diff --git a/backend/src/kubernetes/kubernetes.service.ts b/backend/src/kubernetes/kubernetes.service.ts
index cd9c2f8..5ac4071 100644
--- a/backend/src/kubernetes/kubernetes.service.ts
+++ b/backend/src/kubernetes/kubernetes.service.ts
@@ -1285,6 +1285,8 @@ export class KubernetesService implements OnModuleInit {
   /**
    * Export (dump) the application database to a local file via a K8s Job.
    * Returns the dump as a Buffer, or null on failure.
+   * 
+   * Strategy: Run dump command, then sleep for 60s to allow exec retrieval.
    */
   async exportDatabaseDump(app: Application): Promise<{ data: Buffer | null; logs: string }> {
     const { coreApi, kc } = await this.getK8sClient(app.clusterId);
@@ -1299,17 +1301,18 @@ export class KubernetesService implements OnModuleInit {
     const dbVer = app.dbVersion || defaultDbVer;
     const image = isPostgres ? `postgres:${dbVer}-alpine` : `mysql:${dbVer}`;
 
-    // Dump command writes to /dump/output.sql inside an emptyDir volume
+    // Dump command writes to /dump/output.sql, then sleeps to allow exec retrieval
     const command = isPostgres
-      ? ['sh', '-c', `PGPASSWORD="$DB_PASSWORD" pg_dump -h ${dbName} -U "$DB_USER" -d ${dbDatabase} --no-owner --no-acl > /dump/output.sql 2>/tmp/err; cat /tmp/err >&2; echo "DUMP_DONE"`]
-      : ['sh', '-c', `mysqldump -h ${dbName} -u "$DB_USER" -p"$DB_PASSWORD" ${dbDatabase} > /dump/output.sql 2>/tmp/err; cat /tmp/err >&2; echo "DUMP_DONE"`];
+      ? ['sh', '-c', `PGPASSWORD="$DB_PASSWORD" pg_dump -h ${dbName} -U "$DB_USER" -d ${dbDatabase} --no-owner --no-acl > /dump/output.sql 2>/tmp/err; cat /tmp/err >&2; echo "DUMP_DONE"; sleep 120`]
+      : ['sh', '-c', `mysqldump -h ${dbName} -u "$DB_USER" -p"$DB_PASSWORD" ${dbDatabase} > /dump/output.sql 2>/tmp/err; cat /tmp/err >&2; echo "DUMP_DONE"; sleep 120`];
 
     const job: k8s.V1Job = {
       apiVersion: 'batch/v1',
       kind: 'Job',
       metadata: { name: jobName, namespace },
       spec: {
-        ttlSecondsAfterFinished: 120,
+        ttlSecondsAfterFinished: 180,
+        activeDeadlineSeconds: 300,
         backoffLimit: 0,
         template: {
           spec: {
@@ -1338,83 +1341,92 @@ export class KubernetesService implements OnModuleInit {
       return { data: null, logs: `Failed to create dump job: ${e.message}` };
     }
 
-    // Wait for completion (max 5 min)
+    // Wait for dump to complete (check logs for DUMP_DONE marker)
     const timeout = 300_000;
     const start = Date.now();
-    let succeeded = false;
+    let dumpDone = false;
+    let podName: string | undefined;
 
     while (Date.now() - start < timeout) {
       await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 3000));
       try {
-        const st = await batchApi.readNamespacedJob(jobName, namespace);
-        if (st.body.status?.succeeded && st.body.status.succeeded > 0) { succeeded = true; break; }
-        if (st.body.status?.failed && st.body.status.failed > 0) break;
+        const pods = await coreApi.listNamespacedPod(namespace, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, `job-name=${jobName}`);
+        if (pods.body.items.length > 0) {
+          podName = pods.body.items[0].metadata?.name;
+          const phase = pods.body.items[0].status?.phase;
+          
+          // Check if pod is Running (container is in sleep phase after dump)
+          if (podName && phase === 'Running') {
+            try {
+              const logRes = await coreApi.readNamespacedPodLog(podName, namespace, 'dump', false, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, 50);
+              if (logRes.body?.includes('DUMP_DONE')) {
+                dumpDone = true;
+                break;
+              }
+            } catch {}
+          }
+          
+          // If Failed, exit early
+          if (phase === 'Failed') break;
+        }
       } catch {}
     }
 
-    // Get dump by exec-ing into the pod and cat-ing the file
     let dumpBuffer: Buffer | null = null;
     let logs = '';
 
