diff --git a/backend/internal/bootstrap/app_images_bootstrap.go b/backend/internal/bootstrap/app_images_bootstrap.go
index fb8d6fe5..0d026d08 100644
--- a/backend/internal/bootstrap/app_images_bootstrap.go
+++ b/backend/internal/bootstrap/app_images_bootstrap.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"log/slog"
 	"os"
 	"path"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/pocket-id/pocket-id/backend/internal/storage"
 	"github.com/pocket-id/pocket-id/backend/internal/utils"
@@ -76,6 +77,18 @@ func initApplicationImages(ctx context.Context, fileStorage storage.FileStorage)
 		dstNameToExt[nameWithoutExt] = ext
 	}
 
+	initedPath := path.Join("application-images", ".inited")
+	if _, _, err := fileStorage.Open(ctx, initedPath); err == nil {
+		return dstNameToExt, nil
+	} else if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read .inited: %w", err)
+	} else {
+		err := fileStorage.Save(ctx, initedPath, strings.NewReader(""))
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to store .inited: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Copy images from the images directory to the application-images directory if they don't already exist
 	for _, sourceFile := range sourceFiles {
 		if sourceFile.IsDir() {
diff --git a/tests/specs/cli.spec.ts b/tests/specs/cli.spec.ts
index e6116575..8b1733f8 100644
--- a/tests/specs/cli.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/specs/cli.spec.ts
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ function compareExports(dir1: string, dir2: string): void {
 	const hashes2 = hashAllFiles(dir2);
 
 	const files1 = Object.keys(hashes1).sort();
-	const files2 = Object.keys(hashes2).sort();
+	const files2 = Object.keys(hashes2).sort().filter(p => !p.includes('.inited'));
 	expect(files2).toEqual(files1);
 
 	for (const file of files1) {