diff --git a/backend/src/context/rpc.rs b/backend/src/context/rpc.rs
index dadef1d8e..c2394fea9 100644
--- a/backend/src/context/rpc.rs
+++ b/backend/src/context/rpc.rs
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ use crate::{Error, ErrorKind, ResultExt};
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "kebab-case")]
 pub struct RpcContextConfig {
+    pub migration_batch_rows: Option<usize>,
+    pub migration_prefetch_rows: Option<usize>,
     pub bind_rpc: Option<SocketAddr>,
     pub bind_ws: Option<SocketAddr>,
     pub bind_static: Option<SocketAddr>,
@@ -100,14 +102,12 @@ impl RpcContextConfig {
             .with_kind(crate::ErrorKind::Database)?;
         let old_db_path = self.datadir().join("main/secrets.db");
         if tokio::fs::metadata(&old_db_path).await.is_ok() {
-            let mut res = Ok(());
-            for _ in 0..5 {
-                res = pgloader(&old_db_path).await;
-                if res.is_ok() {
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-            res?
+            pgloader(
+                &old_db_path,
+                self.migration_batch_rows.unwrap_or(25000),
+                self.migration_prefetch_rows.unwrap_or(100_000),
+            )
+            .await?;
         }
         Ok(secret_store)
     }
diff --git a/backend/src/context/setup.rs b/backend/src/context/setup.rs
index 5b19f9e95..005ee471b 100644
--- a/backend/src/context/setup.rs
+++ b/backend/src/context/setup.rs
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ pub struct SetupResult {
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "kebab-case")]
 pub struct SetupContextConfig {
+    pub migration_batch_rows: Option<usize>,
+    pub migration_prefetch_rows: Option<usize>,
     pub bind_rpc: Option<SocketAddr>,
     pub datadir: Option<PathBuf>,
 }
@@ -64,6 +66,8 @@ impl SetupContextConfig {
 
 pub struct SetupContextSeed {
     pub config_path: Option<PathBuf>,
+    pub migration_batch_rows: usize,
+    pub migration_prefetch_rows: usize,
     pub bind_rpc: SocketAddr,
     pub shutdown: Sender<()>,
     pub datadir: PathBuf,
@@ -92,6 +96,8 @@ impl SetupContext {
         let datadir = cfg.datadir().to_owned();
         Ok(Self(Arc::new(SetupContextSeed {
             config_path: path.as_ref().map(|p| p.as_ref().to_owned()),
+            migration_batch_rows: cfg.migration_batch_rows.unwrap_or(25000),
+            migration_prefetch_rows: cfg.migration_prefetch_rows.unwrap_or(100_000),
             bind_rpc: cfg.bind_rpc.unwrap_or(([127, 0, 0, 1], 5959).into()),
             shutdown,
             datadir,
@@ -141,14 +147,12 @@ impl SetupContext {
             .with_kind(crate::ErrorKind::Database)?;
         let old_db_path = self.datadir.join("main/secrets.db");
         if tokio::fs::metadata(&old_db_path).await.is_ok() {
-            let mut res = Ok(());
-            for _ in 0..5 {
-                res = pgloader(&old_db_path).await;
-                if res.is_ok() {
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-            res?
+            pgloader(
+                &old_db_path,
+                self.migration_batch_rows,
+                self.migration_prefetch_rows,
+            )
+            .await?;
         }
         Ok(secret_store)
     }
diff --git a/backend/src/init.rs b/backend/src/init.rs
index 8c2d5efc7..5d18dd4fc 100644
--- a/backend/src/init.rs
+++ b/backend/src/init.rs
@@ -75,15 +75,25 @@ impl InitReceipts {
     }
 }
 
-pub async fn pgloader(old_db_path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Result<(), Error> {
+pub async fn pgloader(
+    old_db_path: impl AsRef<Path>,
+    batch_rows: usize,
+    prefetch_rows: usize,
+) -> Result<(), Error> {
     tokio::fs::write(
         "/etc/embassy/migrate.load",
         format!(
             include_str!("migrate.load"),
-            sqlite_path = old_db_path.as_ref().display()
+            sqlite_path = old_db_path.as_ref().display(),
+            batch_rows = batch_rows,
+            prefetch_rows = prefetch_rows
         ),
     )
     .await?;
+    match tokio::fs::remove_dir_all("/tmp/pgloader").await {
+        Err(e) if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => Ok(()),
+        a => a,
+    }?;
     tracing::info!("Running pgloader");
     let out = Command::new("pgloader")
         .arg("-v")
diff --git a/backend/src/migrate.load b/backend/src/migrate.load
index e36d9698a..16e7e7c05 100644
--- a/backend/src/migrate.load
+++ b/backend/src/migrate.load
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@ load database
      from sqlite://{sqlite_path}
      into postgresql://root@unix:/var/run/postgresql:5432/secrets
 
- with include no drop, truncate, reset sequences, data only
+ with include no drop, truncate, reset sequences, data only, workers = 1, concurrency = 1, max parallel create index = 1, batch rows = {batch_rows}, prefetch rows = {prefetch_rows}
 
-  excluding table names like '_sqlx_migrations';
+  excluding table names like '_sqlx_migrations', 'notifications';