diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 661593b..d63e019 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ ASSOCIATION_NAME="Sportsclub XYZ"
 # Optional: Admin user (created/updated on container start via Release.seed_admin)
 # In production, set these so the first admin can log in. Change password without redeploy:
 #   bin/mv eval "Mv.Release.seed_admin()"  (with new ADMIN_PASSWORD or ADMIN_PASSWORD_FILE)
+# FORCE_SEEDS=true re-runs bootstrap seeds even when admin user exists (e.g. after changing roles/custom fields).
 # ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@example.com
 # ADMIN_PASSWORD=secure-password
 # ADMIN_PASSWORD_FILE=/run/secrets/admin_password
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7cc8ea5..b94ce50 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,13 +5,15 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
-## [Unreleased]
+## [1.1.1] - 2026-03-16
 
 ### Added
+- **FORCE_SEEDS** – Environment variable. When set to `"true"`, bootstrap (and optionally dev) seeds are run even when the admin user already exists, so you can re-apply changed seed data (e.g. new roles or custom fields) without deleting the admin user.
 - **Improved OIDC-only mode** – Admin can enable “Only OIDC sign-in” in settings; when enabled, direct registration is disabled and sign-in page redirects to OIDC when configured.
 - **Success toast auto-dismiss** – Success flash messages (e.g. “Settings saved”) hide automatically after 5 seconds instead of requiring the user to close them.
 
 ### Changed
+- **Seeds run only when needed** – Bootstrap and dev seeds are skipped on application start when the admin user already exists (`Mv.Release.bootstrap_seeds_applied?/0`). This avoids duplicate data and speeds up startup in dev and production after the first run. Set `FORCE_SEEDS=true` to override and re-run.
 - **Unauthenticated access** – Users who are not logged in are redirected to sign-in without showing a “no permission” message; the message is only shown to logged-in users who lack access.
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/CODE_GUIDELINES.md b/CODE_GUIDELINES.md
index c0cb543..f84c5ad 100644
--- a/CODE_GUIDELINES.md
+++ b/CODE_GUIDELINES.md
@@ -284,13 +284,13 @@ end
 
 ### 1.2.1 Database Seeds
 
-Seeds are split into **bootstrap** and **dev**:
+Seeds are split into **bootstrap** and **dev**. They run on every start (e.g. `just run`, Docker entrypoint) but **exit early** if already applied so startup stays fast and no duplicate data is created.
 
-- **`priv/repo/seeds.exs`** – Entrypoint. Runs `seeds_bootstrap.exs` always; runs `seeds_dev.exs` only when `Mix.env()` is `:dev` or `:test`.
+- **`priv/repo/seeds.exs`** – Entrypoint. If the admin user (ADMIN_EMAIL or default) already exists, skips entirely (unless `FORCE_SEEDS=true`); otherwise runs `seeds_bootstrap.exs` and, in dev/test, `seeds_dev.exs`.
 - **`priv/repo/seeds_bootstrap.exs`** – Creates only data required for system startup: membership fee types, custom fields, roles, admin user, system user, global settings (including default membership fee type). No members, no groups. Used in all environments (dev, test, prod).
 - **`priv/repo/seeds_dev.exs`** – Creates 20 sample members, groups, and optional custom field values. Run only in dev and test.
 
-In production, running `mix run priv/repo/seeds.exs` executes only the bootstrap part (no dev seeds).
+In production, running `mix run priv/repo/seeds.exs` (or `Mv.Release.run_seeds/0`) executes only the bootstrap part when not yet applied (no dev seeds unless `RUN_DEV_SEEDS=true`). The “already applied” check uses `Mv.Release.bootstrap_seeds_applied?/0` (admin user exists). Set `FORCE_SEEDS=true` to re-run seeds even when already applied.
 
 ### 1.3 Domain-Driven Design
 
diff --git a/docs/admin-bootstrap-and-oidc-role-sync.md b/docs/admin-bootstrap-and-oidc-role-sync.md
index aa5c155..5413f91 100644
--- a/docs/admin-bootstrap-and-oidc-role-sync.md
+++ b/docs/admin-bootstrap-and-oidc-role-sync.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 ## Overview
 
-- **Admin bootstrap:** In production, the Docker entrypoint runs migrate, then `Mv.Release.run_seeds/0` (bootstrap seeds; set `RUN_DEV_SEEDS=true` to also run dev seeds), then `seed_admin/0` from ENV, then the server. Password can be changed without redeploy via `bin/mv eval "Mv.Release.seed_admin()"`.
+- **Admin bootstrap:** In production, the Docker entrypoint runs migrate, then `Mv.Release.run_seeds/0` (skips if admin user already exists unless `FORCE_SEEDS=true`; set `RUN_DEV_SEEDS=true` to also run dev seeds), then `seed_admin/0` from ENV, then the server. Password can be changed without redeploy via `bin/mv eval "Mv.Release.seed_admin()"`.
 - **OIDC role sync:** Optional mapping from OIDC groups (e.g. from Authentik profile scope) to the Admin role. Users in the configured admin group get the Admin role on registration and on each sign-in.
 
