diff --git a/roles/matrix-server/defaults/main.yml b/roles/matrix-server/defaults/main.yml
index 9ba39dd2d..de7e01ddf 100644
--- a/roles/matrix-server/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/matrix-server/defaults/main.yml
@@ -40,7 +40,11 @@ matrix_coturn_base_path: "{{ matrix_base_data_path }}/coturn"
 matrix_coturn_config_path: "{{ matrix_coturn_base_path }}/turnserver.conf"
 matrix_scratchpad_dir: "{{ matrix_base_data_path }}/scratchpad"
 
-docker_postgres_image: "postgres:9.6.8-alpine"
+
+docker_postgres_image_v9: "postgres:9.6.8-alpine"
+docker_postgres_image_v10: "postgres:10.4-alpine"
+docker_postgres_image_latest: "{{ docker_postgres_image_v10 }}"
+
 docker_matrix_image: "matrixdotorg/synapse:v0.30.0"
 docker_nginx_image: "nginx:1.13.12-alpine"
 docker_riot_image: "avhost/docker-matrix-riot:v0.15.4"
@@ -48,6 +52,7 @@ docker_s3fs_image: "xueshanf/s3fs:latest"
 docker_goofys_image: "cloudproto/goofys:latest"
 docker_coturn_image: "instrumentisto/coturn:4.5.0.7"
 
+
 # To avoid Synapse's macaroon secret key from changing every time
 # a new config is built from scratch, you can specify one here.
 matrix_synapse_macaroon_secret_key: null
diff --git a/roles/matrix-server/tasks/setup_postgres.yml b/roles/matrix-server/tasks/setup_postgres.yml
index c52e0b6a5..a231b902f 100644
--- a/roles/matrix-server/tasks/setup_postgres.yml
+++ b/roles/matrix-server/tasks/setup_postgres.yml
@@ -4,10 +4,39 @@
 # Generic tasks, no matter what kind of server we're using (internal/external)
 #
 
+- name: Determine existing Postgres version (check PG_VERSION file)
+  stat:
+    path: "{{ matrix_postgres_data_path }}/PG_VERSION"
+  register: result_pg_version_stat
+
+- name: Determine existing Postgres version (read PG_VERSION file)
+  slurp:
+    src: "{{ matrix_postgres_data_path }}/PG_VERSION"
+  register: result_pg_version
+  when: "result_pg_version_stat.stat.exists"
+
+- name: Determine existing Postgres version (default to empty)
+  set_fact:
+    pg_version: ""
+
+- name: Determine existing Postgres version (make sense of PG_VERSION file)
+  set_fact:
+    pg_version: "{{ result_pg_version['content']|b64decode|replace('\n', '') }}"
+  when: "result_pg_version_stat.stat.exists"
+
+- name: Determine Postgres version to use (default to latest)
+  set_fact:
+    docker_postgres_image_to_use: "{{ docker_postgres_image_latest }}"
+
+- name: Determine Postgres version to use (use 9.x, if detected)
+  set_fact:
+    docker_postgres_image_to_use: "{{ docker_postgres_image_v9 }}"
+  when: "pg_version.startswith('9.')"
+
 # Even if we don't run the internal server, we still need this for running the CLI
 - name: Ensure postgres Docker image is pulled
   docker_image:
-    name: "{{ docker_postgres_image }}"
+    name: "{{ docker_postgres_image_to_use }}"
 
 - name: Ensure Postgres environment variables file created
   template:
diff --git a/roles/matrix-server/templates/systemd/matrix-postgres.service.j2 b/roles/matrix-server/templates/systemd/matrix-postgres.service.j2
index 846d73558..f0bc4bd4f 100644
--- a/roles/matrix-server/templates/systemd/matrix-postgres.service.j2
+++ b/roles/matrix-server/templates/systemd/matrix-postgres.service.j2
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ ExecStart=/usr/bin/docker run --rm --name matrix-postgres \
 			--env-file={{ matrix_environment_variables_data_path }}/env-postgres-server-docker \
 			-v {{ matrix_postgres_data_path }}:/var/lib/postgresql/data \
 			-v /etc/passwd:/etc/passwd:ro \
-			{{ docker_postgres_image }}
+			{{ docker_postgres_image_to_use }}
 ExecStop=-/usr/bin/docker stop matrix-postgres
 ExecStop=-/usr/bin/docker rm matrix-postgres
 Restart=always
diff --git a/roles/matrix-server/templates/usr-local-bin/matrix-postgres-cli.j2 b/roles/matrix-server/templates/usr-local-bin/matrix-postgres-cli.j2
index 2e6a15ce8..f23792765 100644
--- a/roles/matrix-server/templates/usr-local-bin/matrix-postgres-cli.j2
+++ b/roles/matrix-server/templates/usr-local-bin/matrix-postgres-cli.j2
@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@ docker run \
 	{% if not matrix_postgres_use_external %}
 	--link=matrix-postgres:{{ matrix_postgres_connection_hostname }} \
 	{% endif %}
-	{{ docker_postgres_image }} \
+	{{ docker_postgres_image_to_use }} \
 	psql -h {{ matrix_postgres_connection_hostname }}
\ No newline at end of file