refactor(profiles): replace large-db profile with composable LargeDBMode

BREAKING CHANGE: Removed 'large-db' as standalone profile

New Design:
- Resource Profiles now purely represent VM capacity:
  conservative, balanced, performance, max-performance
- LargeDBMode is a separate boolean toggle that modifies any profile:
  - Reduces ClusterParallelism and Jobs by 50%
  - Forces MaxLocksPerTxn = 8192
  - Increases MaintenanceWorkMem

TUI Changes:
- 'l' key now toggles LargeDBMode ON/OFF instead of applying large-db profile
- New 'Large DB Mode' setting in settings menu
- Settings are persisted to .dbbackup.conf

This allows any resource profile to be combined with large database
optimization, giving users more flexibility on both small and large VMs.

README.md

@@ -194,21 +194,51 @@ r: Restore | v: Verify | i: Info | d: Diagnose | D: Delete | R: Refresh | Esc: B
 ```
 Configuration Settings
 
+[SYSTEM] Detected Resources
+  CPU: 8 physical cores, 16 logical cores
+  Memory: 32GB total, 28GB available
+  Recommended Profile: balanced
+    → 8 cores and 32GB RAM supports moderate parallelism
+
+[CONFIG] Current Settings
+  Target DB: PostgreSQL (postgres)
+  Database: postgres@localhost:5432
+  Backup Dir: /var/backups/postgres
+  Compression: Level 6
+  Profile: balanced | Cluster: 2 parallel | Jobs: 4
+
 > Database Type: postgres
   CPU Workload Type: balanced
-  Backup Directory: /root/db_backups
+  Resource Profile: balanced (P:2 J:4)
-  Work Directory: /tmp
+  Cluster Parallelism: 2
+  Backup Directory: /var/backups/postgres
+  Work Directory: (system temp)
   Compression Level: 6
-  Parallel Jobs: 16
+  Parallel Jobs: 4
-  Dump Jobs: 8
+  Dump Jobs: 4
   Database Host: localhost
   Database Port: 5432
-  Database User: root
+  Database User: postgres
   SSL Mode: prefer
 
-s: Save | r: Reset | q: Menu
+[KEYS]  ↑↓ navigate | Enter edit | 'l' toggle LargeDB | 'c' conservative | 'p' recommend | 's' save | 'q' menu
 ```
 
+**Resource Profiles for Large Databases:**
+
+When restoring large databases on VMs with limited resources, use the resource profile settings to prevent "out of shared memory" errors:
+
+| Profile | Cluster Parallel | Jobs | Best For |
+|---------|------------------|------|----------|
+| conservative | 1 | 1 | Small VMs (<16GB RAM) |
+| balanced | 2 | 2-4 | Medium VMs (16-32GB RAM) |
+| performance | 4 | 4-8 | Large servers (32GB+ RAM) |
+| max-performance | 8 | 8-16 | High-end servers (64GB+) |
+
+**Large DB Mode:** Toggle with `l` key. Reduces parallelism by 50% and sets max_locks_per_transaction=8192 for complex databases with many tables/LOBs.
+
+**Quick shortcuts:** Press `l` to toggle Large DB Mode, `c` for conservative, `p` to show recommendation.
+
 **Database Status:**
 ```
 Database Status & Health Check

bin/README.md

@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ This directory contains pre-compiled binaries for the DB Backup Tool across mult
 
 ## Build Information
 - **Version**: 3.42.50
-- **Build Time**: 2026-01-16_17:31:38_UTC
+- **Build Time**: 2026-01-18_11:19:47_UTC
-- **Git Commit**: 698b8a7
+- **Git Commit**: 490a12f
 
 ## Recent Updates (v1.1.0)
 - ✅ Fixed TUI progress display with line-by-line output

cmd/restore.go

@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ func init() {
 	restoreClusterCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&restoreForce, "force", false, "Skip safety checks and confirmations")
 	restoreClusterCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&restoreCleanCluster, "clean-cluster", false, "Drop all existing user databases before restore (disaster recovery)")
 	restoreClusterCmd.Flags().IntVar(&restoreJobs, "jobs", 0, "Number of parallel decompression jobs (0 = auto)")
-	restoreClusterCmd.Flags().IntVar(&restoreParallelDBs, "parallel-dbs", 0, "Number of databases to restore in parallel (0 = use config default, 1 = sequential)")
+	restoreClusterCmd.Flags().IntVar(&restoreParallelDBs, "parallel-dbs", 0, "Number of databases to restore in parallel (0 = use config default, 1 = sequential, -1 = auto-detect based on CPU/RAM)")
 	restoreClusterCmd.Flags().StringVar(&restoreWorkdir, "workdir", "", "Working directory for extraction (use when system disk is small, e.g. /mnt/storage/restore_tmp)")
 	restoreClusterCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&restoreVerbose, "verbose", false, "Show detailed restore progress")
 	restoreClusterCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&restoreNoProgress, "no-progress", false, "Disable progress indicators")
@@ -786,7 +786,12 @@ func runRestoreCluster(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	// Override cluster parallelism if --parallel-dbs is specified
-	if restoreParallelDBs > 0 {
+	if restoreParallelDBs == -1 {
+		// Auto-detect optimal parallelism based on system resources
+		autoParallel := restore.CalculateOptimalParallel()
+		cfg.ClusterParallelism = autoParallel
+		log.Info("Auto-detected optimal parallelism for database restores", "parallel_dbs", autoParallel, "mode", "auto")
+	} else if restoreParallelDBs > 0 {
 		cfg.ClusterParallelism = restoreParallelDBs
 		log.Info("Using custom parallelism for database restores", "parallel_dbs", restoreParallelDBs)
 	}

grafana/dbbackup-dashboard.json

@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
             "uid": "${DS_PROMETHEUS}"
           },
           "editorMode": "code",
-          "expr": "dbbackup_rpo_seconds{instance=~\"$instance\"} < 86400",
+          "expr": "dbbackup_rpo_seconds{instance=~\"$instance\"} < bool 604800",
           "legendFormat": "{{database}}",
           "range": true,
           "refId": "A"
@@ -711,19 +711,6 @@
       },
       "pluginVersion": "10.2.0",
       "targets": [
-        {
-          "datasource": {
-            "type": "prometheus",
-            "uid": "${DS_PROMETHEUS}"
-          },
-          "editorMode": "code",
-          "expr": "dbbackup_rpo_seconds{instance=~\"$instance\"} < 86400",
-          "format": "table",
-          "instant": true,
-          "legendFormat": "__auto",
-          "range": false,
-          "refId": "Status"
-        },
         {
           "datasource": {
             "type": "prometheus",
@@ -769,26 +756,30 @@
               "Time": true,
               "Time 1": true,
               "Time 2": true,
-              "Time 3": true,
               "__name__": true,
               "__name__ 1": true,
               "__name__ 2": true,
-              "__name__ 3": true,
               "instance 1": true,
               "instance 2": true,
-              "instance 3": true,
               "job": true,
               "job 1": true,
               "job 2": true,
-              "job 3": true
+              "engine 1": true,
+              "engine 2": true
+            },
+            "indexByName": {
+              "Database": 0,
+              "Instance": 1,
+              "Engine": 2,
+              "RPO": 3,
+              "Size": 4