-    try {
-      const pods = await coreApi.listNamespacedPod(namespace, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, `job-name=${jobName}`);
-      if (pods.body.items.length > 0) {
-        const podName = pods.body.items[0].metadata?.name;
-        if (podName && succeeded) {
-          // Use exec to cat the dump file from the pod
-          const exec = new k8s.Exec(kc);
-          const chunks: Buffer[] = [];
-          
-          await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
-            exec.exec(
-              namespace, podName, 'dump',
-              ['cat', '/dump/output.sql'],
-              {
-                write: (data: string) => { chunks.push(Buffer.from(data)); },
-              } as any,
-              null,
-              {
-                write: (data: string) => { logs += data; },
-              } as any,
-              false,
-              (status: k8s.V1Status) => {
-                if (status.status === 'Success') resolve();
-                else reject(new Error(status.message || 'exec failed'));
-              },
-            );
-          }).catch(() => {
-            this.logger.warn(`Exec cat failed for ${podName}, trying readNamespacedPodLog`);
-          });
+    if (dumpDone && podName) {
+      try {
+        // Use kubectl cp equivalent via Exec
+        const exec = new k8s.Exec(kc);
+        const chunks: Buffer[] = [];
+        
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
+          exec.exec(
+            namespace, podName!, 'dump',
+            ['cat', '/dump/output.sql'],
+            {
+              write: (data: string) => { chunks.push(Buffer.from(data, 'binary')); },
+            } as any,
+            null,
+            {
+              write: (data: string) => { logs += data; },
+            } as any,
+            false,
+            (status: k8s.V1Status) => {
+              if (status.status === 'Success') resolve();
+              else reject(new Error(status.message || 'exec failed'));
+            },
+          );
+        });
 
-          if (chunks.length > 0) {
-            dumpBuffer = Buffer.concat(chunks);
-          }
-        }
-
-        // Fallback: get logs
-        if (!dumpBuffer && pods.body.items[0].metadata?.name) {
-          try {
-            const logRes = await coreApi.readNamespacedPodLog(pods.body.items[0].metadata.name, namespace);
-            logs = logRes.body || '';
-          } catch {}
+        if (chunks.length > 0) {
+          dumpBuffer = Buffer.concat(chunks);
+          this.logger.log(`DB dump retrieved: ${dumpBuffer.length} bytes`);
         }
+      } catch (e: any) {
+        this.logger.warn(`Exec failed for DB dump: ${e.message}`);
+        logs = e.message;
       }
-    } catch (e: any) {
-      this.logger.warn(`Could not retrieve dump: ${e.message}`);
-      logs = e.message;
     }
 
-    if (!succeeded) {
-      return { data: null, logs: logs || 'Dump job failed or timed out' };
+    // Cleanup: delete the job early to free resources
+    try {
+      await batchApi.deleteNamespacedJob(jobName, namespace, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, 'Background');
+    } catch {}
+
+    if (!dumpBuffer) {
+      return { data: null, logs: logs || 'Dump failed or could not be retrieved' };
     }
 
-    return { data: dumpBuffer, logs };
+    return { data: dumpBuffer, logs: 'OK' };
   }
 
   /**
    * Archive the wp-content directory from a WordPress app's PVC via a K8s Job.
    * The job creates a tar.gz of /var/www/html/wp-content and we retrieve it via exec.
-   * Returns the archive as a Buffer, or null on failure.
+   * 
+   * Strategy: Create archive, then sleep to allow exec retrieval.
    */
   async archiveWpContent(app: Application): Promise<{ data: Buffer | null; logs: string }> {
     const { coreApi, kc } = await this.getK8sClient(app.clusterId);
@@ -1428,7 +1440,8 @@ export class KubernetesService implements OnModuleInit {
       kind: 'Job',
       metadata: { name: jobName, namespace },
       spec: {
-        ttlSecondsAfterFinished: 120,
+        ttlSecondsAfterFinished: 180,
+        activeDeadlineSeconds: 300,
         backoffLimit: 0,
         template: {
           spec: {
@@ -1436,12 +1449,12 @@ export class KubernetesService implements OnModuleInit {
             containers: [{
               name: 'archiver',
               image: 'alpine:3.19',
-              command: ['sh', '-c', 'apk add --no-cache tar gzip > /dev/null 2>&1 && cd /wp-content && tar czf /output/wp-content.tar.gz . && echo "ARCHIVE_DONE"'],
+              command: ['sh', '-c', 'apk add --no-cache tar gzip > /dev/null 2>&1 && cd /wp-content && tar czf /output/wp-content.tar.gz . && echo "ARCHIVE_DONE" && sleep 120'],
               volumeMounts: [
                 { name: 'wp-content', mountPath: '/wp-content', readOnly: true },
                 { name: 'output', mountPath: '/output' },
               ],
-              resources: { requests: { cpu: '100m', memory: '64Mi' }, limits: { cpu: '500m', memory: '256Mi' } },
+              resources: { requests: { cpu: '100m', memory: '64Mi' }, limits: { cpu: '500m', memory: '512Mi' } },
             }],
             volumes: [
               { name: 'wp-content', persistentVolumeClaim: { claimName: pvcName } },
@@ -1459,65 +1472,82 @@ export class KubernetesService implements OnModuleInit {
       return { data: null, logs: `Failed to create archive job: ${e.message}` };
     }
 
