diff --git a/deploy/gcp/01-database.sh b/deploy/gcp/01-database.sh
index 7f78a7c553..4e779b74d2 100755
--- a/deploy/gcp/01-database.sh
+++ b/deploy/gcp/01-database.sh
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ fi
 
 if [[ -n "$DB_PASSWORD" ]]; then
   # Cloud Run connects over a unix socket at /cloudsql/<connection-name>.
-  DB_URL="postgresql://${DB_USER}:${DB_PASSWORD}@localhost/${DB_NAME}?host=/cloudsql/${CONNECTION_NAME}"
+  # connection_limit caps Prisma's per-instance pool so max instances x 4 stays
+  # under db-g1-small's 50-connection limit.
+  DB_URL="postgresql://${DB_USER}:${DB_PASSWORD}@localhost/${DB_NAME}?host=/cloudsql/${CONNECTION_NAME}&connection_limit=4"
   secret_put "$DB_URL_SECRET" "$DB_URL"
   info "Stored connection string in secret '${DB_URL_SECRET}'."
 fi
diff --git a/deploy/gcp/common.sh b/deploy/gcp/common.sh
index 0dcd544b92..874b1ed778 100755
--- a/deploy/gcp/common.sh
+++ b/deploy/gcp/common.sh
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ fi
 : "${DB_INSTANCE:=keepcontracts-db}"
 : "${DB_NAME:=keepcontracts}"
 : "${DB_USER:=keepcontracts}"
-: "${DB_TIER:=db-custom-1-3840}"
+: "${DB_TIER:=db-g1-small}"
 : "${SECRET_PREFIX:=$SERVICE}"
 : "${UPLOAD_TRANSPORT:=database}"
 : "${RUN_MEMORY:=2Gi}"
-: "${RUN_CPU:=2}"
+: "${RUN_CPU:=1}"
 : "${RUN_MIN_INSTANCES:=1}"
 : "${RUN_MAX_INSTANCES:=10}"
 : "${RUN_CONCURRENCY:=40}"
diff --git a/deploy/gcp/config.example.sh b/deploy/gcp/config.example.sh
index 5f63096657..4647a6a97e 100755
--- a/deploy/gcp/config.example.sh
+++ b/deploy/gcp/config.example.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export SERVICE="keepcontracts"
 export DB_INSTANCE="keepcontracts-db"
 export DB_NAME="keepcontracts"
 export DB_USER="keepcontracts"
-export DB_TIER="db-custom-1-3840"
+export DB_TIER="db-g1-small"
 
 # Secrets are named "<SECRET_PREFIX>-enc-key", etc. Defaults to SERVICE.
 # export SECRET_PREFIX="keepcontracts"
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export WEBAPP_URL="https://keepcontracts.com"
 # ─── Cloud Run sizing ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 export RUN_MEMORY="2Gi"
-export RUN_CPU="2"
+export RUN_CPU="1"
 # Keep at least 1 warm instance: the default in-process background-jobs provider
 # ("local") only runs scheduled work while an instance is alive.
 export RUN_MIN_INSTANCES="1"