diff --git a/config/database.yml b/config/database.yml
index baabbc0..3cfb7ba 100644
--- a/config/database.yml
+++ b/config/database.yml
@@ -83,3 +83,9 @@ test:
 production:
   <<: *default
   url: <%= ENV["DATABASE_URL"] %>
+  # When DATABASE_URL points at a Supabase connection pooler (Supavisor),
+  # these keep migrations and queries working across pooled connections.
+  # Harmless on the session pooler (port 5432); required on the transaction
+  # pooler (port 6543), where db:migrate otherwise hangs on an advisory lock.
+  prepared_statements: false
+  advisory_locks: false
diff --git a/render.yaml b/render.yaml
index c925b17..4e7e3d2 100644
--- a/render.yaml
+++ b/render.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ services:
     name: my-app-name # the name of this service, you should change this
     runtime: docker # use Dockerfile for deployment
     plan: free # make sure to set this to free or you'll get billed $$$
+    region: ohio # set this to the SAME region as your database, near your users (Supabase "East US (Ohio)" = ohio) to avoid slow cross-region queries
     dockerfilePath: ./Dockerfile
     envVars: # this section sets some ENV variables needed by Render for deployment
       - key: SECRET_KEY_BASE