diff --git a/backend/app/core/config.py b/backend/app/core/config.py
index adc81277..eb073d08 100644
--- a/backend/app/core/config.py
+++ b/backend/app/core/config.py
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
         """Check if Stripe is configured."""
         return self.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY is not None and self.STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET is not None
 
+    # Deployment – auto-seed test data on PR environments
+    SEED_ON_DEPLOY: bool = False
+
     # CORS - set FRONTEND_URL in production (e.g., https://patherly.up.railway.app)
     CORS_ORIGINS: list[str] = ["http://localhost:3000", "http://localhost:5173", "http://localhost:5174"]
     FRONTEND_URL: Optional[str] = None
diff --git a/backend/app/main.py b/backend/app/main.py
index 5536e832..0c5da246 100644
--- a/backend/app/main.py
+++ b/backend/app/main.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
+import asyncio
 import logging
+import os
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
 from fastapi import FastAPI
 from fastapi.middleware.cors import CORSMiddleware
@@ -18,6 +20,42 @@ setup_logging()
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+async def _seed_trees_background() -> None:
+    """Background task: seed trees via HTTP API after server is ready."""
+    await asyncio.sleep(5)  # Wait for server to be fully ready
+    port = os.environ.get("PORT", "8000")
+    api_url = f"http://127.0.0.1:{port}/api/v1"
+    email = "admin@resolutionflow.example.com"
+    password = "TestPass123!"
+
+    try:
+        import httpx
+        # Login to get token
+        async with httpx.AsyncClient(base_url=api_url, timeout=30) as client:
+            login_resp = await client.post("/auth/login/json", json={"email": email, "password": password})
+            if login_resp.status_code != 200:
+                logger.warning("[seed] Could not login as admin — skipping tree seeding")
+                return
+
+            token = login_resp.json()["access_token"]
+            # Check if trees already exist
+            trees_resp = await client.get("/trees", headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}"})
+            if trees_resp.status_code == 200 and len(trees_resp.json()) > 0:
+                logger.info(f"[seed] {len(trees_resp.json())} trees already exist — skipping tree seeding")
+                return
+
+        # Trees don't exist yet — run the full seed script
+        logger.info("[seed] No trees found — running seed_trees...")
+        import scripts.seed_trees as seed_trees_mod
+        seed_trees_mod.API_BASE_URL = api_url
+        seed_trees_mod.ADMIN_EMAIL = email
+        seed_trees_mod.ADMIN_PASSWORD = password
+        await seed_trees_mod.seed_database()
+        logger.info("[seed] Tree seeding complete!")
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.warning(f"[seed] Tree seeding failed (non-fatal): {e}")
+
+
 @asynccontextmanager
 async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
     """Application lifespan handler."""
@@ -33,9 +71,17 @@ async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
     async with async_session_maker() as db:
         await load_all_schedules(db)
 
+    # Auto-seed trees in background on PR environments
+    seed_task = None
+    if settings.SEED_ON_DEPLOY:
+        logger.info("[seed] SEED_ON_DEPLOY=true — scheduling background tree seeding")
+        seed_task = asyncio.create_task(_seed_trees_background())
+
     yield
 
     # Shutdown
+    if seed_task and not seed_task.done():
+        seed_task.cancel()
     scheduler.shutdown(wait=False)
     logger.info("Shutting down ResolutionFlow API server...")
 
diff --git a/backend/railway.toml b/backend/railway.toml
index 2c439905..a2b6bd6f 100644
--- a/backend/railway.toml
+++ b/backend/railway.toml
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@ healthcheckPath = "/health"
 healthcheckTimeout = 100
 restartPolicyType = "on_failure"
 restartPolicyMaxRetries = 3
-releaseCommand = "alembic upgrade head"
+releaseCommand = "python -m scripts.release"
diff --git a/backend/scripts/release.py b/backend/scripts/release.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6118da0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/scripts/release.py
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Railway release command — runs migrations + optional seed data.
+
+Set SEED_ON_DEPLOY=true in Railway env vars to auto-seed test users
+on PR environments. Seeding is idempotent (skips existing records).
+
+Usage (called by railway.toml releaseCommand):
+  python -m scripts.release
+"""
+
+import asyncio
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+from app.core.config import settings
+
+
+def run_migrations() -> None:
+    """Run alembic upgrade head."""
+    print("\n[release] Running database migrations...")
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        ["alembic", "upgrade", "head"],
+        capture_output=False,
+    )
+    if result.returncode != 0:
+        print("[release] ERROR: Migrations failed!")
+        sys.exit(1)
+    print("[release] Migrations complete.")
+
+
+async def seed_test_data() -> None:
+    """Seed test users (direct DB, no HTTP needed)."""
+    print("\n[release] Seeding test users...")
+    from scripts.seed_test_users import main as seed_users
+    await seed_users()
+    print("[release] Test users seeded.")
+
+
+def main() -> None:
+    run_migrations()
+
+    if settings.SEED_ON_DEPLOY:
+        print("[release] SEED_ON_DEPLOY=true — seeding test data...")
+        asyncio.run(seed_test_data())
+    else:
+        print("[release] SEED_ON_DEPLOY not set — skipping seed data.")
+
+    print("\n[release] Release complete!")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()