diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml b/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
index ecc28310..3d59d498 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -385,20 +385,29 @@ jobs:
           REMOTE_DB_NAME=$(ssh root@alpha.mintel.me "grep -h '^PAYLOAD_DB_NAME=' $SITE_DIR/.env* 2>/dev/null | tail -1 | cut -d= -f2" || echo "payload")
           REMOTE_DB_USER="${REMOTE_DB_USER:-payload}"
           REMOTE_DB_NAME="${REMOTE_DB_NAME:-payload}"
-          ssh root@alpha.mintel.me "docker exec $DB_CONTAINER psql -U $REMOTE_DB_USER -d $REMOTE_DB_NAME -c \"
-            DO \\\$\\\$ BEGIN
-              DELETE FROM payload_migrations WHERE batch = -1;
-              INSERT INTO payload_migrations (name, batch)
-              SELECT name, batch FROM (VALUES
-                ('20260223_195005_products_collection', 1),
-                ('20260223_195151_remove_sku_unique', 2),
-                ('20260225_003500_add_pages_collection', 3)
-              ) AS v(name, batch)
-              WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM payload_migrations pm WHERE pm.name = v.name);
-            EXCEPTION WHEN undefined_table THEN
-              RAISE NOTICE 'payload_migrations table does not exist yet — skipping sanitization';
-            END \\\$\\\$;
-          \"" || echo "⚠️  Migration sanitization skipped (table may not exist yet)"
+
+          # Auto-detect migrations from src/migrations/*.ts
+          BATCH=1
+          VALUES=""
+          for f in $(ls src/migrations/*.ts 2>/dev/null | sort); do
+            NAME=$(basename "$f" .ts)
+            [ -n "$VALUES" ] && VALUES="$VALUES,"
+            VALUES="$VALUES ('$NAME', $BATCH)"
+            ((BATCH++))
+          done
+
+          if [ -n "$VALUES" ]; then
+            ssh root@alpha.mintel.me "docker exec $DB_CONTAINER psql -U $REMOTE_DB_USER -d $REMOTE_DB_NAME -c \"
+              DO \\\$\\\$ BEGIN
+                DELETE FROM payload_migrations WHERE batch = -1;
+                INSERT INTO payload_migrations (name, batch)
+                SELECT name, batch FROM (VALUES $VALUES) AS v(name, batch)
+                WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM payload_migrations pm WHERE pm.name = v.name);
+              EXCEPTION WHEN undefined_table THEN
+                RAISE NOTICE 'payload_migrations table does not exist yet — skipping sanitization';
+              END \\\$\\\$;
+            \"" || echo "⚠️  Migration sanitization skipped (table may not exist yet)"
+          fi
           
           # Restart app to pick up clean migration state
           APP_CONTAINER="${{ needs.prepare.outputs.project_name }}-klz-app-1"
@@ -474,6 +483,26 @@ jobs:
           [ -f /usr/bin/chromium ] && ln -sf /usr/bin/chromium /usr/bin/chromium-browser
 
       # ── Critical Smoke Tests (MUST pass) ──────────────────────────────────
+      - name: 🏥 CMS Deep Health Check
+        env:
+          DEPLOY_URL: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.next_public_url }}
+          GK_PASS: ${{ secrets.GATEKEEPER_PASSWORD || 'klz2026' }}
+        run: |
+          echo "Waiting 10s for app to fully start..."
+          sleep 10
+          echo "Checking basic health..."
+          curl -sf "$DEPLOY_URL/health" || { echo "❌ Basic health check failed"; exit 1; }
+          echo "✅ Basic health OK"
+          echo "Checking CMS DB connectivity..."
+          RESPONSE=$(curl -sf "$DEPLOY_URL/api/health/cms?gk_bypass=$GK_PASS" 2>&1) || {
+            echo "❌ CMS health check failed!"
+            echo "$RESPONSE"
+            echo ""
+            echo "This usually means Payload CMS migrations failed or DB tables are missing."
+            echo "Check: docker logs \$APP_CONTAINER | grep -i error"
+            exit 1
+          }
+          echo "✅ CMS health: $RESPONSE"
       - name: 🚀 OG Image Check
         if: always() && steps.deps.outcome == 'success'
         env:
diff --git a/app/api/health/cms/route.ts b/app/api/health/cms/route.ts
index af30e2e0..c247e36a 100644
--- a/app/api/health/cms/route.ts
+++ b/app/api/health/cms/route.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,41 @@
 import { NextResponse } from 'next/server';
+import { getPayload } from 'payload';
+import configPromise from '@payload-config';
 
 export const dynamic = 'force-dynamic';
 
