diff --git a/docs/docs/install/environment-variables.md b/docs/docs/install/environment-variables.md
index 09fadbf70..48d7219d1 100644
--- a/docs/docs/install/environment-variables.md
+++ b/docs/docs/install/environment-variables.md
@@ -60,14 +60,17 @@ These environment variables are used by the `docker-compose.yml` file and do **N
 
 ## Database
 
-| Variable      | Description       |   Default   | Services              |
-| :------------ | :---------------- | :---------: | :-------------------- |
-| `DB_URL`      | Database URL      |             | server, microservices |
-| `DB_HOSTNAME` | Database Host     | `localhost` | server, microservices |
-| `DB_PORT`     | Database Port     |   `5432`    | server, microservices |
-| `DB_USERNAME` | Database User     | `postgres`  | server, microservices |
-| `DB_PASSWORD` | Database Password | `postgres`  | server, microservices |
-| `DB_DATABASE` | Database Name     |  `immich`   | server, microservices |
+| Variable                            | Description                                                   |   Default    | Services              |
+| :---------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------ | :----------: | :-------------------- |
+| `DB_URL`                            | Database URL                                                  |              | server, microservices |
+| `DB_HOSTNAME`                       | Database Host                                                 | `localhost`  | server, microservices |
+| `DB_PORT`                           | Database Port                                                 |    `5432`    | server, microservices |
+| `DB_USERNAME`                       | Database User                                                 |  `postgres`  | server, microservices |
+| `DB_PASSWORD`                       | Database Password                                             |  `postgres`  | server, microservices |
+| `DB_DATABASE`                       | Database Name                                                 |   `immich`   | server, microservices |
+| `DB_VECTOR_EXTENSION`<sup>\*1</sup> | Database Vector Extension (one of [`pgvector`, `pgvecto.rs`]) | `pgvecto.rs` | server, microservices |
+
+\*1: This setting cannot be changed after the server has successfully started up
 
 :::info
 
diff --git a/server/src/domain/database/database.service.ts b/server/src/domain/database/database.service.ts
index 5ea9e1a47..8cd08acd7 100644
--- a/server/src/domain/database/database.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/domain/database/database.service.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ export class DatabaseService {
         In this case, please run 'CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS ${this.vectorExt}' manually as a superuser.
         See https://immich.app/docs/guides/database-queries for how to query the database.
 
-        Alternatively, if your Postgres instance has ${extName[otherExt]}, you may use this instead by setting the environment variable 'VECTOR_EXTENSION=${otherExt}'.
+        Alternatively, if your Postgres instance has ${extName[otherExt]}, you may use this instead by setting the environment variable 'DB_VECTOR_EXTENSION=${otherExt}'.
         Note that switching between the two extensions after a successful startup is not supported.
         The exception is if your version of Immich prior to upgrading was 1.90.2 or earlier.
         In this case, you may set either extension now, but you will not be able to switch to the other extension following a successful startup.
diff --git a/server/src/domain/domain.config.ts b/server/src/domain/domain.config.ts
index ed1283ec2..b77fd7412 100644
--- a/server/src/domain/domain.config.ts
+++ b/server/src/domain/domain.config.ts
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ export const immichAppConfig: ConfigModuleOptions = {
     DB_PASSWORD: WHEN_DB_URL_SET,
     DB_DATABASE_NAME: WHEN_DB_URL_SET,
     DB_URL: Joi.string().optional(),
+    DB_VECTOR_EXTENSION: Joi.string().optional().valid('pgvector', 'pgvecto.rs').default('pgvecto.rs'),
     LOG_LEVEL: Joi.string()
       .optional()
       .valid(...Object.values(LogLevel)),
     MACHINE_LEARNING_PORT: Joi.number().optional(),
     MICROSERVICES_PORT: Joi.number().optional(),
     SERVER_PORT: Joi.number().optional(),
-    VECTOR_EXTENSION: Joi.string().optional().valid('pgvector', 'pgvecto.rs').default('pgvecto.rs'),
   }),
 };
diff --git a/server/src/infra/database.config.ts b/server/src/infra/database.config.ts
index 93926e51c..773e79f8a 100644
--- a/server/src/infra/database.config.ts
+++ b/server/src/infra/database.config.ts
@@ -30,4 +30,4 @@ export const databaseConfig: PostgresConnectionOptions = {
 export const dataSource = new DataSource(databaseConfig);
 
 export const vectorExt =
-  process.env.VECTOR_EXTENSION === 'pgvector' ? DatabaseExtension.VECTOR : DatabaseExtension.VECTORS;
+  process.env.DB_VECTOR_EXTENSION === 'pgvector' ? DatabaseExtension.VECTOR : DatabaseExtension.VECTORS;