diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index b07e53a00..89b44ecb9 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -48,15 +48,15 @@ RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.cache/uv \
     uv sync --frozen --no-dev && \
     if [ -n "$GRAPHITI_VERSION" ]; then \
         if [ "$INSTALL_FALKORDB" = "true" ]; then \
-            uv pip install --system --upgrade "graphiti-core[falkordb]==$GRAPHITI_VERSION"; \
+            uv pip install --upgrade "graphiti-core[falkordb]==$GRAPHITI_VERSION"; \
         else \
-            uv pip install --system --upgrade "graphiti-core==$GRAPHITI_VERSION"; \
+            uv pip install --upgrade "graphiti-core==$GRAPHITI_VERSION"; \
         fi; \
     else \
         if [ "$INSTALL_FALKORDB" = "true" ]; then \
-            uv pip install --system --upgrade "graphiti-core[falkordb]"; \
+            uv pip install --upgrade "graphiti-core[falkordb]"; \
         else \
-            uv pip install --system --upgrade graphiti-core; \
+            uv pip install --upgrade graphiti-core; \
         fi; \
     fi
 
@@ -74,5 +74,5 @@ USER app
 ENV PORT=8000
 EXPOSE $PORT
 
-# Use uv run for execution
-CMD ["uv", "run", "uvicorn", "graph_service.main:app", "--host", "0.0.0.0", "--port", "8000"]
+# Use uv run with --no-sync to avoid re-syncing on startup
+CMD ["uv", "run", "--no-sync", "uvicorn", "graph_service.main:app", "--host", "0.0.0.0", "--port", "8000"]
diff --git a/server/graph_service/config.py b/server/graph_service/config.py
index d3edb220d..b35ac3a84 100644
--- a/server/graph_service/config.py
+++ b/server/graph_service/config.py
@@ -11,9 +11,13 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     openai_base_url: str | None = Field(None)
     model_name: str | None = Field(None)
     embedding_model_name: str | None = Field(None)
-    neo4j_uri: str
-    neo4j_user: str
-    neo4j_password: str
+    neo4j_uri: str | None = Field(None)
+    neo4j_user: str | None = Field(None)
+    neo4j_password: str | None = Field(None)
+    falkordb_host: str | None = Field(None)
+    falkordb_port: int | None = Field(None)
+    falkordb_database: str | None = Field(None)
+    db_backend: str = Field('neo4j')
 
     model_config = SettingsConfigDict(env_file='.env', extra='ignore')
 
diff --git a/server/graph_service/zep_graphiti.py b/server/graph_service/zep_graphiti.py
index 097c9f391..f561d73b7 100644
--- a/server/graph_service/zep_graphiti.py
+++ b/server/graph_service/zep_graphiti.py
@@ -15,8 +15,15 @@
 
 
 class ZepGraphiti(Graphiti):
-    def __init__(self, uri: str, user: str, password: str, llm_client: LLMClient | None = None):
-        super().__init__(uri, user, password, llm_client)
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        uri: str | None = None,
+        user: str | None = None,
+        password: str | None = None,
+        llm_client: LLMClient | None = None,
+        **kwargs,
+    ):
+        super().__init__(uri, user, password, llm_client, **kwargs)  # type: ignore
 
     async def save_entity_node(self, name: str, uuid: str, group_id: str, summary: str = ''):
         new_node = EntityNode(
@@ -72,11 +79,21 @@ async def delete_episodic_node(self, uuid: str):
 
 
 async def get_graphiti(settings: ZepEnvDep):
-    client = ZepGraphiti(
-        uri=settings.neo4j_uri,
-        user=settings.neo4j_user,
-        password=settings.neo4j_password,
-    )
+    if settings.db_backend == 'falkordb':
+        from graphiti_core.driver.falkordb_driver import FalkorDriver
+
+        driver = FalkorDriver(  # type: ignore
+            host=settings.falkordb_host or 'localhost',  # type: ignore
+            port=settings.falkordb_port or 6379,  # type: ignore
+            database=settings.falkordb_database or 'default_db',  # type: ignore
+        )
+        client = ZepGraphiti(graph_driver=driver)  # type: ignore
+    else:
+        client = ZepGraphiti(
+            uri=settings.neo4j_uri,
+            user=settings.neo4j_user,
+            password=settings.neo4j_password,
+        )
     if settings.openai_base_url is not None:
         client.llm_client.config.base_url = settings.openai_base_url
     if settings.openai_api_key is not None:
@@ -91,11 +108,21 @@ async def get_graphiti(settings: ZepEnvDep):
 
 
 async def initialize_graphiti(settings: ZepEnvDep):
-    client = ZepGraphiti(
-        uri=settings.neo4j_uri,
-        user=settings.neo4j_user,
-        password=settings.neo4j_password,
-    )
+    if settings.db_backend == 'falkordb':
+        from graphiti_core.driver.falkordb_driver import FalkorDriver
+
+        driver = FalkorDriver(  # type: ignore
+            host=settings.falkordb_host or 'localhost',  # type: ignore
+            port=settings.falkordb_port or 6379,  # type: ignore
+            database=settings.falkordb_database or 'default_db',  # type: ignore
+        )
+        client = ZepGraphiti(graph_driver=driver)  # type: ignore
+    else:
+        client = ZepGraphiti(
+            uri=settings.neo4j_uri,
+            user=settings.neo4j_user,
+            password=settings.neo4j_password,
+        )
     await client.build_indices_and_constraints()