diff --git a/aurral/config.yaml b/aurral/config.yaml
index 6750bc4408..6fbea1ae17 100644
--- a/aurral/config.yaml
+++ b/aurral/config.yaml
@@ -29,14 +29,16 @@ map:
   - share:rw
   - media:rw
 
+env_vars:
+  - name: DOWNLOAD_FOLDER
+    description: "Path for music downloads"
+    required: false
+
 options:
   download_folder: /share/aurral/downloads
-  data_folder: /share/aurral/data
 
 schema:
   download_folder: str
-  data_folder: str
-  port: int?
 
 panel_icon: mdi:music-box-multiple
 panel_title: Aurral
diff --git a/aurral/rootfs/etc/services.d/aurral/run b/aurral/rootfs/etc/services.d/aurral/run
index aaec93a9ab..4d259a7ad1 100644
--- a/aurral/rootfs/etc/services.d/aurral/run
+++ b/aurral/rootfs/etc/services.d/aurral/run
@@ -4,20 +4,26 @@
 # ==============================================================
 
 DOWNLOAD_FOLDER=$(bashio::config 'download_folder')
-DATA_FOLDER=$(bashio::config 'data_folder')
 
-# Ensure host-side directories exist
-mkdir -p "${DOWNLOAD_FOLDER}" "${DATA_FOLDER}"
+# Ensure host-side download directory exists
+mkdir -p "${DOWNLOAD_FOLDER}"
 
-# Symlink HA share paths into the locations Aurral expects internally
-rm -rf /app/downloads
-ln -sf "${DOWNLOAD_FOLDER}" /app/downloads
+# Aurral writes its database/config to /app/backend/data inside the container.
+# We bind that to HA's addon_config directory (/config) which is always writable.
+# The upstream entrypoint chowns /app/backend/data — this must be a real directory,
+# not a symlink to a protected HA path, so we do NOT symlink it.
+mkdir -p /config/data
 
-rm -rf /app/backend/data
-ln -sf "${DATA_FOLDER}" /app/backend/data
+# If /app/backend/data exists as a real dir (from image), replace with our persistent dir
+if [ ! -L /app/backend/data ]; then
+  rm -rf /app/backend/data
+  ln -sf /config/data /app/backend/data
+fi
 
 bashio::log.info "Starting Aurral"
 bashio::log.info "  Downloads : ${DOWNLOAD_FOLDER}"
-bashio::log.info "  Data      : ${DATA_FOLDER}"
+bashio::log.info "  Data      : /config/data"
 
-exec node /app/backend/server.js
+export DOWNLOAD_FOLDER="${DOWNLOAD_FOLDER}"
+
+exec /usr/local/bin/docker-entrypoint.sh node /app/server.js