diff --git a/Jellyfin.Server/Migrations/JellyfinMigrationService.cs b/Jellyfin.Server/Migrations/JellyfinMigrationService.cs
index 5ef039a843..6ecbe6a95e 100644
--- a/Jellyfin.Server/Migrations/JellyfinMigrationService.cs
+++ b/Jellyfin.Server/Migrations/JellyfinMigrationService.cs
@@ -188,8 +188,8 @@ internal class JellyfinMigrationService
     /// </summary>
     /// <param name="stage">The stage to migrate.</param>
     /// <param name="serviceProvider">The service provider handed to the migrations.</param>
-    /// <returns>A value indicating whether at least one migration has been applied.</returns>
-    public async Task<bool> MigrateStepAsync(JellyfinMigrationStageTypes stage, IServiceProvider? serviceProvider)
+    /// <returns>A <see cref="Task"/> representing the asynchronous operation.</returns>
+    public async Task MigrateStepAsync(JellyfinMigrationStageTypes stage, IServiceProvider? serviceProvider)
     {
         var logger = _startupLogger.With(_loggerFactory.CreateLogger<JellyfinMigrationService>()).BeginGroup($"Migrate stage {stage}.");
         ICollection<CodeMigration> migrationStage = (Migrations.FirstOrDefault(e => e.Stage == stage) as ICollection<CodeMigration>) ?? [];
@@ -303,8 +303,6 @@ internal class JellyfinMigrationService
 
                 completedMigrations++;
             }
-
-            return completedMigrations > 0;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/Jellyfin.Server/Program.cs b/Jellyfin.Server/Program.cs
index 2341af47c1..2391c86641 100644
--- a/Jellyfin.Server/Program.cs
+++ b/Jellyfin.Server/Program.cs
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Server
         private static ILogger _logger = NullLogger.Instance;
         private static bool _restartOnShutdown;
         private static IStartupLogger<JellyfinMigrationService>? _migrationLogger;
-        private static bool _optimizeDatabaseAfterMigration;
         private static string? _restoreFromBackup;
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -210,15 +209,15 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Server
                 await jellyfinMigrationService.PrepareSystemForMigration(_logger).ConfigureAwait(false);
                 // "Preparing migrations" carries through the DB read; per-migration progress is reported
                 // as "Running migration X of Y" from inside the step once the pending set is known.
-                _optimizeDatabaseAfterMigration |= await jellyfinMigrationService.MigrateStepAsync(JellyfinMigrationStageTypes.CoreInitialisation, appHost.ServiceProvider).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                await jellyfinMigrationService.MigrateStepAsync(JellyfinMigrationStageTypes.CoreInitialisation, appHost.ServiceProvider).ConfigureAwait(false);
 
                 SetupServer.ReportActivity(StartupActivity.InitializingServices);
                 await appHost.InitializeServices(startupConfig).ConfigureAwait(false);
                 _appHost = appHost;
 
-                _optimizeDatabaseAfterMigration |= await jellyfinMigrationService.MigrateStepAsync(JellyfinMigrationStageTypes.AppInitialisation, appHost.ServiceProvider).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                await jellyfinMigrationService.MigrateStepAsync(JellyfinMigrationStageTypes.AppInitialisation, appHost.ServiceProvider).ConfigureAwait(false);
                 await jellyfinMigrationService.CleanupSystemAfterMigration(_logger).ConfigureAwait(false);
-                await OptimizeDatabaseAfterMigrationAsync(appHost.ServiceProvider).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                await OptimizeDatabaseAsync(appHost.ServiceProvider).ConfigureAwait(false);
                 try
                 {
                     configurationCompleted = true;
@@ -273,11 +272,8 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Server
                 // Don't throw additional exception if startup failed.
                 if (appHost.ServiceProvider is not null)
                 {
-                    _logger.LogInformation("Running query planner optimizations in the database... This might take a while");
-
                     var databaseProvider = appHost.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<IJellyfinDatabaseProvider>();
-                    using var shutdownSource = new CancellationTokenSource();
-                    shutdownSource.CancelAfter((int)TimeSpan.FromSeconds(60).TotalMicroseconds);
+                    using var shutdownSource = new CancellationTokenSource(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(60));
                     await databaseProvider.RunShutdownTask(shutdownSource.Token).ConfigureAwait(false);
                 }
 
