diff --git a/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/cnpg_backup.yaml b/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/cnpg_backup.yaml
index fce9a69..acabcd3 100644
--- a/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/cnpg_backup.yaml
+++ b/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/cnpg_backup.yaml
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ kind: ObjectStoreUser
 metadata:
   name: cnpg-arrstack-backup
   namespace: arrstack
+  annotations:
+    # S3 creds Secret must exist before the Cluster (wave -2) reconciles its backup.
+    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "-3"
 spec:
   displayName: "CNPG backup owner (arrstack)"
   uid: cnpg-arrstack-backup
@@ -19,6 +22,8 @@ kind: Bucket
 metadata:
   name: cnpg-arrstack
   namespace: arrstack
+  annotations:
+    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "-3"
 spec:
   placementTarget: ec
   bucketName: cnpg-arrstack
diff --git a/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/cnpg_cluster.yaml b/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/cnpg_cluster.yaml
index ebe748c..fc2813f 100644
--- a/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/cnpg_cluster.yaml
+++ b/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/cnpg_cluster.yaml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ metadata:
     # Wave 1: the per-app <app>-db Secrets (wave 0) must exist first — CNPG reads
     # them as the managed roles' passwordSecret. ArgoCD gates dependents on the
     # Cluster's health status.
-    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "1"
+    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "-2"
 spec:
   inheritedMetadata:
     annotations:
diff --git a/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/database-prowlarr.yaml b/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/database-prowlarr.yaml
index 2dbd313..56febfd 100644
--- a/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/database-prowlarr.yaml
+++ b/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/database-prowlarr.yaml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ metadata:
   name: prowlarr-main
   namespace: arrstack
   annotations:
-    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "2"
+    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "-1"
 spec:
   cluster:
     name: arrstack-postgres
diff --git a/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/database-radarr.yaml b/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/database-radarr.yaml
index 56164fd..fa205c1 100644
--- a/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/database-radarr.yaml
+++ b/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/database-radarr.yaml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ metadata:
   name: radarr-main
   namespace: arrstack
   annotations:
-    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "2"
+    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "-1"
 spec:
   cluster:
     name: arrstack-postgres
diff --git a/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/database-sonarr.yaml b/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/database-sonarr.yaml
index 57a7258..91e3d62 100644
--- a/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/database-sonarr.yaml
+++ b/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/database-sonarr.yaml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ metadata:
   name: sonarr-main
   namespace: arrstack
   annotations:
-    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "2"
+    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "-1"
 spec:
   cluster:
     name: arrstack-postgres
diff --git a/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/vaultstaticsecret.yaml b/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/vaultstaticsecret.yaml
index 4f5c147..1965408 100644
--- a/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/vaultstaticsecret.yaml
+++ b/apps/base/arrstack/postgres/vaultstaticsecret.yaml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ metadata:
   name: sonarr-db
   namespace: arrstack
   annotations:
-    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "0"
+    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "-3"
 spec:
   destination:
     create: true
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ metadata:
   name: radarr-db
   namespace: arrstack
   annotations:
-    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "0"
+    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "-3"
 spec:
   destination:
     create: true
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ metadata:
   name: prowlarr-db
   namespace: arrstack
   annotations:
-    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "0"
+    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "-3"
 spec:
   destination:
     create: true
diff --git a/apps/base/arrstack/prowlarr/deployment.yaml b/apps/base/arrstack/prowlarr/deployment.yaml
index 5f24632..597786a 100644
--- a/apps/base/arrstack/prowlarr/deployment.yaml
+++ b/apps/base/arrstack/prowlarr/deployment.yaml
@@ -92,5 +92,4 @@ spec:
               mountPath: /config
       volumes:
         - name: config
-          persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: prowlarr-config
+          emptyDir: {}
diff --git a/apps/base/arrstack/prowlarr/kustomization.yaml b/apps/base/arrstack/prowlarr/kustomization.yaml
index b1d64b3..faed5e3 100644
--- a/apps/base/arrstack/prowlarr/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/apps/base/arrstack/prowlarr/kustomization.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ apiVersion: kustomize.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
 kind: Kustomization
 
 resources:
-  - pvc-config.yaml
   - vaultstaticsecret.yaml
   - configmap.yaml
   - deployment.yaml
diff --git a/apps/base/arrstack/radarr/deployment.yaml b/apps/base/arrstack/radarr/deployment.yaml
index 5a8f133..50e5e7f 100644
--- a/apps/base/arrstack/radarr/deployment.yaml
+++ b/apps/base/arrstack/radarr/deployment.yaml
@@ -94,8 +94,7 @@ spec:
               mountPath: /media/movies
       volumes:
         - name: config
-          persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: radarr-config
+          emptyDir: {}
         - name: media-movies
           persistentVolumeClaim:
             claimName: media-movies
diff --git a/apps/base/arrstack/radarr/kustomization.yaml b/apps/base/arrstack/radarr/kustomization.yaml
index b1d64b3..faed5e3 100644
--- a/apps/base/arrstack/radarr/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/apps/base/arrstack/radarr/kustomization.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ apiVersion: kustomize.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
 kind: Kustomization
 
 resources:
-  - pvc-config.yaml
   - vaultstaticsecret.yaml
   - configmap.yaml
   - deployment.yaml
diff --git a/apps/base/arrstack/sonarr/deployment.yaml b/apps/base/arrstack/sonarr/deployment.yaml
index 4be6748..1f9084b 100644
--- a/apps/base/arrstack/sonarr/deployment.yaml
+++ b/apps/base/arrstack/sonarr/deployment.yaml
@@ -94,8 +94,7 @@ spec:
               mountPath: /media/tv
       volumes:
         - name: config
-          persistentVolumeClaim:
-            claimName: sonarr-config
+          emptyDir: {}
         - name: media-tv
           persistentVolumeClaim:
             claimName: media-tv
diff --git a/apps/base/arrstack/sonarr/kustomization.yaml b/apps/base/arrstack/sonarr/kustomization.yaml
index b1d64b3..faed5e3 100644
--- a/apps/base/arrstack/sonarr/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/apps/base/arrstack/sonarr/kustomization.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ apiVersion: kustomize.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
 kind: Kustomization
 
 resources:
-  - pvc-config.yaml
   - vaultstaticsecret.yaml
   - configmap.yaml
   - deployment.yaml