diff --git a/.github/workflows/registry-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/registry-ci.yml
index 054b65798..579754f1b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/registry-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/registry-ci.yml
@@ -138,20 +138,12 @@ jobs:
           sudo tar -zxf /tmp/comanage.tar.gz -C "${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_DIR}" --strip-components=1
           rm -f /tmp/comanage.tar.gz
 
-          sudo rm -rf "${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_DIR}/local/"*
-
       - name: Create local tmp/cache + webroot symlink
         shell: bash
         run: |
           set -euxo pipefail
-
-          sudo mkdir -p "${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_DIR}/local"
-          sudo mkdir -p /var/cache/registry/tmp
-
-          sudo rm -rf "${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_DIR}/local/tmp"
           sudo ln -s /var/cache/registry/tmp "${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_DIR}/local/tmp"
-
-          sudo chown -h apache:apache "${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_DIR}/local/tmp"
+          sudo chown -h wwww-data:www-data "${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_DIR}/local/tmp"
 
           sudo mkdir -p /var/www/html
           sudo rm -f "/var/www/html/${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_URL_PATH}"
@@ -160,6 +152,17 @@ jobs:
           echo "Registry URL path is: ${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_URL_PATH}"
           echo "Registry Version is: ${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_VERSION}"
 
+      - name: Create local/config/database.php placeholder
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set -euxo pipefail
+          sudo mkdir -p "${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_DIR}/../local/config"
+          sudo tee "${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_DIR}/../local/config/database.php" > /dev/null <<'EOF'
+          <?php
+          // Placeholder: actual connection is configured dynamically by tests/bootstrap.php via Testcontainers
+          return [];
+          EOF
+
       - name: Run PHPUnit (DB_ENGINE=${{ matrix.db_engine }})
         shell: bash
         working-directory: /srv/comanage-registry/app