diff --git a/deployment/ansible/playbooks/deploy-image.yml b/deployment/ansible/playbooks/deploy-image.yml
index 3a3a5200..b0650339 100644
--- a/deployment/ansible/playbooks/deploy-image.yml
+++ b/deployment/ansible/playbooks/deploy-image.yml
@@ -259,6 +259,45 @@
       failed_when: false
       changed_when: compose_update_alt.changed | default(false)
 
+    # Ensure PostgreSQL Staging Stack is running (creates postgres-staging-internal network)
+    - name: Check if PostgreSQL Staging Stack directory exists
+      ansible.builtin.stat:
+        path: "{{ stacks_base_path | default('/home/deploy/deployment/stacks') }}/postgresql-staging/docker-compose.yml"
+      register: postgres_staging_compose_exists
+      changed_when: false
+      when: deployment_environment | default('') == 'staging'
+
+    - name: Check if PostgreSQL Staging Stack is running
+      ansible.builtin.shell: |
+        cd {{ stacks_base_path | default('/home/deploy/deployment/stacks') }}/postgresql-staging
+        docker compose ps --format json 2>/dev/null | grep -q '"State":"running"' && echo "RUNNING" || echo "NOT_RUNNING"
+      register: postgres_staging_status
+      changed_when: false
+      failed_when: false
+      when: 
+        - deployment_environment | default('') == 'staging'
+        - postgres_staging_compose_exists.stat.exists | default(false) | bool
+
+    - name: Start PostgreSQL Staging Stack if not running
+      ansible.builtin.shell: |
+        cd {{ stacks_base_path | default('/home/deploy/deployment/stacks') }}/postgresql-staging
+        docker compose up -d
+      register: postgres_staging_start
+      changed_when: postgres_staging_start.rc == 0
+      when: 
+        - deployment_environment | default('') == 'staging'
+        - postgres_staging_compose_exists.stat.exists | default(false) | bool
+        - postgres_staging_status.stdout | default('') == 'NOT_RUNNING'
+
+    - name: Wait for PostgreSQL Staging Stack to be ready
+      ansible.builtin.wait_for:
+        timeout: 30
+        delay: 2
+      when: 
+        - deployment_environment | default('') == 'staging'
+        - postgres_staging_start.changed | default(false) | bool
+
+    # Extract and create external networks (fallback if PostgreSQL Stack doesn't create them)
     - name: Extract external networks from docker-compose files
       ansible.builtin.shell: |
         cd {{ application_code_dest }}
@@ -272,7 +311,7 @@
       changed_when: false
       failed_when: false
 
-    - name: Extract external network names (with name: field)
+    - name: "Extract external network names (with name field)"
       ansible.builtin.shell: |
         cd {{ application_code_dest }}
         grep -A 2 "external: true" docker-compose.base.yml docker-compose.{{ application_compose_suffix }} 2>/dev/null | \
@@ -294,6 +333,8 @@
           {%- set final_networks = (all_networks + default_networks) | unique | list -%}
           {{ final_networks }}
 
+    # Create external networks (fallback if they weren't created by their respective stacks)
+    # Note: This is a fallback - ideally networks are created by their stacks (e.g., postgres-staging-internal by PostgreSQL Staging Stack)
     - name: Ensure Docker networks exist
       community.docker.docker_network:
         name: "{{ item }}"