 ## Admin Bootstrap (Part A)
@@ -10,13 +10,14 @@
 ### Environment Variables
 
 - `RUN_DEV_SEEDS` – If set to `"true"`, `run_seeds/0` also runs dev seeds (members, groups, sample data). Otherwise only bootstrap seeds run.
+- `FORCE_SEEDS` – If set to `"true"`, seeds are run even when the admin user already exists (e.g. after changing bootstrap data such as roles or custom fields). Otherwise seeds are skipped when bootstrap was already applied.
 - `ADMIN_EMAIL` – Email of the admin user to create/update. If unset, seed_admin/0 does nothing.
 - `ADMIN_PASSWORD` – Password for the admin user. If unset (and no file), no new user is created; if a user with ADMIN_EMAIL already exists (e.g. OIDC-only), their role is set to Admin (no password change).
 - `ADMIN_PASSWORD_FILE` – Path to a file containing the password (e.g. Docker secret).
 
 ### Release Tasks
 
-- `Mv.Release.run_seeds/0` – Runs bootstrap seeds (fee types, custom fields, roles, settings). If `RUN_DEV_SEEDS` env is `"true"`, also runs dev seeds (members, groups, sample data). Idempotent.
+- `Mv.Release.run_seeds/0` – If the admin user already exists (bootstrap already applied), skips unless `FORCE_SEEDS=true`; otherwise runs bootstrap seeds (fee types, custom fields, roles, settings). If `RUN_DEV_SEEDS` env is `"true"`, also runs dev seeds (members, groups, sample data). Safe to call on every start.
 - `Mv.Release.seed_admin/0` – Reads ADMIN_EMAIL and password from ADMIN_PASSWORD or ADMIN_PASSWORD_FILE. If both email and password are set: creates or updates the user with the Admin role. If only ADMIN_EMAIL is set: sets the Admin role on an existing user with that email (for OIDC-only admins); does not create a user. Idempotent.
 
 ### Entrypoint
diff --git a/lib/mv/release.ex b/lib/mv/release.ex
index 00dcadf..116b276 100644
--- a/lib/mv/release.ex
+++ b/lib/mv/release.ex
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ defmodule Mv.Release do
   ## Tasks
 
   - `migrate/0` - Runs all pending Ecto migrations.
-  - `run_seeds/0` - Runs bootstrap seeds (fee types, custom fields, roles, settings).
-    In production, set `RUN_DEV_SEEDS=true` to also run dev seeds (members, groups, sample data).
+  - `bootstrap_seeds_applied?/0` - Returns whether bootstrap was already applied (admin user exists). Used to skip re-running seeds.
+  - `run_seeds/0` - If bootstrap already applied, skips; otherwise runs bootstrap seeds (fee types, custom fields, roles, settings). Set `FORCE_SEEDS=true` to re-run seeds even when already applied. In production, set `RUN_DEV_SEEDS=true` to also run dev seeds (members, groups, sample data).
   - `seed_admin/0` - Ensures an admin user exists from ENV (ADMIN_EMAIL, ADMIN_PASSWORD
     or ADMIN_PASSWORD_FILE). Idempotent; can be run on every deployment or via shell
     to update the admin password without redeploying.
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ defmodule Mv.Release do
   alias Mv.Authorization.Role
 
   require Ash.Query
+  require Logger
 
   def migrate do
     load_app()
@@ -28,13 +29,37 @@ defmodule Mv.Release do
     end
   end
 
+  @doc """
+  Returns whether bootstrap seeds have already been applied (admin user exists).
+
+  We check for the admin user (from ADMIN_EMAIL or default), not the Admin role,
+  because migrations may create the Admin role for the system actor. Only seeds
+  create the admin (login) user. Used to skip re-running seeds on subsequent starts.
+  Call only when the application is already started.
+  """
+  def bootstrap_seeds_applied? do
+    admin_email = get_env("ADMIN_EMAIL", "admin@localhost")
+
+    case User
+         |> Ash.Query.filter(email == ^admin_email)
+         |> Ash.read_one(authorize?: false, domain: Mv.Accounts) do
+      {:ok, %User{}} -> true
+      _ -> false
+    end
+  rescue
+    e ->
+      Logger.warning("Could not check seed status (#{inspect(e)}), assuming not applied.")
+      false
+  end
+
   @doc """
   Runs seed scripts so the database has required bootstrap data (and optionally dev data).
 
