diff --git a/backend/backup.py b/backend/backup.py
index 87d795c..544bd4e 100644
--- a/backend/backup.py
+++ b/backend/backup.py
@@ -141,17 +141,22 @@ if [ -d "$P_DIR" ]; then
 fi
 
 echo "--- Performing zero-lock hot-backup of SQLite databases on VPS ---"
-# Search in P_DIR, P_DIR/config, and $(dirname P_DIR)
-for search_path in "$P_DIR" "$P_DIR/config" "$(dirname "$P_DIR")"; do
-    if [ -d "$search_path" ]; then
-        for db in $(find "$search_path" -maxdepth 2 -name "*.db" -o -name "*.sqlite" 2>/dev/null); do
-            dbname=$(basename "$db")
-            echo "Hot-backing up database: $dbname (source: $db)..."
-            mkdir -p "{remote_stage}/pangolin/config"
-            sqlite3 "$db" ".backup '{remote_stage}/pangolin/config/$dbname'" 2>/dev/null || cp -v "$db" "{remote_stage}/pangolin/config/$dbname"
-        done
-    fi
+if [ -d "$P_DIR/config" ]; then
+    TARGET_BASE="{remote_stage}/pangolin/config"
+    SEARCH_BASE="$P_DIR/config"
+else
+    TARGET_BASE="{remote_stage}/pangolin"
+    SEARCH_BASE="$P_DIR"
+fi
+
+for db in $(find "$SEARCH_BASE" -maxdepth 4 -name "*.db" -o -name "*.sqlite" 2>/dev/null); do
+    rel=$(realpath --relative-to="$SEARCH_BASE" "$db")
+    mkdir -p "$TARGET_BASE/$(dirname "$rel")"
+    echo "Hot-backing up SQLite database: $rel..."
+    sqlite3 "$db" ".backup '$TARGET_BASE/$rel'" 2>/dev/null || cp -v "$db" "$TARGET_BASE/$rel"
 done
+# Clean dangling lock/WAL files in staging archive
+find "" -name "*.db-wal" -delete -o -name "*.db-shm" -delete 2>/dev/null || true
 
 # Backup any named Docker volumes attached to pangolin containers
 for vol in $(docker inspect --format '{{{{range .Mounts}}}}{{{{if eq .Type "volume"}}}}{{{{.Source}}}}{{{{"\\n"}}}}{{{{end}}}}{{{{end}}}}' $(docker ps -aq --filter "name=pangolin" 2>/dev/null) 2>/dev/null); do