diff --git a/config/database.go b/config/database.go
index 962995e..fd56c7e 100644
--- a/config/database.go
+++ b/config/database.go
@@ -8,24 +8,28 @@ import (
     "github.com/nprasad2077/NBA_Go/utils/metrics"
 )
 
-func InitDB() *gorm.DB {
+func InitDB(shouldMigrate bool) *gorm.DB {
     db, err := gorm.Open(sqlite.Open("/app/data/nba.db"), &gorm.Config{})
     if err != nil {
-        log.Printf("/app/config/database.go:11\n[error] failed to initialize database, got error %v", err)
-        log.Fatal("Failed to connect database")
+        log.Fatalf("failed to connect database: %v", err)
     }
-    
-    // Track database operations
     metrics.DBOperationsTotal.WithLabelValues("connect", "database").Inc()
-    
-    // Auto migrate models
-    db.AutoMigrate(&models.PlayerAdvancedStat{})
-    db.AutoMigrate(&models.PlayerTotalStat{})
-    db.AutoMigrate(&models.PlayerShotChart{})
 
-    db.AutoMigrate(&models.APIKey{})
-    
-    metrics.DBOperationsTotal.WithLabelValues("migrate", "database").Inc()
-    
+    if shouldMigrate {
+        if err := db.AutoMigrate(&models.PlayerAdvancedStat{}); err != nil {
+            log.Fatalf("migrate PlayerAdvancedStat: %v", err)
+        }
+        if err := db.AutoMigrate(&models.PlayerTotalStat{}); err != nil {
+            log.Fatalf("migrate PlayerTotalStat: %v", err)
+        }
+        if err := db.AutoMigrate(&models.PlayerShotChart{}); err != nil {
+            log.Fatalf("migrate PlayerShotChart: %v", err)
+        }
+        if err := db.AutoMigrate(&models.APIKey{}); err != nil {
+            log.Fatalf("migrate APIKey: %v", err)
+        }
+        metrics.DBOperationsTotal.WithLabelValues("migrate", "database").Inc()
+    }
+
     return db
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index a1602e7..46671b5 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/gofiber/fiber/v2/middleware/logger"
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus/promhttp"
 	fiberswagger "github.com/swaggo/fiber-swagger"
+	// "gorm.io/gorm"
 
 	"github.com/nprasad2077/NBA_Go/config"
 	"github.com/nprasad2077/NBA_Go/controllers"
@@ -36,29 +37,26 @@ import (
 func main() {
 	// ——— One-off import-data mode ———
 	if len(os.Args) > 1 && os.Args[1] == "import-data" {
-		db := config.InitDB()
+		// Run all migrations + import steps exactly once
+		db := config.InitDB(true)
 
 		importPlayerAdvanced(db)
 		log.Println("🎉 Player Advanced Import completed successfully")
 
 		importPlayerAdvancedPlayoffs(db)
 		log.Println("🎉 Player Advanced Playoffs Import completed successfully")
-	
 
 		importPlayerTotalsScrape(db)
-        log.Println("🎉 Player Totals (scraped) Import completed successfully")
+		log.Println("🎉 Player Totals (scraped) Import completed successfully")
 
-        importPlayerTotalsPlayoffsScrape(db)
-        log.Println("🎉 Player Playoffs (scraped) Import completed successfully")
+		importPlayerTotalsPlayoffsScrape(db)
+		log.Println("🎉 Player Playoffs (scraped) Import completed successfully")
 
-		// importPlayerShotChart(db)
-		// log.Println("🎉 Player Shot Chart Import Completed Successfully ")
-		
 		log.Println("🏀 ALL Imports completed successfully ✅ 🙌")
 		return
 	}
 
-	// gracefull shutdown context
+	// ——— Normal API startup: skip AutoMigrate ———
 	ctx, stop := signal.NotifyContext(context.Background(), os.Interrupt, syscall.SIGTERM)
 	defer stop()
 
@@ -75,14 +73,14 @@ func main() {
 	})
 
 	// — CORS Allow ALL origins (development) —
-    app.Use(cors.New())
+	app.Use(cors.New())
 
 	// middlewares
 	app.Use(logger.New())
 	app.Use(middleware.MetricsMiddleware())
 
-	// DB connection
-	db := config.InitDB()
+	// DB connection (no migrations on API startup)
+	db := config.InitDB(false)
 
 	/* ---------- PUBLIC ROUTES (no API key) ---------- */
 	app.Get("/metrics", adaptor.HTTPHandler(promhttp.Handler()))