             },
-            "indexByName": {},
             "renameByName": {
               "Value #RPO": "RPO",
               "Value #Size": "Size",
-              "Value #Status": "Status",
               "database": "Database",
-              "instance": "Instance"
+              "instance": "Instance",
+              "engine": "Engine"
             }
           }
         }
@@ -1275,7 +1266,7 @@
           "query": "label_values(dbbackup_rpo_seconds, instance)",
           "refId": "StandardVariableQuery"
         },
-        "refresh": 1,
+        "refresh": 2,
         "regex": "",
         "skipUrlSync": false,
         "sort": 1,

internal/checks/error_hints.go

@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ func ClassifyError(errorMsg string) *ErrorClassification {
 			Type:     "critical",
 			Category: "locks",
 			Message:  errorMsg,
-			Hint:     "Lock table exhausted - typically caused by large objects (BLOBs) during restore",
+			Hint:     "Lock table exhausted. Total capacity = max_locks_per_transaction × (max_connections + max_prepared_transactions). If you reduced VM size or max_connections, you need higher max_locks_per_transaction to compensate.",
-			Action:   "Option 1: Increase max_locks_per_transaction to 1024+ in postgresql.conf (requires restart). Option 2: Update dbbackup and retry - phased restore now auto-enabled for BLOB databases",
+			Action:   "Fix: ALTER SYSTEM SET max_locks_per_transaction = 4096; then RESTART PostgreSQL. For smaller VMs with fewer connections, you need higher max_locks_per_transaction values.",
 			Severity: 2,
 		}
 	case "permission_denied":
@@ -142,8 +142,8 @@ func ClassifyError(errorMsg string) *ErrorClassification {
 			Type:     "critical",
 			Category: "locks",
 			Message:  errorMsg,
-			Hint:     "Lock table exhausted - typically caused by large objects (BLOBs) during restore",
+			Hint:     "Lock table exhausted. Total capacity = max_locks_per_transaction × (max_connections + max_prepared_transactions). If you reduced VM size or max_connections, you need higher max_locks_per_transaction to compensate.",
-			Action:   "Option 1: Increase max_locks_per_transaction to 1024+ in postgresql.conf (requires restart). Option 2: Update dbbackup and retry - phased restore now auto-enabled for BLOB databases",
+			Action:   "Fix: ALTER SYSTEM SET max_locks_per_transaction = 4096; then RESTART PostgreSQL. For smaller VMs with fewer connections, you need higher max_locks_per_transaction values.",
 			Severity: 2,
 		}
 	}

internal/config/config.go

@@ -36,9 +36,14 @@ type Config struct {
 	AutoDetectCores  bool
 	CPUWorkloadType  string // "cpu-intensive", "io-intensive", "balanced"
 
+	// Resource profile for backup/restore operations
+	ResourceProfile string // "conservative", "balanced", "performance", "max-performance"
+	LargeDBMode     bool   // Enable large database mode (reduces parallelism, increases max_locks)
+
 	// CPU detection
 	CPUDetector *cpu.Detector
 	CPUInfo     *cpu.CPUInfo
+	MemoryInfo  *cpu.MemoryInfo // System memory information
 
 	// Sample backup options
 	SampleStrategy string // "ratio", "percent", "count"
@@ -178,6 +183,13 @@ func New() *Config {
 		sslMode = ""
 	}
 
+	// Detect memory information
+	memInfo, _ := cpu.DetectMemory()
+
+	// Determine recommended resource profile
+	recommendedProfile := cpu.RecommendProfile(cpuInfo, memInfo, false)
+	defaultProfile := getEnvString("RESOURCE_PROFILE", recommendedProfile.Name)
+
 	cfg := &Config{
 		// Database defaults
 		Host:         host,
@@ -189,18 +201,21 @@ func New() *Config {
 		SSLMode:      sslMode,
 		Insecure:     getEnvBool("INSECURE", false),
 
-		// Backup defaults
+		// Backup defaults - use recommended profile's settings for small VMs
 		BackupDir:        backupDir,
 		CompressionLevel: getEnvInt("COMPRESS_LEVEL", 6),
-		Jobs:             getEnvInt("JOBS", getDefaultJobs(cpuInfo)),
+		Jobs:             getEnvInt("JOBS", recommendedProfile.Jobs),
-		DumpJobs:         getEnvInt("DUMP_JOBS", getDefaultDumpJobs(cpuInfo)),
+		DumpJobs:         getEnvInt("DUMP_JOBS", recommendedProfile.DumpJobs),
 		MaxCores:         getEnvInt("MAX_CORES", getDefaultMaxCores(cpuInfo)),
 		AutoDetectCores:  getEnvBool("AUTO_DETECT_CORES", true),
 		CPUWorkloadType:  getEnvString("CPU_WORKLOAD_TYPE", "balanced"),
+		ResourceProfile:  defaultProfile,
+		LargeDBMode:      getEnvBool("LARGE_DB_MODE", false),
 
-		// CPU detection
+		// CPU and memory detection
 		CPUDetector: cpuDetector,
 		CPUInfo:     cpuInfo,
+		MemoryInfo:  memInfo,
 
 		// Sample backup defaults
 		SampleStrategy: getEnvString("SAMPLE_STRATEGY", "ratio"),
@@ -220,8 +235,8 @@ func New() *Config {
 		// Timeouts - default 24 hours (1440 min) to handle very large databases with large objects
 		ClusterTimeoutMinutes: getEnvInt("CLUSTER_TIMEOUT_MIN", 1440),
 
-		// Cluster parallelism (default: 2 concurrent operations for faster cluster backup/restore)
+		// Cluster parallelism - use recommended profile's setting for small VMs
-		ClusterParallelism: getEnvInt("CLUSTER_PARALLELISM", 2),
+		ClusterParallelism: getEnvInt("CLUSTER_PARALLELISM", recommendedProfile.ClusterParallelism),
 
 		// Working directory for large operations (default: system temp)
 		WorkDir: getEnvString("WORK_DIR", ""),
@@ -409,6 +424,56 @@ func (c *Config) OptimizeForCPU() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// ApplyResourceProfile applies a resource profile to the configuration
+// This adjusts parallelism settings based on the chosen profile
+func (c *Config) ApplyResourceProfile(profileName string) error {
+	profile := cpu.GetProfileByName(profileName)
+	if profile == nil {
+		return &ConfigError{
+			Field:   "resource_profile",
+			Value:   profileName,
+			Message: "unknown profile. Valid profiles: conservative, balanced, performance, max-performance",
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Validate profile against current system
+	isValid, warnings := cpu.ValidateProfileForSystem(profile, c.CPUInfo, c.MemoryInfo)
+	if !isValid {
+		// Log warnings but don't block - user may know what they're doing
+		_ = warnings // In production, log these warnings
+	}
+
+	// Apply profile settings
+	c.ResourceProfile = profile.Name
+	c.ClusterParallelism = profile.ClusterParallelism
+	c.Jobs = profile.Jobs
+	c.DumpJobs = profile.DumpJobs
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// GetResourceProfileRecommendation returns the recommended profile and reason
+func (c *Config) GetResourceProfileRecommendation(isLargeDB bool) (string, string) {
+	profile, reason := cpu.RecommendProfileWithReason(c.CPUInfo, c.MemoryInfo, isLargeDB)
+	return profile.Name, reason
+}
+
+// GetCurrentProfile returns the current resource profile details
+// If LargeDBMode is enabled, returns a modified profile with reduced parallelism
+func (c *Config) GetCurrentProfile() *cpu.ResourceProfile {
+	profile := cpu.GetProfileByName(c.ResourceProfile)
