diff --git a/k8s/security/iam/authentik-values.yaml b/k8s/security/iam/authentik-values.yaml
index 146d82a..e20a816 100644
--- a/k8s/security/iam/authentik-values.yaml
+++ b/k8s/security/iam/authentik-values.yaml
@@ -23,13 +23,14 @@ authentik:
     enabled: false   # do not phone home to Sentry
 
   # PostgreSQL connection — points at CloudNativePG cluster in ddb namespace.
-  # password is injected via helmfile --set at deploy time.
+  # Uses 'app' bootstrap user (CNPG simple pattern, same as Forgejo).
+  # Credentials injected from ddb-cluster-app secret via env vars below.
   postgresql:
     host: ddb-cluster-rw.ddb.svc.cluster.local
     port: 5432
     name: authentik
-    user: authentik
-    password: ""  # injected via helmfile --set authentik.postgresql.password
+    user: app  # All apps use shared 'app' user (CNPG design pattern)
+    password: ""  # overridden by AUTHENTIK_POSTGRESQL__PASSWORD env var
 
   # Redis connection — bundled subchart, standalone mode (no sentinel/cluster).
   redis:
@@ -123,7 +124,23 @@ server:
   volumes: *caVolumes
   volumeMounts: *caVolumeMounts
   initContainers: *caInitContainers
-  env: *caEnv
+  env:
+    # Merge CA trust env vars
+    - name: REQUESTS_CA_BUNDLE
+      value: /merged/ca-bundle.crt
+    - name: SSL_CERT_FILE
+      value: /merged/ca-bundle.crt
+    # Override database credentials to use 'app' from ddb-cluster-app
+    - name: AUTHENTIK_POSTGRESQL__USER
+      valueFrom:
+        secretKeyRef:
+          name: ddb-cluster-app
+          key: username
+    - name: AUTHENTIK_POSTGRESQL__PASSWORD
+      valueFrom:
+        secretKeyRef:
+          name: ddb-cluster-app
+          key: password
   podAnnotations:
     configmap.reloader.stakater.com/reload: "homelab-ca"
     homelab.io/restart-at: "2026-06-21T13-40"
@@ -178,7 +195,23 @@ worker:
   volumes: *caVolumes
   volumeMounts: *caVolumeMounts
   initContainers: *caInitContainers
-  env: *caEnv
+  env:
+    # Merge CA trust env vars
+    - name: REQUESTS_CA_BUNDLE
+      value: /merged/ca-bundle.crt
+    - name: SSL_CERT_FILE
+      value: /merged/ca-bundle.crt
+    # Override database credentials to use 'app' from ddb-cluster-app
+    - name: AUTHENTIK_POSTGRESQL__USER
+      valueFrom:
+        secretKeyRef:
+          name: ddb-cluster-app
+          key: username
+    - name: AUTHENTIK_POSTGRESQL__PASSWORD
+      valueFrom:
+        secretKeyRef:
+          name: ddb-cluster-app
+          key: password
   podAnnotations:
     configmap.reloader.stakater.com/reload: "homelab-ca"
     homelab.io/restart-at: "2026-06-21T13-40"
diff --git a/k8s/security/iam/kustomization.yaml b/k8s/security/iam/kustomization.yaml
index 57f060c..671a4ee 100644
--- a/k8s/security/iam/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/k8s/security/iam/kustomization.yaml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ resources:
   - key-rotation-cronjob.yaml
   - authentik-provision-job.yaml
   - rbac-dashboard-rolebinding.yaml
+  - sync-db-credentials-job.yaml
 
 # Provisioning/verification python lives in scripts/*.py (real files, linted +
 # diff-friendly) and is generated into ConfigMaps here rather than embedded in
diff --git a/k8s/security/iam/sync-db-credentials-job.yaml b/k8s/security/iam/sync-db-credentials-job.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..448078e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/k8s/security/iam/sync-db-credentials-job.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+# PostSync Job to copy ddb-cluster-app credentials to iam namespace
+# Allows authentik to reference 'app' user credentials locally
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: ServiceAccount
+metadata:
+  name: sync-db-credentials
+  namespace: iam
+---
+apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+kind: ClusterRole
+metadata:
+  name: secret-copier
+rules:
+  - apiGroups: [""]
+    resources: ["secrets"]
+    verbs: ["get", "create", "update", "patch"]
+---
+apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+kind: ClusterRoleBinding
+metadata:
+  name: sync-db-credentials
+subjects:
+  - kind: ServiceAccount
+    name: sync-db-credentials
+    namespace: iam
+roleRef:
+  kind: ClusterRole
+  name: secret-copier
+  apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
+---
+apiVersion: batch/v1
+kind: Job
+metadata:
+  name: sync-db-credentials
+  namespace: iam
+  annotations:
+    argocd.argoproj.io/hook: PostSync
+    argocd.argoproj.io/hook-delete-policy: BeforeHookCreation
+spec:
+  backoffLimit: 3
+  template:
+    spec:
+      serviceAccountName: sync-db-credentials
+      restartPolicy: Never
+      containers:
+      - name: copy-secret
+        image: alpine/k8s:1.30.3
+        command:
+        - /bin/sh
+        - -c
+        - |
+          set -e
+          echo "Copying ddb-cluster-app secret from ddb to iam namespace..."
+          
+          # Get secret from ddb namespace
+          kubectl get secret ddb-cluster-app -n ddb -o json | \
+            jq 'del(.metadata.namespace, .metadata.uid, .metadata.resourceVersion, .metadata.creationTimestamp, .metadata.ownerReferences) | .metadata.namespace="iam"' | \
+            kubectl apply -f -
+          
+          echo "Secret copied successfully"