diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/installation.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/installation.ts
index ca35b926fb..83166880cc 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/installation.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/installation.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import * as context from "./context"
 import semver from "semver"
 import { bustCache, withCache, TTL, CacheKey } from "./cache/generic"
 import environment from "./environment"
+import { logAlert } from "./logging"
 
 export const getInstall = async (): Promise<Installation> => {
   return withCache(CacheKey.INSTALLATION, TTL.ONE_DAY, getInstallFromDB, {
@@ -80,27 +81,35 @@ export const checkInstallVersion = async (): Promise<void> => {
   const currentVersion = install.version
   const newVersion = environment.VERSION
 
-  if (currentVersion !== newVersion) {
-    const isUpgrade = semver.gt(newVersion, currentVersion)
-    const isDowngrade = semver.lt(newVersion, currentVersion)
+  try {
+    if (currentVersion !== newVersion) {
+      const isUpgrade = semver.gt(newVersion, currentVersion)
+      const isDowngrade = semver.lt(newVersion, currentVersion)
 
-    const success = await updateVersion(newVersion)
+      const success = await updateVersion(newVersion)
 
-    if (success) {
-      await context.doInIdentityContext(
-        {
-          _id: install.installId,
-          type: IdentityType.INSTALLATION,
-        },
-        async () => {
-          if (isUpgrade) {
-            await events.installation.upgraded(currentVersion, newVersion)
-          } else if (isDowngrade) {
-            await events.installation.downgraded(currentVersion, newVersion)
+      if (success) {
+        await context.doInIdentityContext(
+          {
+            _id: install.installId,
+            type: IdentityType.INSTALLATION,
+          },
+          async () => {
+            if (isUpgrade) {
+              await events.installation.upgraded(currentVersion, newVersion)
+            } else if (isDowngrade) {
+              await events.installation.downgraded(currentVersion, newVersion)
+            }
           }
-        }
-      )
-      await events.identification.identifyInstallationGroup(install.installId)
+        )
+        await events.identification.identifyInstallationGroup(install.installId)
+      }
+    }
+  } catch (err: any) {
+    if (err?.message?.includes("Invalid Version")) {
+      logAlert(`Invalid version "${newVersion}" - is it semver?`)
+    } else {
+      logAlert("Failed to retrieve version", err)
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/utils/mongodb.ts b/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/utils/mongodb.ts
index ebd76e4baf..0baafc6276 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/utils/mongodb.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/utils/mongodb.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ export async function start(): Promise<StartedTestContainer> {
       MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD: "password",
     })
     .withWaitStrategy(
-      Wait.forSuccessfulCommand(`mongosh --eval "db.version()"`)
+      Wait.forSuccessfulCommand(
+        `mongosh --eval "db.version()"`
+      ).withStartupTimeout(10000)
     )
     .start()
 }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/utils/mysql.ts b/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/utils/mysql.ts
index 474819287e..5e51478998 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/utils/mysql.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/utils/mysql.ts
@@ -1,26 +1,34 @@
 import { Datasource, SourceName } from "@budibase/types"
 import { GenericContainer, Wait, StartedTestContainer } from "testcontainers"
+import { AbstractWaitStrategy } from "testcontainers/build/wait-strategies/wait-strategy"
 
 let container: StartedTestContainer | undefined
 
+class MySQLWaitStrategy extends AbstractWaitStrategy {
+  async waitUntilReady(container: any, boundPorts: any, startTime?: Date) {
+    // Because MySQL first starts itself up, runs an init script, then restarts,
+    // it's possible for the mysqladmin ping to succeed early and then tests to
+    // run against a MySQL that's mid-restart and fail. To get around this, we
+    // wait for logs and then do a ping check.
+
+    const logs = Wait.forLogMessage(
+      "/usr/sbin/mysqld: ready for connections",
+      2
+    )
+    await logs.waitUntilReady(container, boundPorts, startTime)
+
+    const command = Wait.forSuccessfulCommand(
+      `mysqladmin ping -h localhost -P 3306 -u root -ppassword`
+    )
+    await command.waitUntilReady(container)
+  }
+}
+
 export async function start(): Promise<StartedTestContainer> {
   return await new GenericContainer("mysql:8.3")
     .withExposedPorts(3306)
     .withEnvironment({ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: "password" })
-    .withWaitStrategy(
-      Wait.forSuccessfulCommand(
-        // Because MySQL first starts itself up, runs an init script, then restarts,
-        // it's possible for the mysqladmin ping to succeed early and then tests to
-        // run against a MySQL that's mid-restart and fail. To avoid this, we run
-        // the ping command three times with a small delay between each.
-        `
-          mysqladmin ping -h localhost -P 3306 -u root -ppassword && sleep 1 &&
-          mysqladmin ping -h localhost -P 3306 -u root -ppassword && sleep 1 &&
-          mysqladmin ping -h localhost -P 3306 -u root -ppassword && sleep 1 &&
-          mysqladmin ping -h localhost -P 3306 -u root -ppassword
-        `
-      )
-    )
+    .withWaitStrategy(new MySQLWaitStrategy().withStartupTimeout(10000))
     .start()
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/utils/postgres.ts b/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/utils/postgres.ts
index 4bf42c7f88..82a62e3916 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/utils/postgres.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/utils/postgres.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ export async function start(): Promise<StartedTestContainer> {
     .withExposedPorts(5432)
     .withEnvironment({ POSTGRES_PASSWORD: "password" })
     .withWaitStrategy(
-      Wait.forSuccessfulCommand("pg_isready -h localhost -p 5432")
+      Wait.forSuccessfulCommand(
+        "pg_isready -h localhost -p 5432"
+      ).withStartupTimeout(10000)
     )
     .start()
 }