diff --git a/src/main/resources/brapi/properties/application.properties b/src/main/resources/brapi/properties/application.properties
index 48d433aa4..32fc7437f 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/brapi/properties/application.properties
+++ b/src/main/resources/brapi/properties/application.properties
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@ server.servlet.context-path=/brapi/v2
 spring.datasource.url=jdbc:postgresql://${BRAPI_DB_SERVER}/${BRAPI_DB}
 spring.datasource.username=${BRAPI_DB_USER}
 spring.datasource.password=${BRAPI_DB_PASSWORD}
-spring.datasource.data=classpath:/sql/species.sql
 
 spring.datasource.driver-class-name=org.postgresql.Driver
 
-spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl-auto=update
+spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl-auto=create-only
 spring.jpa.show-sql=false
+spring.jpa.properties.hibernate.hbm2ddl.import_files=sql/species.sql, sql/create_indexes.sql
 
 spring.mvc.dispatch-options-request=true
 
diff --git a/src/main/resources/brapi/sql/create_indexes.sql b/src/main/resources/brapi/sql/create_indexes.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6c0772bfd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/resources/brapi/sql/create_indexes.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+-- See the NOTICE file distributed with this work for additional information
+-- regarding copyright ownership.
+--
+-- Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+-- you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+-- You may obtain a copy of the License at
+--
+--     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+--
+-- Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+-- distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+-- WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+-- See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+-- limitations under the License.
+
+-- Indexes to improve read performance of Germplasm operations.
+CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF NOT EXISTS "pedigree_edge_this_node_id" ON pedigree_edge (this_node_id);
+CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF NOT EXISTS "pedigree_edge_connected_node_id" ON pedigree_edge (connceted_node_id);
+CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF NOT EXISTS "pedigree_edge_edge_type" ON pedigree_edge (edge_type);
+CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF NOT EXISTS "program_external_references_program_entity_id" ON program_external_references (program_entity_id);
+CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF NOT EXISTS "external_reference_composite" ON external_reference (external_reference_source, external_reference_id);
+CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF NOT EXISTS "program_additional_info_composite" ON program_additional_info (additional_info_id, program_entity_id);
+CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF NOT EXISTS "list_list_name" ON list (list_name);
+CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF NOT EXISTS "pedigree_node_germplasm_id" ON pedigree_node (germplasm_id);
+CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF NOT EXISTS "germplasm_additional_info_germplasm_entity_id" ON germplasm_additional_info (germplasm_entity_id);
+CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF NOT EXISTS "germplasm_external_references_germplasm_entity_id" ON germplasm_external_references (germplasm_entity_id);
+CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF NOT EXISTS "germplasm_synonym_germplasm_id" ON germplasm_synonym (germplasm_id);
+CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY IF NOT EXISTS "germplasm_taxon_germplasm_id" ON germplasm_taxon (germplasm_id);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/resources/brapi/sql/species.sql b/src/main/resources/brapi/sql/species.sql
index 3134f6e6d..c57dd2ac9 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/brapi/sql/species.sql
+++ b/src/main/resources/brapi/sql/species.sql
@@ -1,19 +1,17 @@
-/*
- * See the NOTICE file distributed with this work for additional information
- * regarding copyright ownership.
- *
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- */
+-- See the NOTICE file distributed with this work for additional information
+-- regarding copyright ownership.
+--
+-- Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+-- you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+-- You may obtain a copy of the License at
+--
+--     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+--
+-- Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+-- distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+-- WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+-- See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+-- limitations under the License.
 
 INSERT INTO crop (id, crop_name) VALUES ('1', 'Blueberry') ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING;
 INSERT INTO crop (id, crop_name) VALUES ('2', 'Salmon') ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING;