diff --git a/backend/cmd/manual_migrate/main.go b/backend/cmd/manual_migrate/main.go
index eafa9bf..2c19e1d 100644
--- a/backend/cmd/manual_migrate/main.go
+++ b/backend/cmd/manual_migrate/main.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"os"
+	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/joho/godotenv"
@@ -44,60 +45,69 @@ func main() {
 	}
 	defer db.Close()
 
-	// List of migrations to run (in order)
-	migrations := []string{
-		"024_create_external_services_credentials.sql",
-		"025_create_chat_tables.sql",
-		"026_create_system_settings.sql",
-		"027_create_email_system.sql",
-		"028_add_avatar_url_to_users.sql",
+	// Discover migrations directory from several probable locations
+	possibleDirs := []string{
+		"migrations",
+		"backend/migrations",
+		"../migrations",
+		"/home/yamamoto/lab/gohorsejobs/backend/migrations",
 	}
 
-	for _, migFile := range migrations {
-		log.Printf("Processing migration: %s", migFile)
+	var migrationsDir string
+	for _, d := range possibleDirs {
+		if fi, err := os.Stat(d); err == nil && fi.IsDir() {
+			migrationsDir = d
+			break
+		}
+	}
 
-		// Try multiple paths
-		paths := []string{
-			"migrations/" + migFile,
-			"backend/migrations/" + migFile,
-			"../migrations/" + migFile,
-			"/home/yamamoto/lab/gohorsejobs/backend/migrations/" + migFile,
+	if migrationsDir == "" {
+		log.Fatal("Could not find migrations directory; looked in common locations")
+	}
+
+	entries, err := os.ReadDir(migrationsDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Failed reading migrations dir %s: %v", migrationsDir, err)
+	}
+
+	var files []string
+	for _, e := range entries {
+		if e.IsDir() {
+			continue
+		}
+		name := e.Name()
+		if strings.HasSuffix(name, ".sql") {
+			files = append(files, name)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Sort filenames to ensure chronological order
+	sort.Strings(files)
+
+	for _, migFile := range files {
+		fullPath := migrationsDir + "/" + migFile
+		log.Printf("Processing migration: %s (from %s)", migFile, fullPath)
+
+		content, err := os.ReadFile(fullPath)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("Could not read migration %s: %v", fullPath, err)
 		}
 
-		var content []byte
-		var readErr error
-
-		for _, p := range paths {
-			content, readErr = os.ReadFile(p)
-			if readErr == nil {
-				log.Printf("Found migration at: %s", p)
-				break
-			}
-		}
-
-		if content == nil {
-			log.Fatalf("Could not find migration file %s. Last error: %v", migFile, readErr)
-		}
-
-		statements := strings.Split(string(content), ";")
-		for _, stmt := range statements {
-			trimmed := strings.TrimSpace(stmt)
-			if trimmed == "" {
+		// Execute the whole file. lib/pq supports multi-statement Exec.
+		sqlText := string(content)
+		log.Printf("Executing migration file %s", fullPath)
+		_, err = db.Exec(sqlText)
+		if err != nil {
+			errStr := err.Error()
+			// Tolerable errors: object already exists, column doesn't exist in some contexts,
+			// or duplicate key when updates are guarded by intent. Log and continue.
+			if strings.Contains(errStr, "already exists") || strings.Contains(errStr, "column") && strings.Contains(errStr, "does not exist") || strings.Contains(errStr, "duplicate key value violates unique constraint") {
+				log.Printf("Warning while applying %s: %v", migFile, err)
 				continue
 			}
-			log.Printf("Executing: %s", trimmed)
-			_, err = db.Exec(trimmed)
-			if err != nil {
-				if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "already exists") {
-					log.Printf("Warning (ignored): %v", err)
-				} else {
-					log.Printf("FAILED executing: %s\nError: %v", trimmed, err)
-					// Verify if we should stop. For now, continue best effort or fail?
-					// Use fatal for critical schema errors not "already exists"
-					log.Fatal(err)
-				}
-			}
+			log.Fatalf("Failed applying migration %s: %v", migFile, err)
 		}
+
 		log.Printf("Migration %s applied successfully", migFile)
 	}
 
diff --git a/backend/migrations/004_create_prefectures_cities_tables.sql b/backend/migrations/004_create_prefectures_cities_tables.sql
index 749a9ee..a7d322c 100755
--- a/backend/migrations/004_create_prefectures_cities_tables.sql
+++ b/backend/migrations/004_create_prefectures_cities_tables.sql
@@ -11,17 +11,29 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS regions (
 
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS cities (
     id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
-    region_id INT NOT NULL,
+    region_id INT,
     name VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
-    
-    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
-    
-    FOREIGN KEY (region_id) REFERENCES regions(id) ON DELETE CASCADE
+    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
 );
 
--- Indexes
-CREATE INDEX idx_regions_country ON regions(country_code);
-CREATE INDEX idx_cities_region ON cities(region_id);
+-- Ensure column and constraints exist when table already existed without them
+ALTER TABLE cities
+    ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS region_id INT;
+
+DO $$
+BEGIN
+    IF NOT EXISTS (
+        SELECT 1 FROM information_schema.table_constraints tc
+        JOIN information_schema.key_column_usage kcu ON tc.constraint_name = kcu.constraint_name
+        WHERE tc.table_name = 'cities' AND tc.constraint_type = 'FOREIGN KEY' AND kcu.column_name = 'region_id'
+    ) THEN
+        ALTER TABLE cities ADD CONSTRAINT fk_cities_region FOREIGN KEY (region_id) REFERENCES regions(id) ON DELETE CASCADE;
+    END IF;
+END$$;
+
+-- Indexes (safe if table/column already existed)
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_regions_country ON regions(country_code);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_cities_region ON cities(region_id);
 
 -- Comments
 COMMENT ON TABLE regions IS 'Global Regions (States, Provinces, Prefectures)';
diff --git a/backend/migrations/032_update_superadmin_lol.sql b/backend/migrations/032_update_superadmin_lol.sql
index efdedf9..d08cdf9 100644
--- a/backend/migrations/032_update_superadmin_lol.sql
+++ b/backend/migrations/032_update_superadmin_lol.sql
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 -- Increase status column length to support 'force_change_password' (21 chars)
 ALTER TABLE users ALTER COLUMN status TYPE VARCHAR(50);
-
+-- Update only the intended superadmin identifier to avoid unique constraint conflicts.
 UPDATE users
 SET 
     identifier = 'lol',
@@ -12,4 +12,14 @@ SET
     name = 'Dr. Horse Expert',
     status = 'force_change_password',
     updated_at = CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
-WHERE identifier = 'superadmin' OR email = 'admin@gohorsejobs.com';
+WHERE identifier = 'superadmin';
+
+-- If there is a separate user with email 'admin@gohorsejobs.com', update non-identifier fields only
+UPDATE users
+SET
+    email = 'lol@gohorsejobs.com',
+    full_name = 'Dr. Horse Expert',
+    name = 'Dr. Horse Expert',
+    status = 'force_change_password',
+    updated_at = CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
+WHERE email = 'admin@gohorsejobs.com' AND identifier <> 'lol';