+/**
+ * Deep CMS Health Check
+ * Validates that Payload CMS can actually query the database.
+ * Used by post-deploy smoke tests to catch migration/schema issues.
+ */
 export async function GET() {
-  // Payload is embedded within the Next.js app, so if this route responds, the CMS is up.
-  // Further DB health checks can be implemented via Payload Local API later.
-  return NextResponse.json({ status: 'ok', message: 'Payload CMS is embedded.' }, { status: 200 });
+  const checks: Record<string, string> = {};
+
+  try {
+    const payload = await getPayload({ config: configPromise });
+    checks.init = 'ok';
+
+    // Verify each collection can be queried (catches missing locale tables, broken migrations)
+    const collections = ['posts', 'products', 'pages', 'media'] as const;
+    for (const collection of collections) {
+      try {
+        await payload.find({ collection, limit: 1, locale: 'en' });
+        checks[collection] = 'ok';
+      } catch (e: any) {
+        checks[collection] = `error: ${e.message?.substring(0, 100)}`;
+      }
+    }
+
+    const hasErrors = Object.values(checks).some(v => v.startsWith('error'));
+    return NextResponse.json(
+      { status: hasErrors ? 'degraded' : 'ok', checks },
+      { status: hasErrors ? 503 : 200 },
+    );
+  } catch (e: any) {
+    return NextResponse.json(
+      { status: 'error', message: e.message?.substring(0, 200), checks },
+      { status: 503 },
+    );
+  }
 }
diff --git a/scripts/cms-sync.sh b/scripts/cms-sync.sh
index eaf918bf..db7c2eaf 100755
--- a/scripts/cms-sync.sh
+++ b/scripts/cms-sync.sh
@@ -53,13 +53,17 @@ TIMESTAMP=$(date +"%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")
 REMOTE_DB_USER=""
 REMOTE_DB_NAME=""
 
-# Migration names to insert after restore (keeps Payload from prompting)
-MIGRATIONS=(
-  "20260223_195005_products_collection:1"
-  "20260223_195151_remove_sku_unique:2"
-  "20260225_003500_add_pages_collection:3"
-  "20260225_175000_native_localization:4"
-)
+# Auto-detect migrations from src/migrations/*.ts (no manual maintenance needed)
+MIGRATIONS=()
+BATCH=1
+for migration_file in $(ls src/migrations/*.ts 2>/dev/null | sort); do
+  name=$(basename "$migration_file" .ts)
+  MIGRATIONS+=("$name:$BATCH")
+  ((BATCH++))
+done
+if [ ${#MIGRATIONS[@]} -eq 0 ]; then
+  echo "⚠️  No migration files found in src/migrations/"
+fi
 
 # ── Resolve target environment ─────────────────────────────────────────────
 resolve_target() {
@@ -159,6 +163,29 @@ backup_remote_db() {
   REMOTE_BACKUP_FILE="$file"
 }
 
+# ── Pre-flight: Verify remote containers exist ─────────────────────────────
+check_remote_containers() {
+  echo "🔍 Checking $TARGET containers..."
+  local missing=0
+  if ! ssh "$SSH_HOST" "docker ps -q -f name=$REMOTE_DB_CONTAINER" | grep -q .; then
+    echo "❌ Database container '$REMOTE_DB_CONTAINER' not found on $SSH_HOST"
+    echo "   → Deploy $TARGET first: git push to trigger pipeline, or run:"
+    echo "     ssh $SSH_HOST \"cd $REMOTE_SITE_DIR && docker compose -p $REMOTE_PROJECT --env-file .env.\$TARGET up -d\""
+    missing=1
+  fi
+  if ! ssh "$SSH_HOST" "docker ps -q -f name=$REMOTE_APP_CONTAINER" | grep -q .; then
+    echo "❌ App container '$REMOTE_APP_CONTAINER' not found on $SSH_HOST"
+    missing=1
+  fi
+  if [ $missing -eq 1 ]; then
+    echo ""
+    echo "💡 The $TARGET environment hasn't been deployed yet."
+    echo "   Push to the '$TARGET' branch or run the pipeline first."
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  echo "✅ All $TARGET containers running."
+}
+
 # ── PUSH: local → remote ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
 do_push() {
   echo ""
@@ -172,8 +199,9 @@ do_push() {
   echo ""
   [[ ! $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]] && { echo "Cancelled."; exit 0; }
 
-  # 0. Ensure local DB is running
+  # 0. Ensure local DB is running & remote containers exist
   ensure_local_db
+  check_remote_containers
 
   # 1. Safety backup of remote
   backup_remote_db
@@ -227,8 +255,9 @@ do_pull() {
   echo ""
   [[ ! $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]] && { echo "Cancelled."; exit 0; }
 
-  # 0. Ensure local DB is running
+  # 0. Ensure local DB is running & remote containers exist
   ensure_local_db
+  check_remote_containers
 
   # 1. Safety backup of local
   backup_local_db