diff --git a/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/files/wait-for-migrations b/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/files/wait-for-migrations
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..3c92f2630c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/files/wait-for-migrations
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -o errexit
+set -o nounset
+
+readonly CMDNAME=$(basename "$0")
+
+readonly MIN_SLEEP=0.5
+readonly MAX_SLEEP=30
+readonly ATTEMPTS=10
+readonly TIMEOUT=60
+
+log_message() { echo "[${CMDNAME}]" "$@" >&2; }
+log_error() { echo "[${CMDNAME}] ERROR:" "$@" >&2; }
+
+# Args: last_sleep
+next_sleep() {
+    awk "BEGIN {ns = ${1} * 2; ns = ns > ${MAX_SLEEP} ? ${MAX_SLEEP} : ns; print(ns)}"
+}
+
+wait_for() {
+    local rc=1
+    local attempt=1
+    local next_sleep="${MIN_SLEEP}"
+
+    while true; do
+        log_message "Attempt ${attempt} of ${ATTEMPTS}"
+
+        timeout "${TIMEOUT}" \
+                /bin/bash -c "! awx-manage showmigrations | grep '\[ \]'" &>/dev/null \
+            && return || rc=$?
+
+        (( ++attempt > ATTEMPTS )) && break
+
+        log_message "Waiting ${next_sleep} seconds before next attempt"
+        sleep "${next_sleep}"
+        next_sleep=$(next_sleep ${next_sleep})
+    done
+
+    return $rc
+}
+
+main() {
+    log_message "Waiting for database migrations..."
+    if ! wait_for "$@"; then
+        log_message "ERROR: Database migrations not applied"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
+main "$@"
diff --git a/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/templates/Dockerfile.j2 b/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/templates/Dockerfile.j2
index bbdcfadcf5..ab2964b728 100644
--- a/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/templates/Dockerfile.j2
+++ b/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/templates/Dockerfile.j2
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ RUN openssl req -nodes -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout /etc/nginx/nginx.key -out /etc/n
 
 # Create default awx rsyslog config
 ADD tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/files/rsyslog.conf /var/lib/awx/rsyslog/rsyslog.conf
+ADD tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/files/wait-for-migrations /usr/local/bin/wait-for-migrations
 
 ## File mappings
 {% if build_dev|bool %}
diff --git a/tools/docker-compose/ansible/roles/sources/templates/docker-compose.yml.j2 b/tools/docker-compose/ansible/roles/sources/templates/docker-compose.yml.j2
index 34d32df891..8f884f9150 100644
--- a/tools/docker-compose/ansible/roles/sources/templates/docker-compose.yml.j2
+++ b/tools/docker-compose/ansible/roles/sources/templates/docker-compose.yml.j2
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ services:
       SDB_PORT: {{ awx_sdb_port_start }}
       AWX_GROUP_QUEUES: tower
       RECEPTORCTL_SOCKET: /var/run/receptor/receptor.sock
+{% if loop.index == 1 %}
+      RUN_MIGRATIONS: 1
+{% endif %}
     links:
       - postgres
       - redis_{{ container_postfix }}
diff --git a/tools/docker-compose/bootstrap_development.sh b/tools/docker-compose/bootstrap_development.sh
index b1cd48e4eb..3f3cb586a3 100755
--- a/tools/docker-compose/bootstrap_development.sh
+++ b/tools/docker-compose/bootstrap_development.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,13 @@ make awx-link
 
 # AWX bootstrapping
 make version_file
-make migrate
+
+if [[ -n "$RUN_MIGRATIONS" ]]; then
+    make migrate
+else
+    wait-for-migrations
+fi
+
 make init