diff --git a/backend/migrations/20260414000001_initial_schema.go b/backend/migrations/20260414000001_initial_schema.go
index 1b6f99d..f27bc58 100644
--- a/backend/migrations/20260414000001_initial_schema.go
+++ b/backend/migrations/20260414000001_initial_schema.go
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@
 // scripts/pb-init-v3.sh.  Also creates the initial superuser from the
 // POCKETBASE_ADMIN_EMAIL / POCKETBASE_ADMIN_PASSWORD env vars (first run only).
 //
-// Existing installs: run `migrate history-sync` once after deploying the custom
-// PocketBase binary to mark this migration as already applied, then let
-// migration 2 add the three fields that were missing from the old script.
+// This migration is intentionally idempotent: each collection is skipped if it
+// already exists.  This makes it safe to apply on an existing install without
+// running `migrate history-sync` first — existing collections are left untouched
+// and migration 2 still runs to add the three fields that were missing.
 package migrations
 
 import (
@@ -71,6 +72,18 @@ func init() {
 	})
 }
 
+// ── Helpers ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+// saveIfAbsent saves the collection only when no collection with that name
+// exists yet.  This makes the migration safe to run on an existing install
+// without history-sync — already-created collections are simply skipped.
+func saveIfAbsent(app core.App, c *core.Collection) error {
+	if _, err := app.FindCollectionByNameOrId(c.Name); err == nil {
+		return nil // already exists — skip
+	}
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
+}
+
 // ── Collection creators ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 func createBooks(app core.App) error {
@@ -89,7 +102,7 @@ func createBooks(app core.App) error {
 		&core.TextField{Name: "meta_updated"},
 		&core.BoolField{Name: "archived"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createChaptersIdx(app core.App) error {
@@ -103,7 +116,7 @@ func createChaptersIdx(app core.App) error {
 	c.AddIndex("idx_chapters_idx_slug_number", true, "slug, number", "")
 	// Allow fast "recently updated books" queries.
 	c.AddIndex("idx_chapters_idx_created", false, "created", "")
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createRanking(app core.App) error {
@@ -118,7 +131,7 @@ func createRanking(app core.App) error {
 		&core.JSONField{Name: "genres"},
 		&core.TextField{Name: "source_url"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createProgress(app core.App) error {
@@ -130,7 +143,7 @@ func createProgress(app core.App) error {
 		&core.TextField{Name: "user_id"},
 		&core.NumberField{Name: "audio_time"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createScrapingTasks(app core.App) error {
@@ -151,7 +164,7 @@ func createScrapingTasks(app core.App) error {
 		&core.DateField{Name: "finished"},
 		&core.DateField{Name: "heartbeat_at"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createAudioJobs(app core.App) error {
@@ -168,7 +181,7 @@ func createAudioJobs(app core.App) error {
 		&core.DateField{Name: "finished"},
 		&core.DateField{Name: "heartbeat_at"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createAppUsers(app core.App) error {
@@ -188,7 +201,7 @@ func createAppUsers(app core.App) error {
 		&core.TextField{Name: "polar_subscription_id"},
 		&core.BoolField{Name: "notify_new_chapters"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createUserSessions(app core.App) error {
@@ -203,7 +216,7 @@ func createUserSessions(app core.App) error {
 		&core.TextField{Name: "created_at"},
 		&core.TextField{Name: "last_seen"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createUserLibrary(app core.App) error {
@@ -215,7 +228,7 @@ func createUserLibrary(app core.App) error {
 		&core.TextField{Name: "saved_at"},
 		&core.TextField{Name: "shelf"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createUserSettings(app core.App) error {
@@ -233,7 +246,7 @@ func createUserSettings(app core.App) error {
 		&core.BoolField{Name: "announce_chapter"},
 		&core.TextField{Name: "audio_mode"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createUserSubscriptions(app core.App) error {
@@ -242,7 +255,7 @@ func createUserSubscriptions(app core.App) error {
 		&core.TextField{Name: "follower_id", Required: true},
 		&core.TextField{Name: "followee_id", Required: true},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createBookComments(app core.App) error {
@@ -256,7 +269,7 @@ func createBookComments(app core.App) error {
 		&core.NumberField{Name: "downvotes"},
 		&core.TextField{Name: "parent_id"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createCommentVotes(app core.App) error {
@@ -267,7 +280,7 @@ func createCommentVotes(app core.App) error {
 		&core.TextField{Name: "session_id"},
 		&core.TextField{Name: "vote"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createTranslationJobs(app core.App) error {
@@ -284,7 +297,7 @@ func createTranslationJobs(app core.App) error {
 		&core.DateField{Name: "finished"},
 		&core.DateField{Name: "heartbeat_at"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createImportTasks(app core.App) error {
@@ -311,7 +324,7 @@ func createImportTasks(app core.App) error {
 		&core.DateField{Name: "finished"},
 		&core.DateField{Name: "heartbeat_at"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createNotifications(app core.App) error {
@@ -323,7 +336,7 @@ func createNotifications(app core.App) error {
 		&core.TextField{Name: "link"},
 		&core.BoolField{Name: "read"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createPushSubscriptions(app core.App) error {
@@ -334,7 +347,7 @@ func createPushSubscriptions(app core.App) error {
 		&core.TextField{Name: "p256dh", Required: true},
 		&core.TextField{Name: "auth", Required: true},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createAIJobs(app core.App) error {
@@ -354,7 +367,7 @@ func createAIJobs(app core.App) error {
 		&core.DateField{Name: "finished"},
 		&core.DateField{Name: "heartbeat_at"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createDiscoveryVotes(app core.App) error {
@@ -365,7 +378,7 @@ func createDiscoveryVotes(app core.App) error {
 		&core.TextField{Name: "slug", Required: true},
 		&core.TextField{Name: "action", Required: true},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createBookRatings(app core.App) error {
@@ -376,7 +389,7 @@ func createBookRatings(app core.App) error {
 		&core.TextField{Name: "slug", Required: true},
 		&core.NumberField{Name: "rating", Required: true},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 func createSiteConfig(app core.App) error {
@@ -386,7 +399,7 @@ func createSiteConfig(app core.App) error {
 		&core.TextField{Name: "logoAnimation"},
 		&core.TextField{Name: "eventLabel"},
 	)
-	return app.Save(c)
+	return saveIfAbsent(app, c)
 }
 
 // createInitialSuperuser creates the first PocketBase superuser from env vars.