+	if profile == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Apply LargeDBMode modifier if enabled
+	if c.LargeDBMode {
+		return cpu.ApplyLargeDBMode(profile)
+	}
+
+	return profile
+}
+
 // GetCPUInfo returns CPU information, detecting if necessary
 func (c *Config) GetCPUInfo() (*cpu.CPUInfo, error) {
 	if c.CPUInfo != nil {

internal/config/persist.go

@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ type LocalConfig struct {
 	CPUWorkload     string
 	MaxCores        int
 	ClusterTimeout  int  // Cluster operation timeout in minutes (default: 1440 = 24 hours)
+	ResourceProfile string
+	LargeDBMode     bool // Enable large database mode (reduces parallelism, increases locks)
 
 	// Security settings
 	RetentionDays int
@@ -126,6 +128,10 @@ func LoadLocalConfig() (*LocalConfig, error) {
 				if ct, err := strconv.Atoi(value); err == nil {
 					cfg.ClusterTimeout = ct
 				}
+			case "resource_profile":
+				cfg.ResourceProfile = value
+			case "large_db_mode":
+				cfg.LargeDBMode = value == "true" || value == "1"
 			}
 		case "security":
 			switch key {
@@ -207,6 +213,12 @@ func SaveLocalConfig(cfg *LocalConfig) error {
 	if cfg.ClusterTimeout != 0 {
 		sb.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("cluster_timeout = %d\n", cfg.ClusterTimeout))
 	}
+	if cfg.ResourceProfile != "" {
+		sb.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("resource_profile = %s\n", cfg.ResourceProfile))
+	}
+	if cfg.LargeDBMode {
+		sb.WriteString("large_db_mode = true\n")
+	}
 	sb.WriteString("\n")
 
 	// Security section
@@ -280,6 +292,14 @@ func ApplyLocalConfig(cfg *Config, local *LocalConfig) {
 	if local.ClusterTimeout != 0 {
 		cfg.ClusterTimeoutMinutes = local.ClusterTimeout
 	}
+	// Apply resource profile settings
+	if local.ResourceProfile != "" {
+		cfg.ResourceProfile = local.ResourceProfile
+	}
+	// LargeDBMode is a boolean - apply if true in config
+	if local.LargeDBMode {
+		cfg.LargeDBMode = true
+	}
 	if cfg.RetentionDays == 30 && local.RetentionDays != 0 {
 		cfg.RetentionDays = local.RetentionDays
 	}
@@ -308,6 +328,8 @@ func ConfigFromConfig(cfg *Config) *LocalConfig {
 		CPUWorkload:     cfg.CPUWorkloadType,
 		MaxCores:        cfg.MaxCores,
 		ClusterTimeout:  cfg.ClusterTimeoutMinutes,
+		ResourceProfile: cfg.ResourceProfile,
+		LargeDBMode:     cfg.LargeDBMode,
 		RetentionDays:   cfg.RetentionDays,
 		MinBackups:      cfg.MinBackups,
 		MaxRetries:      cfg.MaxRetries,

internal/cpu/profiles.go

@@ -0,0 +1,475 @@
+package cpu
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"runtime"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+// MemoryInfo holds system memory information
+type MemoryInfo struct {
+	TotalBytes     int64  `json:"total_bytes"`
+	AvailableBytes int64  `json:"available_bytes"`
+	FreeBytes      int64  `json:"free_bytes"`
+	UsedBytes      int64  `json:"used_bytes"`
+	SwapTotalBytes int64  `json:"swap_total_bytes"`
+	SwapFreeBytes  int64  `json:"swap_free_bytes"`
+	TotalGB        int    `json:"total_gb"`
+	AvailableGB    int    `json:"available_gb"`
+	Platform       string `json:"platform"`
+}
+
+// ResourceProfile defines a resource allocation profile for backup/restore operations
+type ResourceProfile struct {
+	Name                string `json:"name"`
+	Description         string `json:"description"`
+	ClusterParallelism  int    `json:"cluster_parallelism"`   // Concurrent databases
+	Jobs                int    `json:"jobs"`                  // Parallel jobs within pg_restore
+	DumpJobs            int    `json:"dump_jobs"`             // Parallel jobs for pg_dump
+	MaintenanceWorkMem  string `json:"maintenance_work_mem"`  // PostgreSQL recommendation
+	MaxLocksPerTxn      int    `json:"max_locks_per_txn"`     // PostgreSQL recommendation
+	RecommendedForLarge bool   `json:"recommended_for_large"` // Suitable for large DBs?
+	MinMemoryGB         int    `json:"min_memory_gb"`         // Minimum memory for this profile
+	MinCores            int    `json:"min_cores"`             // Minimum cores for this profile
+}
+
+// Predefined resource profiles
+var (
+	// ProfileConservative - Safe for constrained VMs, avoids shared memory issues
+	ProfileConservative = ResourceProfile{
+		Name:                "conservative",
+		Description:         "Safe for small VMs (2-4 cores, <16GB). Sequential operations, minimal memory pressure. Best for large DBs on limited hardware.",
+		ClusterParallelism:  1,
+		Jobs:                1,
+		DumpJobs:            2,
+		MaintenanceWorkMem:  "256MB",
+		MaxLocksPerTxn:      4096,
+		RecommendedForLarge: true,
+		MinMemoryGB:         4,
+		MinCores:            2,
+	}
+
+	// ProfileBalanced - Default profile, works for most scenarios
+	ProfileBalanced = ResourceProfile{
+		Name:                "balanced",
+		Description:         "Balanced for medium VMs (4-8 cores, 16-32GB). Moderate parallelism with good safety margin.",
+		ClusterParallelism:  2,
+		Jobs:                2,
+		DumpJobs:            4,
+		MaintenanceWorkMem:  "512MB",
+		MaxLocksPerTxn:      2048,
+		RecommendedForLarge: true,
+		MinMemoryGB:         16,
+		MinCores:            4,
+	}
+
+	// ProfilePerformance - Aggressive parallelism for powerful servers
+	ProfilePerformance = ResourceProfile{
+		Name:                "performance",
+		Description:         "Aggressive for powerful servers (8+ cores, 32GB+). Maximum parallelism for fast operations.",
+		ClusterParallelism:  4,
+		Jobs:                4,
+		DumpJobs:            8,
+		MaintenanceWorkMem:  "1GB",
+		MaxLocksPerTxn:      1024,
+		RecommendedForLarge: false, // Large DBs may still need conservative
+		MinMemoryGB:         32,
+		MinCores:            8,
+	}
+
+	// ProfileMaxPerformance - Maximum parallelism for high-end servers
+	ProfileMaxPerformance = ResourceProfile{
+		Name:                "max-performance",
+		Description:         "Maximum for high-end servers (16+ cores, 64GB+). Full CPU utilization.",
+		ClusterParallelism:  8,
+		Jobs:                8,
+		DumpJobs:            16,
+		MaintenanceWorkMem:  "2GB",
+		MaxLocksPerTxn:      512,
+		RecommendedForLarge: false, // Large DBs should use LargeDBMode
+		MinMemoryGB:         64,
+		MinCores:            16,
+	}
+
+	// AllProfiles contains all available profiles (VM resource-based)
+	AllProfiles = []ResourceProfile{
+		ProfileConservative,
+		ProfileBalanced,
+		ProfilePerformance,
+		ProfileMaxPerformance,
+	}
+)
+
+// GetProfileByName returns a profile by its name
+func GetProfileByName(name string) *ResourceProfile {
+	for _, p := range AllProfiles {
+		if strings.EqualFold(p.Name, name) {
+			return &p
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// ApplyLargeDBMode modifies a profile for large database operations.
+// This is a modifier that reduces parallelism and increases max_locks_per_transaction
+// to prevent "out of shared memory" errors with large databases (many tables, LOBs, etc.).
+// It returns a new profile with adjusted settings, leaving the original unchanged.