-    // Wait for completion
+    // Wait for archive to complete (check logs for ARCHIVE_DONE marker)
     const timeout = 300_000;
     const start = Date.now();
-    let succeeded = false;
+    let archiveDone = false;
+    let podName: string | undefined;
+
     while (Date.now() - start < timeout) {
       await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 3000));
       try {
-        const st = await batchApi.readNamespacedJob(jobName, namespace);
-        if (st.body.status?.succeeded && st.body.status.succeeded > 0) { succeeded = true; break; }
-        if (st.body.status?.failed && st.body.status.failed > 0) break;
+        const pods = await coreApi.listNamespacedPod(namespace, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, `job-name=${jobName}`);
+        if (pods.body.items.length > 0) {
+          podName = pods.body.items[0].metadata?.name;
+          const phase = pods.body.items[0].status?.phase;
+          
+          if (podName && phase === 'Running') {
+            try {
+              const logRes = await coreApi.readNamespacedPodLog(podName, namespace, 'archiver', false, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, 50);
+              if (logRes.body?.includes('ARCHIVE_DONE')) {
+                archiveDone = true;
+                break;
+              }
+            } catch {}
+          }
+          
+          if (phase === 'Failed') break;
+        }
       } catch {}
     }
 
     let archiveBuffer: Buffer | null = null;
     let logs = '';
 
-    if (succeeded) {
+    if (archiveDone && podName) {
       try {
-        const pods = await coreApi.listNamespacedPod(namespace, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, `job-name=${jobName}`);
-        if (pods.body.items.length > 0) {
-          const podName = pods.body.items[0].metadata?.name;
-          if (podName) {
-            const exec = new k8s.Exec(kc);
-            const chunks: Buffer[] = [];
+        const exec = new k8s.Exec(kc);
+        const chunks: Buffer[] = [];
 
-            await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
-              exec.exec(
-                namespace, podName, 'archiver',
-                ['cat', '/output/wp-content.tar.gz'],
-                {
-                  write: (data: string) => { chunks.push(Buffer.from(data)); },
-                } as any,
-                null,
-                {
-                  write: (data: string) => { logs += data; },
-                } as any,
-                false,
-                (status: k8s.V1Status) => {
-                  if (status.status === 'Success') resolve();
-                  else reject(new Error(status.message || 'exec failed'));
-                },
-              );
-            }).catch((err) => {
-              this.logger.warn(`Exec failed for wp-content archive: ${err.message}`);
-            });
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
+          exec.exec(
+            namespace, podName!, 'archiver',
+            ['cat', '/output/wp-content.tar.gz'],
+            {
+              write: (data: string) => { chunks.push(Buffer.from(data, 'binary')); },
+            } as any,
+            null,
+            {
+              write: (data: string) => { logs += data; },
+            } as any,
+            false,
+            (status: k8s.V1Status) => {
+              if (status.status === 'Success') resolve();
+              else reject(new Error(status.message || 'exec failed'));
+            },
+          );
+        });
 
-            if (chunks.length > 0) {
-              archiveBuffer = Buffer.concat(chunks);
-            }
-          }
+        if (chunks.length > 0) {
+          archiveBuffer = Buffer.concat(chunks);
+          this.logger.log(`wp-content archive retrieved: ${archiveBuffer.length} bytes`);
         }
       } catch (e: any) {
+        this.logger.warn(`Exec failed for wp-content archive: ${e.message}`);
         logs = e.message;
       }
-    } else {
-      logs = 'Archive job failed or timed out';
     }
 
-    return { data: archiveBuffer, logs };
+    // Cleanup
+    try {
+      await batchApi.deleteNamespacedJob(jobName, namespace, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, 'Background');
+    } catch {}
+
+    if (!archiveBuffer) {
+      return { data: null, logs: logs || 'Archive failed or could not be retrieved' };
+    }
+
+    return { data: archiveBuffer, logs: 'OK' };
   }
 
   /**