diff --git a/backend/migrations/022_fix_json_columns.js b/backend/migrations/022_fix_json_columns.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..752b02c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/migrations/022_fix_json_columns.js
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+exports.up = async function(knex) {
+  console.log('Fixing JSON columns in database...');
+  
+  // Fix email_templates variables column
+  const templates = await knex('email_templates').select('id', 'template_key', 'variables');
+  
+  for (const template of templates) {
+    if (template.variables && typeof template.variables === 'string') {
+      try {
+        // Check if it's already valid JSON
+        JSON.parse(template.variables);
+      } catch (e) {
+        console.log(`Fixing invalid JSON in email template ${template.template_key}`);
+        // Attempt to fix common issues
+        let fixed = template.variables;
+        
+        // If it looks like an array but isn't valid JSON, try to fix it
+        if (fixed.startsWith('[') && fixed.endsWith(']')) {
+          // Extract the content and properly format it
+          const content = fixed.slice(1, -1);
+          const items = content.split(',').map(item => item.trim().replace(/['"]/g, ''));
+          fixed = JSON.stringify(items);
+        } else {
+          // Default to empty array if we can't fix it
+          fixed = JSON.stringify([]);
+        }
+        
+        await knex('email_templates')
+          .where('id', template.id)
+          .update({ variables: fixed });
+      }
+    } else if (!template.variables) {
+      // Set default empty array for null values
+      await knex('email_templates')
+        .where('id', template.id)
+        .update({ variables: JSON.stringify([]) });
+    }
+  }
+  
+  // Fix activity_logs metadata column
+  const activities = await knex('activity_logs').select('id', 'metadata');
+  
+  for (const activity of activities) {
+    if (activity.metadata && typeof activity.metadata === 'string') {
+      try {
+        // Check if it's already valid JSON
+        JSON.parse(activity.metadata);
+      } catch (e) {
+        console.log(`Fixing invalid JSON in activity log ${activity.id}`);
+        // Default to empty object if we can't parse it
+        await knex('activity_logs')
+          .where('id', activity.id)
+          .update({ metadata: JSON.stringify({}) });
+      }
+    } else if (!activity.metadata) {
+      // Set default empty object for null values
+      await knex('activity_logs')
+        .where('id', activity.id)
+        .update({ metadata: JSON.stringify({}) });
+    }
+  }
+  
+  console.log('JSON columns fixed successfully');
+};
+
+exports.down = async function(knex) {
+  // No rollback needed - data fixes only
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/scripts/fix-production-issues.js b/backend/scripts/fix-production-issues.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5fc0c13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/scripts/fix-production-issues.js
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+require('dotenv').config();
+const { db } = require('../src/database/db');
+
+async function fixProductionIssues() {
+  console.log('Fixing production database issues...\n');
+  
+  try {
+    // 1. Check and fix email_templates structure
+    console.log('1. Checking email_templates structure:');
+    const emailColumns = await db('email_templates').columnInfo();
+    console.log('Current columns:', Object.keys(emailColumns));
+    
+    // Check if we need to add basic columns back
+    const hasSubject = 'subject' in emailColumns;
+    const hasSubjectEn = 'subject_en' in emailColumns;
+    
+    if (hasSubjectEn && !hasSubject) {
+      console.log('Adding basic columns back to email_templates...');
+      await db.schema.alterTable('email_templates', (table) => {
+        table.string('subject');
+        table.text('body_html');
+        table.text('body_text');
+      });
+      
+      // Copy values from _en columns
+      await db('email_templates').update({
+        subject: db.raw('subject_en'),
+        body_html: db.raw('body_html_en'),
+        body_text: db.raw('body_text_en')
+      });
+      console.log('Basic columns added successfully');
+    }
+    
+    // 2. Ensure default templates exist
+    console.log('\n2. Checking email templates:');
+    const templateCount = await db('email_templates').count('* as count');
+    console.log('Template count:', templateCount[0].count);
+    
+    if (templateCount[0].count === 0) {
+      console.log('No templates found, inserting defaults...');
+      const defaultTemplates = [
+        {
+          template_key: 'gallery_created',
+          subject: 'Your Photo Gallery is Ready!',
+          body_html: '<h2>Gallery Created Successfully</h2>...',
+          body_text: 'Gallery Created Successfully...',
+          variables: JSON.stringify(['host_name', 'event_name', 'event_date', 'gallery_link', 'gallery_password', 'expiry_date'])
+        },
+        {
+          template_key: 'expiration_warning',
+          subject: 'Your Photo Gallery Expires Soon',
+          body_html: '<h2>Gallery Expiring Soon</h2>...',
+          body_text: 'Gallery Expiring Soon...',
+          variables: JSON.stringify(['host_name', 'event_name', 'days_remaining', 'gallery_link'])
+        },
+        {
+          template_key: 'gallery_expired',
+          subject: 'Your Photo Gallery Has Expired',
+          body_html: '<h2>Gallery Expired</h2>...',
+          body_text: 'Gallery Expired...',
+          variables: JSON.stringify(['host_name', 'event_name'])
+        },
+        {
+          template_key: 'archive_complete',
+          subject: 'Gallery Archive Complete',
+          body_html: '<h2>Archive Complete</h2>...',
+          body_text: 'Archive Complete...',
+          variables: JSON.stringify(['host_name', 'event_name', 'archive_size'])
+        }
+      ];
+      
+      for (const template of defaultTemplates) {
+        // Add language columns if they exist
+        if (hasSubjectEn) {
+          template.subject_en = template.subject;
+          template.body_html_en = template.body_html;
+          template.body_text_en = template.body_text;
+          template.subject_de = template.subject;
+          template.body_html_de = template.body_html;
+          template.body_text_de = template.body_text;
+        }
+        
+        await db('email_templates').insert(template);
+      }
+      console.log('Default templates inserted');
+    }
+    
+    // 3. Check activity_logs structure
+    console.log('\n3. Checking activity_logs structure:');
+    const activityColumns = await db('activity_logs').columnInfo();
+    console.log('Columns:', Object.keys(activityColumns));
+    
+    // Check if read_at exists
+    if (!('read_at' in activityColumns)) {
+      console.log('Adding read_at column to activity_logs...');
+      await db.schema.alterTable('activity_logs', (table) => {
+        table.datetime('read_at').nullable();
+      });
+      console.log('read_at column added');
+    }
+    
+    // 4. Check and add CMS pages
+    console.log('\n4. Checking CMS pages:');
+    const cmsColumns = await db('cms_pages').columnInfo();
+    console.log('CMS columns:', Object.keys(cmsColumns));
+    
+    const impressum = await db('cms_pages').where('slug', 'impressum').first();
+    const datenschutz = await db('cms_pages').where('slug', 'datenschutz').first();
+    
+    if (!impressum) {
+      console.log('Adding Impressum page...');
+      await db('cms_pages').insert({
+        slug: 'impressum',
+        title_en: 'Legal Notice',
+        title_de: 'Impressum',
+        content_en: '<h1>Legal Notice</h1><p>Your legal information here...</p>',
+        content_de: '<h1>Impressum</h1><p>Ihre rechtlichen Informationen hier...</p>',
+        updated_at: new Date()
+      });
+    }
+    
+    if (!datenschutz) {
+      console.log('Adding Datenschutz page...');
+      await db('cms_pages').insert({
+        slug: 'datenschutz',
+        title_en: 'Privacy Policy',
+        title_de: 'Datenschutzerklärung',
+        content_en: '<h1>Privacy Policy</h1><p>Your privacy policy here...</p>',
+        content_de: '<h1>Datenschutzerklärung</h1><p>Ihre Datenschutzerklärung hier...</p>',
+        updated_at: new Date()
+      });
+    }
+    
+    console.log('\n✅ All fixes applied successfully!');
+    
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Error fixing issues:', error);
+    console.error('Stack:', error.stack);
+  } finally {
+    await db.destroy();
+    process.exit(0);
+  }
+}
+
+fixProductionIssues();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/server.js b/backend/server.js
index f6c35c6..a22fe2a 100644
--- a/backend/server.js
+++ b/backend/server.js
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ const adminAuthRoutes = require('./src/routes/adminAuth');
 const app = express();
 const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;
 