-  - Always runs bootstrap seeds (fee types, custom fields, roles, system user, settings).
-  - If `RUN_DEV_SEEDS` env is set to `"true"`, also runs dev seeds (members, groups, sample data).
+  - Skips if bootstrap was already applied (admin user exists); set `FORCE_SEEDS=true` to override and re-run.
+  - If `RUN_DEV_SEEDS` env is set to `"true"`, also runs dev seeds (members, groups, sample data)
+    when bootstrap is run.
 
-  Uses paths from the application's priv dir so it works in releases (no Mix). Idempotent.
+  Uses paths from the application's priv dir so it works in releases (no Mix).
   """
   def run_seeds do
     case Application.ensure_all_started(@app) do
@@ -42,23 +67,27 @@ defmodule Mv.Release do
       {:error, {app, reason}} -> raise "Failed to start #{inspect(app)}: #{inspect(reason)}"
     end
 
-    priv = :code.priv_dir(@app)
-    bootstrap_path = Path.join(priv, "repo/seeds_bootstrap.exs")
-    dev_path = Path.join(priv, "repo/seeds_dev.exs")
+    if bootstrap_seeds_applied?() and System.get_env("FORCE_SEEDS") != "true" do
+      IO.puts("Seeds already applied. Skipping. (Set FORCE_SEEDS=true to override)")
+    else
+      priv = :code.priv_dir(@app)
+      bootstrap_path = Path.join(priv, "repo/seeds_bootstrap.exs")
+      dev_path = Path.join(priv, "repo/seeds_dev.exs")
 
-    prev = Code.compiler_options()
-    Code.compiler_options(ignore_module_conflict: true)
+      prev = Code.compiler_options()
+      Code.compiler_options(ignore_module_conflict: true)
 
-    try do
-      Code.eval_file(bootstrap_path)
-      IO.puts("✅ Bootstrap seeds completed.")
+      try do
+        Code.eval_file(bootstrap_path)
+        IO.puts("✅ Bootstrap seeds completed.")
 
-      if System.get_env("RUN_DEV_SEEDS") == "true" do
-        Code.eval_file(dev_path)
-        IO.puts("✅ Dev seeds completed.")
+        if System.get_env("RUN_DEV_SEEDS") == "true" do
+          Code.eval_file(dev_path)
+          IO.puts("✅ Dev seeds completed.")
+        end
+      after
+        Code.compiler_options(prev)
       end
-    after
-      Code.compiler_options(prev)
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/priv/repo/seeds.exs b/priv/repo/seeds.exs
index 7257f8b..c562a43 100644
--- a/priv/repo/seeds.exs
+++ b/priv/repo/seeds.exs
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 #     mix run priv/repo/seeds.exs
 #
 # Bootstrap runs in all environments. Dev seeds (members, groups, sample data)
-# run only in dev and test.
+# run only in dev and test. Skips entirely if bootstrap was already applied
+# (admin user exists), so safe to run on every start. Set FORCE_SEEDS=true to
+# re-run seeds even when already applied.
 #
 # In production (release): seeds are run via Mv.Release.run_seeds/0 from the
 # container entrypoint. Set RUN_DEV_SEEDS=true to also run dev seeds there.
@@ -12,19 +14,25 @@
 # so that eval_file of bootstrap/dev does not emit "redefining module" warnings;
 # it is always restored in `after` to avoid hiding real conflicts elsewhere.
 
-prev = Code.compiler_options()
-Code.compiler_options(ignore_module_conflict: true)
+_ = Application.ensure_all_started(:mv)
 
-try do
-  # Always run bootstrap (fee types, custom fields, roles, admin, system user, settings)
-  Code.eval_file("priv/repo/seeds_bootstrap.exs")
+if Mv.Release.bootstrap_seeds_applied?() and System.get_env("FORCE_SEEDS") != "true" do
+  IO.puts("Seeds already applied. Skipping. (Set FORCE_SEEDS=true to override)")
+else
+  prev = Code.compiler_options()
+  Code.compiler_options(ignore_module_conflict: true)
 
-  # In dev and test only: run dev seeds (20 members, groups, custom field values)
-  if Mix.env() in [:dev, :test] do
-    Code.eval_file("priv/repo/seeds_dev.exs")
+  try do
+    # Always run bootstrap (fee types, custom fields, roles, admin, system user, settings)
+    Code.eval_file("priv/repo/seeds_bootstrap.exs")
+
+    # In dev and test only: run dev seeds (20 members, groups, custom field values)
+    if Mix.env() in [:dev, :test] do
+      Code.eval_file("priv/repo/seeds_dev.exs")
+    end
+
+    IO.puts("✅ All seeds completed.")
+  after
+    Code.compiler_options(prev)
   end
-
-  IO.puts("✅ All seeds completed.")
-after
-  Code.compiler_options(prev)
 end