diff --git a/apps/edr-passenger-api/prisma/seed.ts b/apps/edr-passenger-api/prisma/seed.ts
index 71f822c7d..8e1bedd83 100644
--- a/apps/edr-passenger-api/prisma/seed.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-passenger-api/prisma/seed.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Prisma, PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client';
+import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client';
 import * as bcrypt from 'bcrypt';
 import { randomUUID as uuidv4 } from 'crypto';
 
@@ -224,12 +224,10 @@ async function seedCoaches() {
       create: coach,
     });
 
-    // Rebuild the coach's seats from scratch. A plain upsert keyed on
-    // coachId_seatNumber can't reconcile a changed layout (it's blind to the
-    // @@unique([coachId, row, col]) constraint), so stale row/col data collides.
-    await prisma.seat.deleteMany({ where: { coachId: c.id } });
-
-    const seats: Prisma.SeatCreateManyInput[] = [];
+    // Idempotently reconcile the coach's seats. Upsert keyed on the
+    // @@unique([coachId, row, col]) constraint so a re-seed updates existing
+    // rows in place instead of deleting them. Deleting Seats fails with a P2003
+    // FK violation once BookingSeat/SeatBlock/TicketSeat rows reference them.
     let seatIndex = 1;
     for (let row = 1; row <= Math.ceil(coach.capacity / 2); row++) {
       for (const col of ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D']) {
@@ -241,19 +239,21 @@ async function seedCoaches() {
           else bedPosition = 'lower';
         }
 
-        seats.push({
-          coachId: c.id,
+        const seatData = {
           seatNumber: seatIndex.toString(),
-          row,
-          col,
           isWindow: col === 'A' || col === 'D',
           isAisle: col === 'B' || col === 'C',
           bedPosition,
+        };
+
+        await prisma.seat.upsert({
+          where: { coachId_row_col: { coachId: c.id, row, col } },
+          update: seatData,
+          create: { coachId: c.id, row, col, ...seatData },
         });
         seatIndex++;
       }
     }
-    await prisma.seat.createMany({ data: seats });
     totalSeats += coach.capacity;
   }
   console.log(`  ✅ ${coaches.length} coaches with ${totalSeats} seats created`);
@@ -552,25 +552,49 @@ async function seedFraudRules() {
   console.log(`  ✅ ${rules.length} fraud detection rules created`);
 }
 
+// Run a seed step in isolation: if it throws (FK conflict, duplicate row,
+// missing record, etc.) log the error and keep going so the rest of the seed —
+// and the API startup that follows it — are never blocked by one bad step.
+async function runStep(name: string, step: () => Promise<void>): Promise<boolean> {
+  try {
+    await step();
+    return true;
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error(`⚠️  Seed step "${name}" failed — skipping and continuing:`, e);
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
 async function main() {
   console.log('🌱 Comprehensive EDR Seed Starting...\n');
 
-  await seedSystemUsers();
-  await seedStations();
-  await seedCoachTypesAndClasses();
-  await seedRoute();
-  await seedCoaches();
-  await seedTrips();
-  await seedFareRules();
-  await seedCurrency();
-  await seedPaymentMethods();
-  await seedNotificationTemplates();
-  await seedMenuAndFood();
-  await seedPromotions();
-  await seedFAQ();
-  await seedFraudRules();
+  const steps: Array<[string, () => Promise<void>]> = [
+    ['system users', seedSystemUsers],
+    ['stations', seedStations],
+    ['coach types & classes', seedCoachTypesAndClasses],
+    ['route', seedRoute],
+    ['coaches', seedCoaches],
+    ['trips', seedTrips],
+    ['fare rules', seedFareRules],
+    ['currency', seedCurrency],
+    ['payment methods', seedPaymentMethods],
+    ['notification templates', seedNotificationTemplates],
+    ['menu & food', seedMenuAndFood],
+    ['promotions', seedPromotions],
+    ['FAQ', seedFAQ],
+    ['fraud rules', seedFraudRules],
+  ];
 
-  console.log('\n✅ Seed complete!\n');
+  let failed = 0;
+  for (const [name, step] of steps) {
+    if (!(await runStep(name, step))) failed++;
+  }
+
+  if (failed > 0) {
+    console.warn(`\n⚠️  Seed finished with ${failed}/${steps.length} step(s) failed (see logs above).\n`);
+  } else {
+    console.log('\n✅ Seed complete!\n');
+  }
   console.log('🔑 System Users:');
   console.log('  Admin:       admin@edr-platform.com / admin123');
   console.log('  Passenger:   kelemu@email.com / password123');
@@ -581,8 +605,10 @@ async function main() {
 
 main()
   .catch((e) => {
-    console.error('❌ Seed failed:', e);
-    process.exit(1);
+    // Intentionally do NOT process.exit(1): the docker entrypoint runs under
+    // `set -e`, so a non-zero exit here would abort container startup and the
+    // API would never boot. Log and exit cleanly instead.
+    console.error('❌ Seed crashed unexpectedly — continuing so the API can start:', e);
   })
   .finally(async () => {
     await prisma.$disconnect();