+func ApplyLargeDBMode(profile *ResourceProfile) *ResourceProfile {
+	if profile == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Create a copy with adjusted settings
+	modified := *profile
+
+	// Add "(large-db)" suffix to indicate this is modified
+	modified.Name = profile.Name + " +large-db"
+	modified.Description = fmt.Sprintf("%s [LargeDBMode: reduced parallelism, high locks]", profile.Description)
+
+	// Reduce parallelism to avoid lock exhaustion
+	// Rule: halve parallelism, minimum 1
+	modified.ClusterParallelism = max(1, profile.ClusterParallelism/2)
+	modified.Jobs = max(1, profile.Jobs/2)
+	modified.DumpJobs = max(2, profile.DumpJobs/2)
+
+	// Force high max_locks_per_transaction for large schemas
+	modified.MaxLocksPerTxn = 8192
+
+	// Increase maintenance_work_mem for complex operations
+	// Keep or boost maintenance work mem
+	modified.MaintenanceWorkMem = "1GB"
+	if profile.MinMemoryGB >= 32 {
+		modified.MaintenanceWorkMem = "2GB"
+	}
+
+	modified.RecommendedForLarge = true
+
+	return &modified
+}
+
+// max returns the larger of two integers
+func max(a, b int) int {
+	if a > b {
+		return a
+	}
+	return b
+}
+
+// DetectMemory detects system memory information
+func DetectMemory() (*MemoryInfo, error) {
+	info := &MemoryInfo{
+		Platform: runtime.GOOS,
+	}
+
+	switch runtime.GOOS {
+	case "linux":
+		if err := detectLinuxMemory(info); err != nil {
+			return info, fmt.Errorf("linux memory detection failed: %w", err)
+		}
+	case "darwin":
+		if err := detectDarwinMemory(info); err != nil {
+			return info, fmt.Errorf("darwin memory detection failed: %w", err)
+		}
+	case "windows":
+		if err := detectWindowsMemory(info); err != nil {
+			return info, fmt.Errorf("windows memory detection failed: %w", err)
+		}
+	default:
+		// Fallback: use Go runtime memory stats
+		var memStats runtime.MemStats
+		runtime.ReadMemStats(&memStats)
+		info.TotalBytes = int64(memStats.Sys)
+		info.AvailableBytes = int64(memStats.Sys - memStats.Alloc)
+	}
+
+	// Calculate GB values
+	info.TotalGB = int(info.TotalBytes / (1024 * 1024 * 1024))
+	info.AvailableGB = int(info.AvailableBytes / (1024 * 1024 * 1024))
+
+	return info, nil
+}
+
+// detectLinuxMemory reads memory info from /proc/meminfo
+func detectLinuxMemory(info *MemoryInfo) error {
+	file, err := os.Open("/proc/meminfo")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer file.Close()
+
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(file)
+	for scanner.Scan() {
+		line := scanner.Text()
+		parts := strings.Fields(line)
+		if len(parts) < 2 {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		key := strings.TrimSuffix(parts[0], ":")
+		value, err := strconv.ParseInt(parts[1], 10, 64)
+		if err != nil {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Values are in kB
+		valueBytes := value * 1024
+
+		switch key {
+		case "MemTotal":
+			info.TotalBytes = valueBytes
+		case "MemAvailable":
+			info.AvailableBytes = valueBytes
+		case "MemFree":
+			info.FreeBytes = valueBytes
+		case "SwapTotal":
+			info.SwapTotalBytes = valueBytes
+		case "SwapFree":
+			info.SwapFreeBytes = valueBytes
+		}
+	}
+
+	info.UsedBytes = info.TotalBytes - info.AvailableBytes
+
+	return scanner.Err()
+}
+
+// detectDarwinMemory detects memory on macOS
+func detectDarwinMemory(info *MemoryInfo) error {
+	// Use sysctl for total memory
+	if output, err := runCommand("sysctl", "-n", "hw.memsize"); err == nil {
+		if val, err := strconv.ParseInt(strings.TrimSpace(output), 10, 64); err == nil {
+			info.TotalBytes = val
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Use vm_stat for available memory (more complex parsing required)
+	if output, err := runCommand("vm_stat"); err == nil {
+		pageSize := int64(4096) // Default page size
+		var freePages, inactivePages int64
+
+		lines := strings.Split(output, "\n")
+		for _, line := range lines {
+			if strings.Contains(line, "page size of") {
+				parts := strings.Fields(line)
+				for i, p := range parts {
+					if p == "of" && i+1 < len(parts) {
+						if ps, err := strconv.ParseInt(parts[i+1], 10, 64); err == nil {
+							pageSize = ps
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			} else if strings.Contains(line, "Pages free:") {
+				val := extractNumberFromLine(line)
+				freePages = val
+			} else if strings.Contains(line, "Pages inactive:") {
+				val := extractNumberFromLine(line)
+				inactivePages = val
+			}
+		}
+
+		info.FreeBytes = freePages * pageSize
+		info.AvailableBytes = (freePages + inactivePages) * pageSize
+	}
+
+	info.UsedBytes = info.TotalBytes - info.AvailableBytes
+	return nil
+}
+
+// detectWindowsMemory detects memory on Windows
+func detectWindowsMemory(info *MemoryInfo) error {
+	// Use wmic for memory info
+	if output, err := runCommand("wmic", "OS", "get", "TotalVisibleMemorySize,FreePhysicalMemory", "/format:list"); err == nil {
+		lines := strings.Split(output, "\n")
+		for _, line := range lines {
+			line = strings.TrimSpace(line)
+			if strings.HasPrefix(line, "TotalVisibleMemorySize=") {
+				val := strings.TrimPrefix(line, "TotalVisibleMemorySize=")
+				if v, err := strconv.ParseInt(strings.TrimSpace(val), 10, 64); err == nil {
+					info.TotalBytes = v * 1024 // KB to bytes
+				}
+			} else if strings.HasPrefix(line, "FreePhysicalMemory=") {
+				val := strings.TrimPrefix(line, "FreePhysicalMemory=")
+				if v, err := strconv.ParseInt(strings.TrimSpace(val), 10, 64); err == nil {
+					info.FreeBytes = v * 1024
+					info.AvailableBytes = v * 1024
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	info.UsedBytes = info.TotalBytes - info.AvailableBytes
+	return nil
+}
+
+// RecommendProfile recommends a resource profile based on system resources and workload
+func RecommendProfile(cpuInfo *CPUInfo, memInfo *MemoryInfo, isLargeDB bool) *ResourceProfile {
+	cores := 0
+	if cpuInfo != nil {
+		cores = cpuInfo.PhysicalCores
+		if cores == 0 {
+			cores = cpuInfo.LogicalCores
+		}
+	}
+	if cores == 0 {
+		cores = runtime.NumCPU()
+	}
+
+	memGB := 0
+	if memInfo != nil {
+		memGB = memInfo.TotalGB
+	}
+
+	// Special case: large databases should use conservative profile
+	// The caller should also enable LargeDBMode for increased MaxLocksPerTxn
+	if isLargeDB {
+		// For large DBs, recommend conservative regardless of resources
+		// LargeDBMode flag will handle the lock settings separately
+		return &ProfileConservative
+	}
+
+	// Resource-based selection
+	if cores >= 16 && memGB >= 64 {
+		return &ProfileMaxPerformance
+	} else if cores >= 8 && memGB >= 32 {
+		return &ProfilePerformance
+	} else if cores >= 4 && memGB >= 16 {
+		return &ProfileBalanced
+	}
+
+	// Default to conservative for constrained systems
+	return &ProfileConservative
+}
+
+// RecommendProfileWithReason returns a profile recommendation with explanation
+func RecommendProfileWithReason(cpuInfo *CPUInfo, memInfo *MemoryInfo, isLargeDB bool) (*ResourceProfile, string) {
+	cores := 0
+	if cpuInfo != nil {
+		cores = cpuInfo.PhysicalCores
+		if cores == 0 {
+			cores = cpuInfo.LogicalCores
+		}
+	}
+	if cores == 0 {
+		cores = runtime.NumCPU()
+	}
+
+	memGB := 0
+	if memInfo != nil {
+		memGB = memInfo.TotalGB
+	}
+
+	// Build reason string
+	var reason strings.Builder
+	reason.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("System: %d cores, %dGB RAM. ", cores, memGB))
+
+	profile := RecommendProfile(cpuInfo, memInfo, isLargeDB)
+
+	if isLargeDB {
+		reason.WriteString("Large database mode - using conservative settings. Enable LargeDBMode for higher max_locks.")
+	} else if profile.Name == "conservative" {
+		reason.WriteString("Limited resources detected - using conservative profile for stability.")
+	} else if profile.Name == "max-performance" {
+		reason.WriteString("High-end server detected - using maximum parallelism.")
+	} else if profile.Name == "performance" {
+		reason.WriteString("Good resources detected - using performance profile.")
+	} else {
+		reason.WriteString("Using balanced profile for optimal performance/stability trade-off.")
+	}
+
+	return profile, reason.String()
+}
+
+// ValidateProfileForSystem checks if a profile is suitable for the current system
+func ValidateProfileForSystem(profile *ResourceProfile, cpuInfo *CPUInfo, memInfo *MemoryInfo) (bool, []string) {
+	var warnings []string
+
+	cores := 0
+	if cpuInfo != nil {
+		cores = cpuInfo.PhysicalCores
+		if cores == 0 {
+			cores = cpuInfo.LogicalCores
+		}
+	}
+	if cores == 0 {
+		cores = runtime.NumCPU()
+	}
+
+	memGB := 0
+	if memInfo != nil {
+		memGB = memInfo.TotalGB
+	}
+
+	// Check minimum requirements
+	if cores < profile.MinCores {
+		warnings = append(warnings,
+			fmt.Sprintf("Profile '%s' recommends %d+ cores (system has %d)", profile.Name, profile.MinCores, cores))
+	}
+
+	if memGB < profile.MinMemoryGB {
+		warnings = append(warnings,
+			fmt.Sprintf("Profile '%s' recommends %dGB+ RAM (system has %dGB)", profile.Name, profile.MinMemoryGB, memGB))
+	}
+
+	// Check for potential issues
+	if profile.ClusterParallelism > cores {
+		warnings = append(warnings,
+			fmt.Sprintf("Cluster parallelism (%d) exceeds CPU cores (%d) - may cause contention",
+				profile.ClusterParallelism, cores))
+	}
+
+	// Memory pressure warning
+	memPerWorker := 2 // Rough estimate: 2GB per parallel worker for large DB operations
+	requiredMem := profile.ClusterParallelism * profile.Jobs * memPerWorker
+	if memGB > 0 && requiredMem > memGB {
+		warnings = append(warnings,
+			fmt.Sprintf("High parallelism may require ~%dGB RAM (system has %dGB) - risk of OOM",
+				requiredMem, memGB))
+	}
+
+	return len(warnings) == 0, warnings
+}
+
+// FormatProfileSummary returns a formatted summary of a profile
+func (p *ResourceProfile) FormatProfileSummary() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("[%s] Parallel: %d DBs, %d jobs | Recommended for large DBs: %v",
+		strings.ToUpper(p.Name),
+		p.ClusterParallelism,
+		p.Jobs,
+		p.RecommendedForLarge)
+}
+
+// PostgreSQLRecommendations returns PostgreSQL configuration recommendations for this profile
+func (p *ResourceProfile) PostgreSQLRecommendations() []string {
+	return []string{
+		fmt.Sprintf("ALTER SYSTEM SET max_locks_per_transaction = %d;", p.MaxLocksPerTxn),
+		fmt.Sprintf("ALTER SYSTEM SET maintenance_work_mem = '%s';", p.MaintenanceWorkMem),
+		"-- Restart PostgreSQL after changes to max_locks_per_transaction",
+	}
+}
+
+// Helper functions
+
+func runCommand(name string, args ...string) (string, error) {
+	cmd := exec.Command(name, args...)
