diff --git a/.github/workflows/on_schedule_nightly.yml b/.github/workflows/on_schedule_nightly.yml
index eab7727..2f9a7ed 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/on_schedule_nightly.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/on_schedule_nightly.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name: nightly restage
 on:
   schedule:
     # 3am UTC
-    - cron: '0 3 * * *'
+    - cron: "0 3 * * *"
 
 jobs:
   restage:
@@ -27,3 +27,4 @@ jobs:
           cf restage $CF_APP
           cf target -s $CF_SPACE_DEV
           cf stop $CF_APP
+          cf delete-service charlie-brain -f
diff --git a/.github/workflows/reusable_deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/reusable_deploy.yml
index 93cca17..be09f35 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/reusable_deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/reusable_deploy.yml
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ jobs:
         with:
           path: ./npm-cache
           key: 18f-bot-${{ runner.os }}-npmcache-${{ hashFiles('package.json') }}-v1
+      - name: add extra deployment steps for dev
+        id: devSteps
+        if: ${{ inputs.environment == 'dev' }}
+        run: echo 'command="cf create-service aws-rds micro-psql charlie-brain; bash .github/workflows/wait-for-database.sh"' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
       - name: push to cloud.gov
         env:
           CF_API: ${{ secrets.CF_API }}
@@ -35,4 +39,5 @@ jobs:
           CF_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.CF_USERNAME }}
         run: |
           cf login -a $CF_API -u $CF_USERNAME -p $CF_PASSWORD -o $CF_ORG -s $CF_SPACE
+          ${{ steps.devSteps.outputs.command }}
           cf push -f manifest.yml --vars-file ./${{ inputs.environment }}.yml
diff --git a/.github/workflows/wait-for-database.sh b/.github/workflows/wait-for-database.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..f25dc53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/wait-for-database.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+STATUS="$(cf service charlie-brain | grep "  status:" | awk -F ":" '{print $2}' | xargs)"
+while [ "$STATUS"  != "create succeeded" ]
+do
+  echo "Waiting for database service to be ready..."
+  sleep 10
+  $STATUS=$(cf service charlie-brain | grep "  status:" | awk -F ":" '{print $2}' | xargs)
+done