diff --git a/local-dev-2.sh b/local-dev-2.sh
index 0f19a0c..9e0d761 100755
--- a/local-dev-2.sh
+++ b/local-dev-2.sh
@@ -44,20 +44,23 @@ fi
 
 # --- 3. Database Reset ---
 log_step "Resetting PostgreSQL..."
-# Host port 5432 must be free: the container maps 5432:5432, so a squatter
-# (e.g. a leftover manual postgres) makes the port bind fail. Under ERR_EXIT
-# with hidden output that failure used to kill the script silently.
-if command -v ss > /dev/null 2>&1 && ss -tln 2>/dev/null | grep -q ":5432 "; then
-  log_error "Port 5432 is already in use. The postgres container cannot bind it."
-  log_error "Something else is listening on 5432:"
-  ss -tlnp 2>/dev/null | grep ":5432 "
-  log_error "Stop the process holding 5432 (e.g. a manually-started postgres), then re-run."
-  exit 1
-fi
+# Order matters: `down` runs FIRST so the previous postgres container (which
+# owns host port 5432 after a prior successful run) is stopped and its port
+# released. Only THEN do we check for a remaining squatter — any process still
+# on 5432 after the down must be a non-Docker postgres (e.g. a manually
+# started one), which the container cannot bind against. Under ERR_EXIT with
+# hidden output the original script died silently on this failure.
 if ! docker compose down -v postgres > /tmp/opencode/pg-down.log 2>&1; then
   log_error "Failed to stop old postgres container. See /tmp/opencode/pg-down.log"
   exit 1
 fi
+if command -v ss > /dev/null 2>&1 && ss -tln 2>/dev/null | grep -q ":5432 "; then
+  log_error "Port 5432 is still in use after stopping the postgres container."
+  log_error "Something else is listening on 5432:"
+  ss -tlnp 2>/dev/null | grep ":5432 "
+  log_error "Stop the non-Docker process holding 5432 (e.g. a manually-started postgres), then re-run."
+  exit 1
+fi
 if ! docker compose up postgres -d > /tmp/opencode/pg-up.log 2>&1; then
   log_error "Failed to start postgres container. See /tmp/opencode/pg-up.log"
   exit 1