+	output, err := cmd.Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return string(output), nil
+}
+
+func extractNumberFromLine(line string) int64 {
+	// Extract number before the period at end (e.g., "Pages free:   123456.")
+	parts := strings.Fields(line)
+	for _, p := range parts {
+		p = strings.TrimSuffix(p, ".")
+		if val, err := strconv.ParseInt(p, 10, 64); err == nil && val > 0 {
+			return val
+		}
+	}
+	return 0
+}

internal/restore/engine.go

@@ -2125,9 +2125,10 @@ func (e *Engine) quickValidateSQLDump(archivePath string, compressed bool) error
 	return nil
 }
 
-// boostLockCapacity temporarily increases max_locks_per_transaction to prevent OOM
+// boostLockCapacity checks and reports on max_locks_per_transaction capacity.
-// during large restores with many BLOBs. Returns the original value for later reset.
+// IMPORTANT: max_locks_per_transaction requires a PostgreSQL RESTART to change!
-// Uses ALTER SYSTEM + pg_reload_conf() so no restart is needed.
+// This function now calculates total lock capacity based on max_connections and
+// warns the user if capacity is insufficient for the restore.
 func (e *Engine) boostLockCapacity(ctx context.Context) (int, error) {
 	// Connect to PostgreSQL to run system commands
 	connStr := fmt.Sprintf("host=%s port=%d user=%s password=%s dbname=postgres sslmode=disable",
@@ -2145,7 +2146,7 @@ func (e *Engine) boostLockCapacity(ctx context.Context) (int, error) {
 	}
 	defer db.Close()
 
-	// Get current value
+	// Get current max_locks_per_transaction
 	var currentValue int
 	err = db.QueryRowContext(ctx, "SHOW max_locks_per_transaction").Scan(&currentValue)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -2158,22 +2159,56 @@ func (e *Engine) boostLockCapacity(ctx context.Context) (int, error) {
 		fmt.Sscanf(currentValueStr, "%d", &currentValue)
 	}
 
-	// Skip if already high enough
+	// Get max_connections to calculate total lock capacity
-	if currentValue >= 2048 {
+	var maxConns int
-		e.log.Info("max_locks_per_transaction already sufficient", "value", currentValue)
+	if err := db.QueryRowContext(ctx, "SHOW max_connections").Scan(&maxConns); err != nil {
-		return currentValue, nil
+		maxConns = 100 // default
 	}
 
-	// Boost to 2048 (enough for most BLOB-heavy databases)
+	// Get max_prepared_transactions
-	_, err = db.ExecContext(ctx, "ALTER SYSTEM SET max_locks_per_transaction = 2048")
+	var maxPreparedTxns int
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := db.QueryRowContext(ctx, "SHOW max_prepared_transactions").Scan(&maxPreparedTxns); err != nil {
-		return currentValue, fmt.Errorf("failed to set max_locks_per_transaction: %w", err)
+		maxPreparedTxns = 0
 	}
 
-	// Reload config without restart
+	// Calculate total lock table capacity:
-	_, err = db.ExecContext(ctx, "SELECT pg_reload_conf()")
+	// Total locks = max_locks_per_transaction × (max_connections + max_prepared_transactions)
+	totalLockCapacity := currentValue * (maxConns + maxPreparedTxns)
+
+	e.log.Info("PostgreSQL lock table capacity",
+		"max_locks_per_transaction", currentValue,
+		"max_connections", maxConns,
+		"max_prepared_transactions", maxPreparedTxns,
+		"total_lock_capacity", totalLockCapacity)
+
+	// Minimum recommended total capacity for BLOB-heavy restores: 200,000 locks
+	minRecommendedCapacity := 200000
+	if totalLockCapacity < minRecommendedCapacity {
+		recommendedMaxLocks := minRecommendedCapacity / (maxConns + maxPreparedTxns)
+		if recommendedMaxLocks < 4096 {
+			recommendedMaxLocks = 4096
+		}
+
+		e.log.Warn("Lock table capacity may be insufficient for BLOB-heavy restores",
+			"current_total_capacity", totalLockCapacity,
+			"recommended_capacity", minRecommendedCapacity,
+			"current_max_locks", currentValue,
+			"recommended_max_locks", recommendedMaxLocks,
+			"note", "max_locks_per_transaction requires PostgreSQL RESTART to change")
+
+		// Write suggested fix to ALTER SYSTEM but warn about restart
+		_, err = db.ExecContext(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("ALTER SYSTEM SET max_locks_per_transaction = %d", recommendedMaxLocks))
 		if err != nil {
-		return currentValue, fmt.Errorf("failed to reload config: %w", err)
+			e.log.Warn("Could not set recommended max_locks_per_transaction (needs superuser)", "error", err)
+		} else {
+			e.log.Warn("Wrote recommended max_locks_per_transaction to postgresql.auto.conf",
+				"value", recommendedMaxLocks,
+				"action", "RESTART PostgreSQL to apply: sudo systemctl restart postgresql")
+		}
+	} else {
+		e.log.Info("Lock table capacity is sufficient",
+			"total_capacity", totalLockCapacity,
+			"max_locks_per_transaction", currentValue)
 	}
 
 	return currentValue, nil

internal/restore/preflight.go

@@ -16,6 +16,57 @@ import (
 	"github.com/shirou/gopsutil/v3/mem"
 )
 
+// CalculateOptimalParallel returns the recommended number of parallel workers
+// based on available system resources (CPU cores and RAM).
+// This is a standalone function that can be called from anywhere.
+// Returns 0 if resources cannot be detected.
+func CalculateOptimalParallel() int {
+	cpuCores := runtime.NumCPU()
+
+	vmem, err := mem.VirtualMemory()
+	if err != nil {
+		// Fallback: use half of CPU cores if memory detection fails
+		if cpuCores > 1 {
+			return cpuCores / 2
+		}
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	memAvailableGB := float64(vmem.Available) / (1024 * 1024 * 1024)
+
+	// Each pg_restore worker needs approximately 2-4GB of RAM
+	// Use conservative 3GB per worker to avoid OOM
+	const memPerWorkerGB = 3.0
+
+	// Calculate limits
+	maxByMem := int(memAvailableGB / memPerWorkerGB)
+	maxByCPU := cpuCores
+
+	// Use the minimum of memory and CPU limits
+	recommended := maxByMem
+	if maxByCPU < recommended {
+		recommended = maxByCPU
+	}
+
+	// Apply sensible bounds
+	if recommended < 1 {
+		recommended = 1
+	}
+	if recommended > 16 {
+		recommended = 16 // Cap at 16 to avoid diminishing returns
+	}
+
+	// If memory pressure is high (>80%), reduce parallelism
+	if vmem.UsedPercent > 80 && recommended > 1 {
+		recommended = recommended / 2
+		if recommended < 1 {
+			recommended = 1
+		}
+	}
+
+	return recommended
+}
+
 // PreflightResult contains all preflight check results
 type PreflightResult struct {
 	// Linux system checks
@@ -40,6 +91,8 @@ type LinuxChecks struct {
 	MemTotal            uint64  // Total RAM in bytes
 	MemAvailable        uint64  // Available RAM in bytes
 	MemUsedPercent      float64 // Memory usage percentage
+	CPUCores            int     // Number of CPU cores
+	RecommendedParallel int     // Auto-calculated optimal parallel count
 	ShmMaxOK            bool    // Is shmmax sufficient?
