diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
index 4c12317..53d3ad5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ jobs:
         with:
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
 
+      - name: Run PostgreSQL
+        run: make start-db
+
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
           python -m pip install --upgrade pip
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 201c78f..7c01fc4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -9,6 +9,23 @@ PROJECT_DIR=$(shell pwd)
 PYTHON_VERSION = $(shell python -V | cut -d ' ' -f 2 | cut -d '.' -f 1,2)
 export PIP_DISABLE_PIP_VERSION_CHECK = 1
 
+DB_IMAGE ?= quay.io/samdoran/digital-roadmap-data
+DB_PORT ?= 5432
+
+# Set the shell because otherwise this defaults to /bin/sh,
+# which is dash on Ubuntu. The type builtin for dash does not accept flags.
+SHELL = /bin/bash
+
+# Determine container runtime, preferring Docker on macOS
+OS = $(shell uname)
+CONTAINER_RUNTIMES = podman docker
+ifeq ($(OS), Darwin)
+	CONTAINER_RUNTIMES = docker podman
+endif
+
+CONTAINER_RUNTIME ?= $(shell type -P $(CONTAINER_RUNTIMES) | head -n 1)
+
+
 default: install
 
 .PHONY: venv
@@ -23,6 +40,25 @@ install: venv
 install-dev: venv
 	$(PIP) install -r requirements/requirements-dev-$(PYTHON_VERSION).txt
 
+.PHONY: check-container-runtime
+check-container-runtime:
+ifeq ($(strip $(CONTAINER_RUNTIME)),)
+	@echo "Missing container runtime. Could not find '$(CONTAINER_RUNTIMES)' in PATH."
+	@exit 1
+else
+	@echo Found container runtime \'$(CONTAINER_RUNTIME)\'
+endif
+
+
+.PHONY: start-db
+start-db: stop-db
+	$(CONTAINER_RUNTIME) run --rm -d -p $(DB_PORT):5432 --name digital-roadmap-data $(DB_IMAGE)
+
+.PHONY: stop-db
+stop-db: check-container-runtime
+	@$(CONTAINER_RUNTIME) stop digital-roadmap-data > /dev/null 2>&1 || true
+	@sleep 0.1
+
 .PHONY: run
 run:
 	$(VENV_DIR)/bin/fastapi run app/main.py --reload --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8081
@@ -44,5 +80,5 @@ test:
 	@$(PYTEST)
 
 .PHONY: build
-build:
-	docker build -t digital_roadmap:latest -f Containerfile .
+build: check-container-runtime
+	$(CONTAINER_RUNTIME) build -t digital-roadmap:latest -f Containerfile .
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9df2433..cc8e118 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Create a virtual environment, install the requirements, and run the server.
 
 ```shell
 make install
-make run
+make start-db run
 ```
 
 This runs a server using the default virtual environment. Documentation can be found at  `http://127.0.0.1:8081/docs`.
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ Install the developer tools and run the server.
 
 ```shell
 make install-dev
-make run
+make start-db run
 ```
 
 Alternatively you may create your own virtual environment, install the requirements, and run the server manually.
@@ -36,6 +36,16 @@ pip install -r requirements/requirements-dev-{Python version}.txt
 fastapi run app/main.py --reload --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8081
 ```
 
+The database runs in a container and contains data already. To specify a different container image, set `DB_IMAGE`.
+
+```shell
+export DB_IMAGE=digital-roadmap:latest
+make start-db
+```
+
+To restart the database container, run `make start-db`.
+
+To stop the database, run `make stop-db`.
 
 ### Testing
 
diff --git a/app/config.py b/app/config.py
index d3d529c..e84f19d 100644
--- a/app/config.py
+++ b/app/config.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 DB_NAME = os.getenv("DB_NAME", "digital_roadmap")
 DB_USER = os.getenv("DB_USER", "postgres")
-DB_PASSWORD = os.getenv("DB_PASSWORD", "password")
+DB_PASSWORD = os.getenv("DB_PASSWORD", "postgres")
 DB_HOST = os.getenv("DB_HOST", "localhost")
 DB_PORT = os.getenv("DB_PORT", 5432)
 SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI = f"postgresql+psycopg://{DB_USER}:{DB_PASSWORD}@{DB_HOST}:{DB_PORT}/{DB_NAME}"