diff --git a/docker-compose-prod.yml b/docker-compose-prod.yml
index c31c2b48..afcecd51 100644
--- a/docker-compose-prod.yml
+++ b/docker-compose-prod.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,21 @@ services:
       - MCT_VERSION=v2.11.2
     command: /home/scripts/run.sh
 
+  # crontab - for db backup
+  medcattrainer-db-backup:
+    image: cogstacksystems/medcat-trainer:v2.11.2
+    restart: always
+    volumes:
+      - ./configs:/home/configs
+      - api-media:/home/api/media
+      - api-static:/home/api/static
+      - api-db:/home/api/db
+      - api-db-backup:/home/api/db-backup
+    env_file:
+      - ./envs/env
+    entrypoint: /home/scripts/entry.sh
+    command: cron -f -l 2
+
   nginx:
     container_name: medcattrainer_nginx
     image: cogstacksystems/medcat-trainer-nginx:v2.11.2
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 1fd4956e..a289e734 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -19,6 +19,21 @@ services:
       - MCT_VERSION=v2.11.2
     command: /home/scripts/run.sh
 
+  # crontab - for db backup
+  medcattrainer-db-backup:
+    image: cogstacksystems/medcat-trainer:v2.11.2
+    restart: always
+    volumes:
+      - ./configs:/home/configs
+      - api-media:/home/api/media
+      - api-static:/home/api/static
+      - api-db:/home/api/db
+      - api-db-backup:/home/api/db-backup
+    env_file:
+      - ./envs/env
+    entrypoint: /home/scripts/entry.sh
+    command: cron -f -l 2
+
   nginx:
     image: cogstacksystems/medcat-trainer-nginx:v2.11.2
     restart: always
diff --git a/docs/maintanence.md b/docs/maintanence.md
index cf4e067f..05d4bdfd 100644
--- a/docs/maintanence.md
+++ b/docs/maintanence.md
@@ -26,11 +26,20 @@ or removed from a later version.
 
 ## Backup and Restore
 
+### Backup
 Before updating to a new release, a backup will be created in the `DB_BACKUP_DIR`, as configured in `envs/env`.
+A further crontab runs the same backup script at 10pm every night. This does not cause any downtime and will look like
+this in the logs:
+```shell
+medcattrainer-medcattrainer-db-backup-1  | Found backup dir location: /home/api/db-backup and DB_PATH: /home/api/db/db.sqlite3
+medcattrainer-medcattrainer-db-backup-1  | Backed up existing DB to /home/api/db-backup/db-backup-2023-09-26__23-26-01.sqlite3
+medcattrainer-medcattrainer-db-backup-1  | To restore this backup use $ ./restore.sh /home/api/db-backup/db-backup-2023-09-26__23-26-01.sqlite3
+```
 
-This is automatically done each time the service starts, and any migrations are performed, in the events of a new release
-for example.
+A backup is also automatically performed each time the service starts, and any migrations are performed, in the events of a new release
+introducing a breaking change and corrupting a DB.
 
+### Restore
 If a DB is corrupted or needs to be restored to an existing backed up db use the following commands, whilst the service is running:
 
 ```shell
@@ -48,4 +57,5 @@ Found db-backup-2023-09-25__23-21-39.sqlite3 - y to confirm backup: y  # you'll
 Restored db-backup-2023-09-25__23-21-39.sqlite3 to /home/db/db.sqlite3
 ```
 
-The `restore_db.sh` scipt will automatically restore the latest db file, if no file is specified.
+The `restore_db.sh` script will automatically restore the latest db file, if no file is specified.
+
diff --git a/webapp/Dockerfile b/webapp/Dockerfile
index 9fa5d36a..dec1c44a 100644
--- a/webapp/Dockerfile
+++ b/webapp/Dockerfile
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ RUN apt-get update -y && \
 # install vim as its annoying not to have an editor
 RUN apt-get install -y vim
 
+# install cron - and remove any default tabs
+RUN apt-get install -y cron && which cron && rm -rf /etc/cron.*/*
+
 # Get node and npm
 RUN apt install -y nodejs && apt install -y npm
 
@@ -18,6 +21,12 @@ ENV PATH="/root/.cargo/bin:${PATH}"
 WORKDIR /home
 COPY ./ .
 
+# copy backup crontab and chmod scripts
+RUN chmod u+x /home/scripts/entry.sh && chmod u+x /home/scripts/crontab &&
+RUN cp /home/scripts/crontab /etc/crontab
+
+RUN chmod 0744 /etc/crontab && chmod u+x /home/app-backend/notify/entry.sh
+
 # Build frontend
 WORKDIR /home/frontend
 RUN npm install && npm run build
diff --git a/webapp/scripts/crontab b/webapp/scripts/crontab
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a0083c59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/scripts/crontab
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+SHELL=/bin/bash
+BASH_ENV=/etc/envrionment
+0 22 * * * root /home/scripts/backup_db.sh > /proc/1/fd/1 2>/proc/1/fd/2
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/webapp/scripts/entry.sh b/webapp/scripts/entry.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..60097910
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webapp/scripts/entry.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+env >> /etc/environment
+
+# execute CMD
+echo "$@"
+exec "$@"