 	ShmAllOK            bool    // Is shmall sufficient?
 	MemAvailableOK      bool    // Is available RAM sufficient?
@@ -49,6 +102,8 @@ type LinuxChecks struct {
 // PostgreSQLChecks contains PostgreSQL configuration checks
 type PostgreSQLChecks struct {
 	MaxLocksPerTransaction  int    // Current setting
+	MaxPreparedTransactions int    // Current setting (affects lock capacity)
+	TotalLockCapacity       int    // Calculated: max_locks × (max_connections + max_prepared)
 	MaintenanceWorkMem      string // Current setting
 	SharedBuffers           string // Current setting (info only)
 	MaxConnections          int    // Current setting
@@ -98,6 +153,7 @@ func (e *Engine) RunPreflightChecks(ctx context.Context, dumpsDir string, entrie
 // checkSystemResources uses gopsutil for cross-platform system checks
 func (e *Engine) checkSystemResources(result *PreflightResult) {
 	result.Linux.IsLinux = runtime.GOOS == "linux"
+	result.Linux.CPUCores = runtime.NumCPU()
 
 	// Get memory info (works on Linux, macOS, Windows, BSD)
 	if vmem, err := mem.VirtualMemory(); err == nil {
@@ -116,6 +172,9 @@ func (e *Engine) checkSystemResources(result *PreflightResult) {
 		e.log.Warn("Could not detect system memory", "error", err)
 	}
 
+	// Calculate recommended parallel based on resources
+	result.Linux.RecommendedParallel = e.calculateRecommendedParallel(result)
+
 	// Linux-specific kernel checks (shmmax, shmall)
 	if result.Linux.IsLinux {
 		e.checkLinuxKernel(result)
@@ -201,6 +260,29 @@ func (e *Engine) checkPostgreSQL(ctx context.Context, result *PreflightResult) {
 		result.PostgreSQL.IsSuperuser = isSuperuser
 	}
 
+	// Check max_prepared_transactions for lock capacity calculation
+	var maxPreparedTxns string
+	if err := db.QueryRowContext(ctx, "SHOW max_prepared_transactions").Scan(&maxPreparedTxns); err == nil {
+		result.PostgreSQL.MaxPreparedTransactions, _ = strconv.Atoi(maxPreparedTxns)
+	}
+
+	// CRITICAL: Calculate TOTAL lock table capacity
+	// Formula: max_locks_per_transaction × (max_connections + max_prepared_transactions)
+	// This is THE key capacity metric for BLOB-heavy restores
+	maxConns := result.PostgreSQL.MaxConnections
+	if maxConns == 0 {
+		maxConns = 100 // default
+	}
+	maxPrepared := result.PostgreSQL.MaxPreparedTransactions
+	totalLockCapacity := result.PostgreSQL.MaxLocksPerTransaction * (maxConns + maxPrepared)
+	result.PostgreSQL.TotalLockCapacity = totalLockCapacity
+
+	e.log.Info("PostgreSQL lock table capacity",
+		"max_locks_per_transaction", result.PostgreSQL.MaxLocksPerTransaction,
+		"max_connections", maxConns,
+		"max_prepared_transactions", maxPrepared,
+		"total_lock_capacity", totalLockCapacity)
+
 	// CRITICAL: max_locks_per_transaction requires PostgreSQL RESTART to change!
 	// Warn users loudly about this - it's the #1 cause of "out of shared memory" errors
 	if result.PostgreSQL.MaxLocksPerTransaction < 256 {
@@ -212,10 +294,38 @@ func (e *Engine) checkPostgreSQL(ctx context.Context, result *PreflightResult) {
 		result.Warnings = append(result.Warnings,
 			fmt.Sprintf("max_locks_per_transaction=%d is low (recommend 256+). "+
 				"This setting requires PostgreSQL RESTART to change. "+
-				"BLOB-heavy databases may fail with 'out of shared memory' error.",
+				"BLOB-heavy databases may fail with 'out of shared memory' error. "+
+				"Fix: Edit postgresql.conf, set max_locks_per_transaction=2048, then restart PostgreSQL.",
 				result.PostgreSQL.MaxLocksPerTransaction))
 	}
 
+	// NEW: Check total lock capacity is sufficient for typical BLOB operations
+	// Minimum recommended: 200,000 for moderate BLOB databases
+	minRecommendedCapacity := 200000
+	if totalLockCapacity < minRecommendedCapacity {
+		recommendedMaxLocks := minRecommendedCapacity / (maxConns + maxPrepared)
+		if recommendedMaxLocks < 4096 {
+			recommendedMaxLocks = 4096
+		}
+
+		e.log.Warn("Total lock table capacity is LOW for BLOB-heavy restores",
+			"current_capacity", totalLockCapacity,
+			"recommended", minRecommendedCapacity,
+			"current_max_locks", result.PostgreSQL.MaxLocksPerTransaction,
+			"current_max_connections", maxConns,
+			"recommended_max_locks", recommendedMaxLocks,
+			"note", "VMs with fewer connections need higher max_locks_per_transaction")
+
+		result.Warnings = append(result.Warnings,
+			fmt.Sprintf("Total lock capacity=%d is low (recommend %d+). "+
+				"Capacity = max_locks_per_transaction(%d) × max_connections(%d). "+
+				"If you reduced VM size/connections, increase max_locks_per_transaction to %d. "+
+				"Fix: ALTER SYSTEM SET max_locks_per_transaction = %d; then RESTART PostgreSQL.",
+				totalLockCapacity, minRecommendedCapacity,
+				result.PostgreSQL.MaxLocksPerTransaction, maxConns,
+				recommendedMaxLocks, recommendedMaxLocks))
+	}
+
 	// Parse shared_buffers and warn if very low
 	sharedBuffersMB := parseMemoryToMB(result.PostgreSQL.SharedBuffers)
 	if sharedBuffersMB > 0 && sharedBuffersMB < 256 {
@@ -324,20 +434,113 @@ func (e *Engine) calculateRecommendations(result *PreflightResult) {
 	if result.Archive.TotalBlobCount > 50000 {
 		lockBoost = 16384
 	}
+	if result.Archive.TotalBlobCount > 100000 {
+		lockBoost = 32768
+	}
+	if result.Archive.TotalBlobCount > 200000 {
+		lockBoost = 65536
+	}
 
-	// Cap at reasonable maximum
+	// For extreme cases, calculate actual requirement
-	if lockBoost > 16384 {
+	// Rule of thumb: ~1 lock per BLOB, divided by max_connections (default 100)
-		lockBoost = 16384
+	// Add 50% safety margin
+	maxConns := result.PostgreSQL.MaxConnections
+	if maxConns == 0 {
+		maxConns = 100 // default
+	}
+	calculatedLocks := (result.Archive.TotalBlobCount / maxConns) * 3 / 2 // 1.5x safety margin
+	if calculatedLocks > lockBoost {
+		lockBoost = calculatedLocks
 	}
 
 	result.Archive.RecommendedLockBoost = lockBoost
 
+	// CRITICAL: Check if current max_locks_per_transaction is dangerously low for this BLOB count
+	currentLocks := result.PostgreSQL.MaxLocksPerTransaction
+	if currentLocks > 0 && result.Archive.TotalBlobCount > 0 {
+		// Estimate max BLOBs we can handle: locks * max_connections
+		maxSafeBLOBs := currentLocks * maxConns
+
+		if result.Archive.TotalBlobCount > maxSafeBLOBs {
+			severity := "WARNING"
+			if result.Archive.TotalBlobCount > maxSafeBLOBs*2 {
+				severity = "CRITICAL"
+				result.CanProceed = false
+			}
+
+			e.log.Error(fmt.Sprintf("%s: max_locks_per_transaction too low for BLOB count", severity),
+				"current_max_locks", currentLocks,
+				"total_blobs", result.Archive.TotalBlobCount,
+				"max_safe_blobs", maxSafeBLOBs,
+				"recommended_max_locks", lockBoost)
+
+			result.Errors = append(result.Errors,
+				fmt.Sprintf("%s: Archive contains %s BLOBs but max_locks_per_transaction=%d can only safely handle ~%s. "+
+					"Increase max_locks_per_transaction to %d in postgresql.conf and RESTART PostgreSQL.",
+					severity,
+					humanize.Comma(int64(result.Archive.TotalBlobCount)),
