diff --git a/solr.Dockerfile b/solr.Dockerfile
index ac7b3ed..d1ca2c3 100644
--- a/solr.Dockerfile
+++ b/solr.Dockerfile
@@ -7,30 +7,25 @@ USER root
 COPY ./solr/stories /opt/solr-9.9.0/server/solr/configsets/storycove_stories
 COPY ./solr/authors /opt/solr-9.9.0/server/solr/configsets/storycove_authors
 
-# Create initialization script
-COPY <<EOF /opt/solr-init.sh
+# Create initialization script using the precreate-core pattern
+COPY <<EOF /docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/init-cores.sh
 #!/bin/bash
-echo "Starting Solr..."
-solr start -f &
-SOLR_PID=\$!
-echo "Waiting for Solr to be ready..."
-sleep 15
-echo "Creating cores..."
-(solr create_core -c storycove_stories -d storycove_stories || echo "Stories core already exists")
-echo "Stories core ready"
-(solr create_core -c storycove_authors -d storycove_authors || echo "Authors core already exists")
-echo "Authors core ready"
-echo "Both cores are available"
-wait \$SOLR_PID
+echo "StoryCove: Initializing cores..."
+
+# Use solr's built-in precreate-core functionality
+precreate-core storycove_stories /opt/solr-9.9.0/server/solr/configsets/storycove_stories
+precreate-core storycove_authors /opt/solr-9.9.0/server/solr/configsets/storycove_authors
+
+echo "StoryCove: Core initialization complete!"
 EOF
 
-# Ensure proper permissions
+# Ensure proper permissions and make script executable
 RUN chown -R solr:solr /opt/solr-9.9.0/server/solr/configsets/ && \
-    chmod +x /opt/solr-init.sh && \
-    chown solr:solr /opt/solr-init.sh
+    chmod +x /docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/init-cores.sh && \
+    chown solr:solr /docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/init-cores.sh
 
 # Switch back to solr user
 USER solr
 
-# Set the entrypoint to our initialization script
-ENTRYPOINT ["/opt/solr-init.sh"]
\ No newline at end of file
+# Use the default Solr entrypoint
+CMD ["solr-foreground"]
\ No newline at end of file