diff --git a/roles/postgres/tasks/main.yml b/roles/postgres/tasks/main.yml
index 7312d64..c565702 100644
--- a/roles/postgres/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/postgres/tasks/main.yml
@@ -26,20 +26,17 @@
     pg_cluster_path: "/etc/postgresql/{{ pg_version }}/{{ pg_cluster }}"
     pg_data_path: "/var/lib/postgresql/{{ pg_version }}/{{ pg_cluster }}"
 
-- name: Ensure cluster config directory exists
-  file:
-    path: "{{ pg_cluster_path }}"
-    state: directory
-    owner: postgres
-    group: postgres
-    mode: "0700"
-
 # --- Stop cluster before config ---
 - name: Stop PostgreSQL cluster
   shell: "pg_ctlcluster {{ pg_version }} {{ pg_cluster }} stop"
   ignore_errors: true
 
-# --- Ensure data directory exists ---
+# --- Remove broken cluster configuration if exists ---
+- name: Remove broken cluster configuration
+  shell: "rm -rf {{ pg_cluster_path }} {{ pg_data_path }}"
+  ignore_errors: true
+
+# --- Ensure data directory exists and is owned by postgres ---
 - name: Create PostgreSQL data directory
   file:
     path: "{{ pg_data_path }}"
@@ -48,11 +45,20 @@
     group: postgres
     mode: "0700"
 
-# --- Ensure cluster exists ---
-- name: Ensure PostgreSQL cluster exists
-  shell: "pg_createcluster {{ pg_version }} {{ pg_cluster }}"
+# --- Initialize database cluster ---
+- name: Initialize PostgreSQL cluster
+  shell: "sudo -u postgres /usr/lib/postgresql/{{ pg_version }}/bin/initdb -D {{ pg_data_path }} --encoding=UTF8 --locale=en_US.UTF-8"
   ignore_errors: true
 
+# --- Ensure cluster config directory exists ---
+- name: Ensure cluster config directory exists
+  file:
+    path: "{{ pg_cluster_path }}"
+    state: directory
+    owner: postgres
+    group: postgres
+    mode: "0700"
+
 # --- Configure PostgreSQL ---
 - name: postgresql.conf
   template:
@@ -72,7 +78,7 @@
 
 # --- Start cluster ---
 - name: Start PostgreSQL cluster
-  shell: "pg_ctlcluster {{ pg_version }} {{ pg_cluster }} start"
+  shell: "sudo -u postgres /usr/lib/postgresql/{{ pg_version }}/bin/pg_ctl -D {{ pg_data_path }} -l /var/log/postgresql/postgresql-{{ pg_version }}-{{ pg_cluster }}.log start"
   ignore_errors: true
 
 # --- Wait for socket to be ready ---