+					currentLocks,
+					humanize.Comma(int64(maxSafeBLOBs)),
+					lockBoost))
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Log recommendation
 	e.log.Info("Calculated recommended lock boost",
 		"total_blobs", result.Archive.TotalBlobCount,
 		"recommended_locks", lockBoost)
 }
 
+// calculateRecommendedParallel determines optimal parallelism based on system resources
+// Returns the recommended number of parallel workers for pg_restore
+func (e *Engine) calculateRecommendedParallel(result *PreflightResult) int {
+	cpuCores := result.Linux.CPUCores
+	if cpuCores == 0 {
+		cpuCores = runtime.NumCPU()
+	}
+
+	memAvailableGB := float64(result.Linux.MemAvailable) / (1024 * 1024 * 1024)
+
+	// Each pg_restore worker needs approximately 2-4GB of RAM
+	// Use conservative 3GB per worker to avoid OOM
+	const memPerWorkerGB = 3.0
+
+	// Calculate limits
+	maxByMem := int(memAvailableGB / memPerWorkerGB)
+	maxByCPU := cpuCores
+
+	// Use the minimum of memory and CPU limits
+	recommended := maxByMem
+	if maxByCPU < recommended {
+		recommended = maxByCPU
+	}
+
+	// Apply sensible bounds
+	if recommended < 1 {
+		recommended = 1
+	}
+	if recommended > 16 {
+		recommended = 16 // Cap at 16 to avoid diminishing returns
+	}
+
+	// If memory pressure is high (>80%), reduce parallelism
+	if result.Linux.MemUsedPercent > 80 && recommended > 1 {
+		recommended = recommended / 2
+		if recommended < 1 {
+			recommended = 1
+		}
+	}
+
+	e.log.Info("Calculated recommended parallel",
+		"cpu_cores", cpuCores,
+		"mem_available_gb", fmt.Sprintf("%.1f", memAvailableGB),
+		"max_by_mem", maxByMem,
+		"max_by_cpu", maxByCPU,
+		"recommended", recommended)
+
+	return recommended
+}
+
 // printPreflightSummary prints a nice summary of all checks
 func (e *Engine) printPreflightSummary(result *PreflightResult) {
 	fmt.Println()
@@ -350,6 +553,8 @@ func (e *Engine) printPreflightSummary(result *PreflightResult) {
 	printCheck("Total RAM", humanize.Bytes(result.Linux.MemTotal), true)
 	printCheck("Available RAM", humanize.Bytes(result.Linux.MemAvailable), result.Linux.MemAvailableOK || result.Linux.MemAvailable == 0)
 	printCheck("Memory Usage", fmt.Sprintf("%.1f%%", result.Linux.MemUsedPercent), result.Linux.MemUsedPercent < 85)
+	printCheck("CPU Cores", fmt.Sprintf("%d", result.Linux.CPUCores), true)
+	printCheck("Recommended Parallel", fmt.Sprintf("%d (auto-calculated)", result.Linux.RecommendedParallel), true)
 
 	// Linux-specific kernel checks
 	if result.Linux.IsLinux && result.Linux.ShmMax > 0 {
@@ -365,6 +570,13 @@ func (e *Engine) printPreflightSummary(result *PreflightResult) {
 		humanize.Comma(int64(result.PostgreSQL.MaxLocksPerTransaction)),
 		humanize.Comma(int64(result.Archive.RecommendedLockBoost))),
 		true)
+	printCheck("max_connections", humanize.Comma(int64(result.PostgreSQL.MaxConnections)), true)
+	// Show total lock capacity with warning if low
+	totalCapacityOK := result.PostgreSQL.TotalLockCapacity >= 200000
+	printCheck("Total Lock Capacity",
+		fmt.Sprintf("%s (max_locks × max_conns)",
+			humanize.Comma(int64(result.PostgreSQL.TotalLockCapacity))),
+		totalCapacityOK)
 	printCheck("maintenance_work_mem", fmt.Sprintf("%s → 2GB (auto-boost)",
 		result.PostgreSQL.MaintenanceWorkMem), true)
 	printInfo("shared_buffers", result.PostgreSQL.SharedBuffers)
@@ -386,6 +598,14 @@ func (e *Engine) printPreflightSummary(result *PreflightResult) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Errors (blocking issues)
+	if len(result.Errors) > 0 {
+		fmt.Println("\n  ✗ ERRORS (must fix before proceeding):")
+		for _, e := range result.Errors {
+			fmt.Printf("    • %s\n", e)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Warnings
 	if len(result.Warnings) > 0 {
 		fmt.Println("\n  ⚠ Warnings:")
@@ -394,6 +614,23 @@ func (e *Engine) printPreflightSummary(result *PreflightResult) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Final status
+	fmt.Println()
+	if !result.CanProceed {
+		fmt.Println("  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐")
+		fmt.Println("  │  ✗ PREFLIGHT FAILED - Cannot proceed with restore       │")
+		fmt.Println("  │    Fix the errors above and try again.                  │")
+		fmt.Println("  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘")
+	} else if len(result.Warnings) > 0 {
+		fmt.Println("  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐")
+		fmt.Println("  │  ⚠ PREFLIGHT PASSED WITH WARNINGS - Proceed with care   │")
+		fmt.Println("  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘")
+	} else {
+		fmt.Println("  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐")
+		fmt.Println("  │  ✓ PREFLIGHT PASSED - Ready to restore                  │")
+		fmt.Println("  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘")
+	}
+
 	fmt.Println(strings.Repeat("─", 60))
 	fmt.Println()
 }

internal/restore/safety.go

@@ -334,10 +334,12 @@ func (s *Safety) checkPostgresDatabaseExists(ctx context.Context, dbName string)
 		"-tAc", fmt.Sprintf("SELECT 1 FROM pg_database WHERE datname='%s'", dbName),
 	}
 
-	// Only add -h flag if host is not localhost (to use Unix socket for peer auth)
+	// Always add -h flag for explicit host connection (required for password auth)
-	if s.cfg.Host != "localhost" && s.cfg.Host != "127.0.0.1" && s.cfg.Host != "" {
+	host := s.cfg.Host
-		args = append([]string{"-h", s.cfg.Host}, args...)
+	if host == "" {
+		host = "localhost"
 	}
+	args = append([]string{"-h", host}, args...)
 
 	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "psql", args...)
 
@@ -346,9 +348,9 @@ func (s *Safety) checkPostgresDatabaseExists(ctx context.Context, dbName string)
 		cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(), fmt.Sprintf("PGPASSWORD=%s", s.cfg.Password))
 	}
 
-	output, err := cmd.Output()
+	output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
 	if err != nil {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("failed to check database existence: %w", err)
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("failed to check database existence: %w (output: %s)", err, strings.TrimSpace(string(output)))
 	}
 
 	return strings.TrimSpace(string(output)) == "1", nil
@@ -405,21 +407,29 @@ func (s *Safety) listPostgresUserDatabases(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error
 		"-c", query,
 	}
 
-	// Only add -h flag if host is not localhost (to use Unix socket for peer auth)
+	// Always add -h flag for explicit host connection (required for password auth)
-	if s.cfg.Host != "localhost" && s.cfg.Host != "127.0.0.1" && s.cfg.Host != "" {
+	// Empty or unset host defaults to localhost
-		args = append([]string{"-h", s.cfg.Host}, args...)
+	host := s.cfg.Host
+	if host == "" {
+		host = "localhost"
 	}
+	args = append([]string{"-h", host}, args...)
 
 	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "psql", args...)
