diff --git a/backend/docker-compose.yml b/backend/docker-compose.yml
index 52ce5c44..925075ac 100644
--- a/backend/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/backend/docker-compose.yml
@@ -73,9 +73,14 @@ services:
       options:
         max-size: "10m"
         max-file: "3"
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD", "uv", "run", "worker_health.py"]
+      timeout: 10s
+      interval: 30s
+      start_period: 40s
 
   redis:
-    image: redis:7-alpine
+    image: redis:8-alpine
     # ports:
     #   - "127.0.0.1:6379:6379"
     volumes:
diff --git a/backend/run_agent_background.py b/backend/run_agent_background.py
index 29b58b5c..e32b5b3b 100644
--- a/backend/run_agent_background.py
+++ b/backend/run_agent_background.py
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ dramatiq.set_broker(rabbitmq_broker)
 
 _initialized = False
 db = DBConnection()
-db = DBConnection()
 workflow_executor = WorkflowExecutor(db)
 deterministic_executor = DeterministicWorkflowExecutor(db)
 instance_id = "single"
@@ -50,6 +49,11 @@ async def initialize():
     _initialized = True
     logger.info(f"Initialized agent API with instance ID: {instance_id}")
 
+@dramatiq.actor
+async def check_health(key: str):
+    """Run the agent in the background using Redis for state."""
+    structlog.contextvars.clear_contextvars()
+    await redis.set(key, "healthy", ex=redis.REDIS_KEY_TTL)
 
 @dramatiq.actor
 async def run_agent_background(
diff --git a/backend/worker_health.py b/backend/worker_health.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9f8b610f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/worker_health.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import dotenv
+dotenv.load_dotenv()
+
+from utils.logger import logger
+import run_agent_background
+from services import redis
+import asyncio
+from utils.retry import retry
+import uuid
+
+
+async def main():
+    await retry(lambda: redis.initialize_async())
+    key = uuid.uuid4().hex
+    run_agent_background.check_health.send(key)
+    timeout = 5  # seconds
+    elapsed = 0
+    while elapsed < timeout:
+        if await redis.get(key) == "healthy":
+            break
+        await asyncio.sleep(1)
+        elapsed += 1
+
+    if elapsed >= timeout:
+        logger.critical("Health check timed out")
+        exit(1)
+    else:
+        logger.critical("Health check passed")
+        await redis.delete(key)
+        await redis.close()
+        exit(0)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    asyncio.run(main())