diff --git a/docker-compose/Makefile b/docker-compose/Makefile
index 50c7c82798dc79c0d22df0211db25b19e5601f7d..0bb1e053c73c7c435c41fd6af748533045898a78 100644
--- a/docker-compose/Makefile
+++ b/docker-compose/Makefile
@@ -151,7 +151,8 @@ endif
 bootstrap: pull build # first start, initialise from scratch
 	$(MAKE) start elk-configure-host # configure host kernel for elk container
 	$(MAKE) start dsconfig # boot up containers to load configurations
-	../sbin/update_ConfigDb.sh ../CDB/LOFAR-ConfigDb.sh
+	sleep 5 # wait for dsconfig container to come up
+	../sbin/update_ConfigDb.sh ../CDB/LOFAR-ConfigDb.sh # load default configuration
 
 start: up ## start a service (usage: make start <servicename>)
 	if [ $(UNAME_S) = Linux ]; then touch ~/.Xauthority; chmod a+r ~/.Xauthority; fi