diff --git a/samples/StateMachine/Trax.Samples.StateMachine.Api/Program.cs b/samples/StateMachine/Trax.Samples.StateMachine.Api/Program.cs
index 3dd6b8a..dc52005 100644
--- a/samples/StateMachine/Trax.Samples.StateMachine.Api/Program.cs
+++ b/samples/StateMachine/Trax.Samples.StateMachine.Api/Program.cs
@@ -49,10 +49,7 @@
 
 var connectionString =
     builder.Configuration.GetConnectionString("TraxDatabase")
-    ?? "Host=localhost;Port=5432;Database=trax_statemachine;Username=trax;Password=trax123";
-
-// Create the sample database + snapshot tables before AddTrax (see SnapshotSchema).
-await SnapshotSchema.EnsureAsync(connectionString);
+    ?? "Host=localhost;Port=5432;Database=trax;Username=trax;Password=trax123";
 
 builder.Services.AddLogging(logging => logging.AddConsole());
 
@@ -75,7 +72,9 @@
 builder.Services.AddScoped<ISnapshotPrincipal, TraxCallerSnapshotPrincipal>();
 builder.Services.AddScoped<ICharge, LoggingCharge>();
 
-// The snapshot store's DbContext (snapshot_draft + effect_claim tables).
+// The snapshot store's DbContext. The snapshot_draft + effect_claim tables are created by the
+// Trax migration set: UsePostgres above runs DbUp, which applies 040_state_machine_snapshots.sql.
+// Nothing here creates tables — `docker compose up -d` (a `trax` database) is all that's needed.
 builder.Services.AddDbContext<SnapshotDbContext>(options => options.UseNpgsql(connectionString));
 
 builder.Services.AddTraxGraphQL(graphql => graphql);
diff --git a/samples/StateMachine/Trax.Samples.StateMachine.Api/SnapshotSchema.cs b/samples/StateMachine/Trax.Samples.StateMachine.Api/SnapshotSchema.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index 38bf53e..0000000
--- a/samples/StateMachine/Trax.Samples.StateMachine.Api/SnapshotSchema.cs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,49 +0,0 @@
-using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
-using Npgsql;
-using Trax.Effect.StateMachine.Persistence;
-
-namespace Trax.Samples.StateMachine.Api;
-
-/// <summary>
-/// Creates the sample's database (if missing) and the <c>snapshot_draft</c> + <c>effect_claim</c> tables.
-/// A production host ships these as a migration; the sample does it on startup so nothing but
-/// <c>docker compose up -d</c> is needed. This must run before <c>AddTrax</c>, because
-/// <c>UsePostgres</c> migrates the Trax framework tables during service registration, and it uses a
-/// dedicated database so the snapshot tables are created reliably no matter what else is in the cluster.
-/// </summary>
-internal static class SnapshotSchema
-{
-    public static async Task EnsureAsync(string connectionString)
-    {
-        var target = new NpgsqlConnectionStringBuilder(connectionString);
-        var database = target.Database!;
-
-        // Connect to the always-present `postgres` database to create ours if it does not exist yet.
-        var maintenance = new NpgsqlConnectionStringBuilder(connectionString)
-        {
-            Database = "postgres",
-        };
-        await using (var admin = new NpgsqlConnection(maintenance.ConnectionString))
-        {
-            await admin.OpenAsync();
-            await using var cmd = admin.CreateCommand();
-            cmd.CommandText = $"CREATE DATABASE \"{database}\"";
-            try
-            {
-                await cmd.ExecuteNonQueryAsync();
-            }
-            catch (PostgresException ex) when (ex.SqlState == "42P04")
-            {
-                // Database already exists — idempotent no-op.
-            }
-        }
-
-        // On a fresh database this creates the `trax` schema + the two snapshot tables; on later runs the
-        // tables already exist and this is a no-op. UsePostgres's DbUp then adds the framework tables
-        // (its `create schema if not exists trax` coexists with the schema created here).
-        await using var db = new SnapshotDbContext(
-            new DbContextOptionsBuilder<SnapshotDbContext>().UseNpgsql(connectionString).Options
-        );
-        await db.Database.EnsureCreatedAsync();
-    }
-}
diff --git a/samples/StateMachine/Trax.Samples.StateMachine.Api/appsettings.json b/samples/StateMachine/Trax.Samples.StateMachine.Api/appsettings.json
index c2f798f..75f9d2f 100644
--- a/samples/StateMachine/Trax.Samples.StateMachine.Api/appsettings.json
+++ b/samples/StateMachine/Trax.Samples.StateMachine.Api/appsettings.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "ConnectionStrings": {
-    "TraxDatabase": "Host=localhost;Port=5432;Database=trax_statemachine;Username=trax;Password=trax123"
+    "TraxDatabase": "Host=localhost;Port=5432;Database=trax;Username=trax;Password=trax123"
   },
   "Logging": {
     "LogLevel": {