diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/backend-quality-gate.yml b/.gitea/workflows/backend-quality-gate.yml
index a09520c1..32989817 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/backend-quality-gate.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/backend-quality-gate.yml
@@ -78,6 +78,26 @@ jobs:
           docker compose version --short | grep -Eq '^v?2\.'
           docker compose --help | grep -q -- '--project-name'
 
+      - name: Preload PostgreSQL integration image
+        env:
+          POSTGRES_TEST_IMAGE: postgres:17-alpine
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if docker image inspect "$POSTGRES_TEST_IMAGE" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            exit 0
+          fi
+          for attempt in 1 2 3; do
+            if timeout 180 docker pull "$POSTGRES_TEST_IMAGE"; then
+              docker image inspect "$POSTGRES_TEST_IMAGE" >/dev/null
+              break
+            fi
+            if [ "$attempt" -eq 3 ]; then
+              echo "Failed to pull $POSTGRES_TEST_IMAGE after $attempt attempts" >&2
+              exit 1
+            fi
+            sleep $((attempt * 15))
+          done
+
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
diff --git a/frontend/tests/staging-backend-workflows.test.ts b/frontend/tests/staging-backend-workflows.test.ts
index 1173503a..32683bfc 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/staging-backend-workflows.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/staging-backend-workflows.test.ts
@@ -136,6 +136,14 @@ test("Gitea quality gate validates before publishing an immutable ACR manifest",
   assert.match(workflow, /sha256sum -c -/);
   assert.match(workflow, /docker compose version --short/);
   assert.match(workflow, /docker compose --help \| grep -q -- '--project-name'/);
+  assert.match(workflow, /POSTGRES_TEST_IMAGE: postgres:17-alpine/);
+  assert.match(workflow, /docker image inspect "\$POSTGRES_TEST_IMAGE"/);
+  assert.match(workflow, /for attempt in 1 2 3/);
+  assert.match(workflow, /timeout 180 docker pull "\$POSTGRES_TEST_IMAGE"/);
+  assert.ok(
+    workflow.indexOf("Preload PostgreSQL integration image") <
+      workflow.indexOf("npm test --prefix frontend"),
+  );
   assert.equal((workflow.match(/npm test --prefix frontend/g) ?? []).length, 1);
   assert.equal((workflow.match(/npm run lint --prefix frontend/g) ?? []).length, 1);
   assert.equal((workflow.match(/npm run build --prefix frontend/g) ?? []).length, 1);