
+      sleep 5
+      echo yes | cta-catalogue-schema-drop /etc/cta/cta-catalogue.conf || die "ERROR: Could not wipe database. cta-catalogue-schema-drop /etc/cta/cta-catalogue.conf FAILED"
+      echo "Database wiped"
+    fi
   else
     rm -fr $(dirname $(echo ${DATABASEURL} | cut -d: -f2))
   fi