diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker-build.yml b/.github/workflows/docker-build.yml
index a6745257..4eb8f1c2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker-build.yml
@@ -182,11 +182,11 @@ jobs:
           colpali_pdf_dpi = 150
 
           [morphik]
-          enable_colpali = true
+          enable_colpali = false
           mode = "self_hosted"
           use_local_env = true
           api_domain = "api.morphik.ai"
-          morphik_embedding_api_domain = "http://localhost:6000"
+          morphik_embedding_api_domain = ["http://localhost:6000"]
           colpali_mode = "local"
 
           [pdf_viewer]
@@ -203,9 +203,47 @@ jobs:
           max_local_bytes = 1073741824
           EOF
 
+          # Create a Docker network for the test
+          docker network create test-net
+
+          # Start PostgreSQL container with pgvector
+          PG_CONTAINER=$(docker run -d --name postgres --network test-net \
+            -e POSTGRES_USER=morphik \
+            -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=morphik \
+            -e POSTGRES_DB=morphik \
+            pgvector/pgvector:pg16)
+
+          # Start Redis container
+          REDIS_CONTAINER=$(docker run -d --name redis --network test-net redis:7-alpine)
+          echo "Started Redis container: $REDIS_CONTAINER"
+
+          echo "Started PostgreSQL container: $PG_CONTAINER"
+
+          # Wait for PostgreSQL to be ready
+          pg_timeout=30
+          pg_elapsed=0
+          echo "Waiting for PostgreSQL to be ready..."
+          while [ $pg_elapsed -lt $pg_timeout ]; do
+            if docker exec postgres pg_isready -U morphik -d morphik > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+              echo "✅ PostgreSQL is ready"
+              break
+            fi
+            sleep 1
+            pg_elapsed=$((pg_elapsed + 1))
+          done
+
+          if [ $pg_elapsed -ge $pg_timeout ]; then
+            echo "❌ PostgreSQL failed to start within ${pg_timeout} seconds"
+            docker logs postgres
+            docker rm -f postgres redis
+            docker network rm test-net
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
           # Start container in detached mode with config mounted
-          CONTAINER_ID=$(docker run -d -p 8000:8000 \
-            -e POSTGRES_URI="postgresql://morphik:morphik@localhost:5432/morphik" \
+          CONTAINER_ID=$(docker run -d --network test-net -p 8000:8000 \
+            -e POSTGRES_URI="postgresql+asyncpg://morphik:morphik@postgres:5432/morphik" \
+            -e PGPASSWORD="morphik" \
             -v "$(pwd)/morphik.toml.test:/app/morphik.toml" \
             "$IMAGE_TAG")
 
@@ -235,6 +273,8 @@ jobs:
             docker logs "$CONTAINER_ID"
             docker stop "$CONTAINER_ID"
             docker rm "$CONTAINER_ID"
+            docker rm -f postgres redis
+            docker network rm test-net
             exit 1
           fi
 
@@ -247,11 +287,15 @@ jobs:
             docker logs "$CONTAINER_ID"
             docker stop "$CONTAINER_ID"
             docker rm "$CONTAINER_ID"
+            docker rm -f postgres redis
+            docker network rm test-net
             exit 1
           fi
 
           # Clean up
-          echo "🧹 Cleaning up container"
+          echo "🧹 Cleaning up containers"
           docker stop "$CONTAINER_ID"
           docker rm "$CONTAINER_ID"
+          docker rm -f postgres redis
+          docker network rm test-net
           echo "✅ Test completed successfully"
diff --git a/core/config.py b/core/config.py
index 6c4978dc..6b6388fe 100644
--- a/core/config.py
+++ b/core/config.py
@@ -372,6 +372,8 @@ def get_settings() -> Settings:
     api_domain = config["morphik"].get("api_domain", "api.morphik.ai")
     # morphik_embedding_api_domain is always a list of endpoints
     embedding_api_endpoints = config["morphik"].get("morphik_embedding_api_domain", [f"https://{api_domain}"])
+    if isinstance(embedding_api_endpoints, str):
+        embedding_api_endpoints = [embedding_api_endpoints]
     secret_manager = config["morphik"].get("secret_manager", "env")
 
     settings_dict.update(
diff --git a/core/embedding/litellm_embedding.py b/core/embedding/litellm_embedding.py
index c5b47b3b..7449fb11 100644
--- a/core/embedding/litellm_embedding.py
+++ b/core/embedding/litellm_embedding.py
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ async def embed_documents(self, texts: List[str]) -> List[List[float]]:
                 # Use a harmless placeholder; some LiteLLM providers demand a key even if backend ignores it
                 model_params["api_key"] = get_settings().LITELLM_DUMMY_API_KEY
 
-            # Call LiteLLM
-            response = await litellm.aembedding(input=texts, **model_params)
+            # Call LiteLLM with retries for transient provider errors (e.g. OpenAI 500s)
+            response = await litellm.aembedding(input=texts, num_retries=3, **model_params)
 
             embeddings = [data["embedding"] for data in response.data]