@@ -316,7 +312,7 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Server
 
             var jellyfinMigrationService = ActivatorUtilities.CreateInstance<JellyfinMigrationService>(startupService);
             await jellyfinMigrationService.CheckFirstTimeRunOrMigration(appPaths, startupOptions).ConfigureAwait(false);
-            _optimizeDatabaseAfterMigration |= await jellyfinMigrationService.MigrateStepAsync(Migrations.Stages.JellyfinMigrationStageTypes.PreInitialisation, startupService).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            await jellyfinMigrationService.MigrateStepAsync(Migrations.Stages.JellyfinMigrationStageTypes.PreInitialisation, startupService).ConfigureAwait(false);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -331,30 +327,24 @@ namespace Jellyfin.Server
         public static async Task ApplyCoreMigrationsAsync(IServiceProvider serviceProvider, Migrations.Stages.JellyfinMigrationStageTypes jellyfinMigrationStage)
         {
             var jellyfinMigrationService = ActivatorUtilities.CreateInstance<JellyfinMigrationService>(serviceProvider, _migrationLogger!);
-            _optimizeDatabaseAfterMigration |= await jellyfinMigrationService.MigrateStepAsync(jellyfinMigrationStage, serviceProvider).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            await jellyfinMigrationService.MigrateStepAsync(jellyfinMigrationStage, serviceProvider).ConfigureAwait(false);
         }
 
-        private static async Task OptimizeDatabaseAfterMigrationAsync(IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
+        private static async Task OptimizeDatabaseAsync(IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
         {
-            if (!_optimizeDatabaseAfterMigration)
-            {
-                return;
-            }
-
-            // Reset first: a restart runs no migrations and must not optimize again.
-            _optimizeDatabaseAfterMigration = false;
             SetupServer.ReportActivity(StartupActivity.OptimizingDatabase);
-            _logger.LogInformation("Migrations have been applied, optimizing the database... This might take a while");
+            _logger.LogInformation("Vacuuming and analyzing the database... This might take a while");
 
             try
             {
+                // Deliberately untimed: incomplete statistics are worse than a slow start.
                 var databaseProvider = serviceProvider.GetRequiredService<IJellyfinDatabaseProvider>();
                 await databaseProvider.RunScheduledOptimisation(CancellationToken.None).ConfigureAwait(false);
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
                 // A missed optimization only costs performance, so never fail startup over this.
-                _logger.LogError(ex, "Error while optimizing the database after migration");
+                _logger.LogError(ex, "Error while optimizing the database");
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/Jellyfin.Server/ServerSetupApp/StartupActivity.cs b/Jellyfin.Server/ServerSetupApp/StartupActivity.cs
index abfc5bc8ba..5fc485bd48 100644
--- a/Jellyfin.Server/ServerSetupApp/StartupActivity.cs
+++ b/Jellyfin.Server/ServerSetupApp/StartupActivity.cs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public static class StartupActivity
     /// <summary>Bringing up core services and plugins.</summary>
     public const string InitializingServices = "Initializing services";
 
-    /// <summary>Refreshing the database statistics after migrations have run.</summary>
+    /// <summary>Refreshing the database query planner statistics.</summary>
     public const string OptimizingDatabase = "Optimizing database";
 
     /// <summary>Running the final startup tasks.</summary>
diff --git a/src/Jellyfin.Database/Jellyfin.Database.Implementations/IJellyfinDatabaseProvider.cs b/src/Jellyfin.Database/Jellyfin.Database.Implementations/IJellyfinDatabaseProvider.cs
index 87d87e92b8..a7b2aa493b 100644
--- a/src/Jellyfin.Database/Jellyfin.Database.Implementations/IJellyfinDatabaseProvider.cs
+++ b/src/Jellyfin.Database/Jellyfin.Database.Implementations/IJellyfinDatabaseProvider.cs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public interface IJellyfinDatabaseProvider
 
     /// <summary>
     /// If supported this should run any periodic maintaince tasks, reclaiming unused space and refreshing the query
-    /// planner statistics. Also used after migrations have modified the database.
+    /// planner statistics. Also runs on startup once all migrations have been applied.
     /// </summary>
     /// <param name="cancellationToken">The token to abort the operation.</param>
     /// <returns>A <see cref="Task"/> representing the asynchronous operation.</returns>
diff --git a/src/Jellyfin.Database/Jellyfin.Database.Providers.Sqlite/SqliteDatabaseProvider.cs b/src/Jellyfin.Database/Jellyfin.Database.Providers.Sqlite/SqliteDatabaseProvider.cs
index dff834bfec..6103ecd992 100644
--- a/src/Jellyfin.Database/Jellyfin.Database.Providers.Sqlite/SqliteDatabaseProvider.cs
+++ b/src/Jellyfin.Database/Jellyfin.Database.Providers.Sqlite/SqliteDatabaseProvider.cs
@@ -124,21 +124,11 @@ public sealed class SqliteDatabaseProvider : IJellyfinDatabaseProvider
     }
 
     /// <inheritdoc/>
-    public async Task RunShutdownTask(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    public Task RunShutdownTask(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
     {
-        if (DbContextFactory is null)
-        {
-            return;
-        }
-
         // Run before disposing the application
-        var context = await DbContextFactory.CreateDbContextAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
-        await using (context.ConfigureAwait(false))
-        {
-            await context.Database.ExecuteSqlRawAsync("PRAGMA optimize", cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
-        }
-
         SqliteConnection.ClearAllPools();
+        return Task.CompletedTask;
     }
 
     /// <inheritdoc/>