+// Trust proxy headers (required for Traefik/nginx)
+app.set('trust proxy', true);
+
 // Security middleware with custom CSP
 app.use(helmet({
   contentSecurityPolicy: {
diff --git a/backend/src/routes/adminEmail.js b/backend/src/routes/adminEmail.js
index 615dade..7fe7ed7 100644
--- a/backend/src/routes/adminEmail.js
+++ b/backend/src/routes/adminEmail.js
@@ -164,7 +164,16 @@ router.get('/templates', adminAuth, async (req, res) => {
       const result = {
         id: template.id,
         template_key: template.template_key,
-        variables: template.variables ? JSON.parse(template.variables) : [],
+        variables: (() => {
+        try {
+          if (!template.variables) return [];
+          if (typeof template.variables === 'object') return template.variables;
+          return JSON.parse(template.variables);
+        } catch (e) {
+          console.warn('Failed to parse variables for template:', template.template_key, e.message);
+          return [];
+        }
+      })(),
         updated_at: template.updated_at
       };
       
@@ -212,7 +221,16 @@ router.get('/templates/:key', adminAuth, async (req, res) => {
     const response = {
       id: template.id,
       template_key: template.template_key,
-      variables: template.variables ? JSON.parse(template.variables) : [],
+      variables: (() => {
+        try {
+          if (!template.variables) return [];
+          if (typeof template.variables === 'object') return template.variables;
+          return JSON.parse(template.variables);
+        } catch (e) {
+          console.warn('Failed to parse variables for template:', template.template_key, e.message);
+          return [];
+        }
+      })(),
       updated_at: template.updated_at
     };
     
diff --git a/backend/src/routes/adminNotifications.js b/backend/src/routes/adminNotifications.js
index 3732da6..2f3ea2e 100644
--- a/backend/src/routes/adminNotifications.js
+++ b/backend/src/routes/adminNotifications.js
@@ -32,7 +32,16 @@ router.get('/', adminAuth, async (req, res) => {
       actorName: notification.actor_name,
       eventName: notification.event_name,
       eventId: notification.event_id,
-      metadata: notification.metadata ? JSON.parse(notification.metadata) : {},
+      metadata: (() => {
+        try {
+          if (!notification.metadata) return {};
+          if (typeof notification.metadata === 'object') return notification.metadata;
+          return JSON.parse(notification.metadata);
+        } catch (e) {
+          console.warn('Failed to parse metadata for notification:', notification.id, e.message);
+          return {};
+        }
+      })(),
       createdAt: notification.created_at,
       readAt: notification.read_at,
       isRead: !!notification.read_at