 
-	// Set password if provided
+	// Set password - check config first, then environment
+	env := os.Environ()
 	if s.cfg.Password != "" {
-		cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(), fmt.Sprintf("PGPASSWORD=%s", s.cfg.Password))
+		env = append(env, fmt.Sprintf("PGPASSWORD=%s", s.cfg.Password))
 	}
+	cmd.Env = env
 
-	output, err := cmd.Output()
+	s.log.Debug("Listing PostgreSQL databases", "host", host, "port", s.cfg.Port, "user", s.cfg.User)
+
+	output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to list databases: %w", err)
+		// Include psql output in error for debugging
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to list databases: %w (output: %s)", err, strings.TrimSpace(string(output)))
 	}
 
 	// Parse output
@@ -432,6 +442,8 @@ func (s *Safety) listPostgresUserDatabases(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error
 		}
 	}
 
+	s.log.Debug("Found user databases", "count", len(databases), "databases", databases, "raw_output", string(output))
+
 	return databases, nil
 }
 

internal/tui/backup_exec.go

@@ -454,26 +454,24 @@ func (m BackupExecutionModel) View() string {
 	} else {
 		// Show completion summary with detailed stats
 		if m.err != nil {
-			s.WriteString("\n")
+			s.WriteString(errorStyle.Render("╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗"))
-			s.WriteString(errorStyle.Render("  ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗"))
 			s.WriteString("\n")
 			s.WriteString(errorStyle.Render("║              [FAIL] BACKUP FAILED                            ║"))
 			s.WriteString("\n")
-			s.WriteString(errorStyle.Render("  ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝"))
+			s.WriteString(errorStyle.Render("╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝"))
 			s.WriteString("\n\n")
 			s.WriteString(errorStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("  Error: %v", m.err)))
 			s.WriteString("\n")
 		} else {
-			s.WriteString("\n")
+			s.WriteString(successStyle.Render("╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗"))
-			s.WriteString(successStyle.Render("  ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗"))
 			s.WriteString("\n")
 			s.WriteString(successStyle.Render("║           [OK] BACKUP COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY                 ║"))
 			s.WriteString("\n")
-			s.WriteString(successStyle.Render("  ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝"))
+			s.WriteString(successStyle.Render("╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝"))
 			s.WriteString("\n\n")
 
 			// Summary section
-			s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("    ─── Summary ─────────────────────────────────────────────"))
+			s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("  ─── Summary ───────────────────────────────────────────────"))
 			s.WriteString("\n\n")
 
 			// Backup type specific info
@@ -493,26 +491,24 @@ func (m BackupExecutionModel) View() string {
 			}
 
 			s.WriteString("\n")
+		}
 
-			// Timing section
+		// Timing section (always shown, consistent with restore)
-			s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("    ─── Timing ──────────────────────────────────────────────"))
+		s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("  ─── Timing ────────────────────────────────────────────────"))
 		s.WriteString("\n\n")
 
 		elapsed := time.Since(m.startTime)
 		s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("    Total Time:    %s\n", formatBackupDuration(elapsed)))
 
-			if m.backupType == "cluster" && m.dbTotal > 0 {
+		if m.backupType == "cluster" && m.dbTotal > 0 && m.err == nil {
 			avgPerDB := elapsed / time.Duration(m.dbTotal)
 			s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("    Avg per DB:    %s\n", formatBackupDuration(avgPerDB)))
 		}
 
 		s.WriteString("\n")
-			s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("    ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────"))
+		s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("  ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────"))
-			s.WriteString("\n")
+		s.WriteString("\n\n")
-		}
+		s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("  [KEYS]  Press Enter to continue"))
-
-		s.WriteString("\n")
-		s.WriteString("  [KEY]  Press Enter or ESC to return to menu\n")
 	}
 
 	return s.String()

internal/tui/menu.go

@@ -299,9 +299,13 @@ func (m *MenuModel) View() string {
 
 	var s string
 
+	// Product branding header
+	brandLine := fmt.Sprintf("dbbackup v%s • Enterprise Database Backup & Recovery", m.config.Version)
+	s += "\n" + infoStyle.Render(brandLine) + "\n"
+
 	// Header
-	header := titleStyle.Render("Database Backup Tool - Interactive Menu")
+	header := titleStyle.Render("Interactive Menu")
-	s += fmt.Sprintf("\n%s\n\n", header)
+	s += fmt.Sprintf("%s\n\n", header)
 
 	if len(m.dbTypes) > 0 {
 		options := make([]string, len(m.dbTypes))

internal/tui/restore_exec.go

@@ -273,7 +273,20 @@ func executeRestoreWithTUIProgress(parentCtx context.Context, cfg *config.Config
 		defer dbClient.Close()
 
 		// STEP 1: Clean cluster if requested (drop all existing user databases)
-		if restoreType == "restore-cluster" && cleanClusterFirst && len(existingDBs) > 0 {
+		if restoreType == "restore-cluster" && cleanClusterFirst {
+			// Re-detect databases at execution time to get current state
+			// The preview list may be stale or detection may have failed earlier
+			safety := restore.NewSafety(cfg, log)
+			currentDBs, err := safety.ListUserDatabases(ctx)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Warn("Failed to list databases for cleanup, using preview list", "error", err)
+				currentDBs = existingDBs // Fall back to preview list
+			} else if len(currentDBs) > 0 {
+				log.Info("Re-detected user databases for cleanup", "count", len(currentDBs), "databases", currentDBs)
+				existingDBs = currentDBs // Update with fresh list
+			}
+
+			if len(existingDBs) > 0 {
 				log.Info("Dropping existing user databases before cluster restore", "count", len(existingDBs))
 
 				// Drop databases using command-line psql (no connection required)
@@ -293,6 +306,9 @@ func executeRestoreWithTUIProgress(parentCtx context.Context, cfg *config.Config
 				}
 
 				log.Info("Cluster cleanup completed", "dropped", droppedCount, "total", len(existingDBs))
+			} else {
+				log.Info("No user databases to clean up")
+			}
 		}
 
 		// STEP 2: Create restore engine with silent progress (no stdout interference with TUI)
@@ -643,7 +659,13 @@ func (m RestoreExecutionModel) View() string {
 			s.WriteString("\n")
 			s.WriteString(errorStyle.Render("╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝"))
 			s.WriteString("\n\n")
-			s.WriteString(errorStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("  Error: %v", m.err)))
+
+			// Parse and display error in a clean, structured format
+			errStr := m.err.Error()
+
+			// Extract key parts from the error message
+			errDisplay := formatRestoreError(errStr)
+			s.WriteString(errDisplay)
 			s.WriteString("\n")
 		} else {
 			s.WriteString(successStyle.Render("╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗"))
@@ -989,3 +1011,188 @@ func dropDatabaseCLI(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.Config, dbName string) err
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// formatRestoreError formats a restore error message for clean TUI display
+func formatRestoreError(errStr string) string {
+	var s strings.Builder
+	maxLineWidth := 60
+
+	// Common patterns to extract
+	patterns := []struct {
+		key     string
+		pattern string
+	}{
+		{"Error Type", "ERROR:"},
+		{"Hint", "HINT:"},
+		{"Last Error", "last error:"},
+		{"Total Errors", "total errors:"},
+	}
+
+	// First, try to extract a clean error summary
+	errLines := strings.Split(errStr, "\n")
+
+	// Find the main error message (first line or first ERROR:)
+	mainError := ""
+	hint := ""
+	totalErrors := ""
+	dbsFailed := []string{}
+
+	for _, line := range errLines {
+		line = strings.TrimSpace(line)
+		if line == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Extract ERROR messages
+		if strings.Contains(line, "ERROR:") {
+			if mainError == "" {
+				// Get just the ERROR part
+				idx := strings.Index(line, "ERROR:")
+				if idx >= 0 {
+					mainError = strings.TrimSpace(line[idx:])
+					// Truncate if too long
+					if len(mainError) > maxLineWidth {
+						mainError = mainError[:maxLineWidth-3] + "..."
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Extract HINT
+		if strings.Contains(line, "HINT:") {
+			idx := strings.Index(line, "HINT:")
+			if idx >= 0 {
+				hint = strings.TrimSpace(line[idx+5:])
+				if len(hint) > maxLineWidth {
+					hint = hint[:maxLineWidth-3] + "..."
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Extract total errors count
+		if strings.Contains(line, "total errors:") {
+			idx := strings.Index(line, "total errors:")
+			if idx >= 0 {
+				totalErrors = strings.TrimSpace(line[idx+13:])
+				// Just extract the number
+				parts := strings.Fields(totalErrors)
+				if len(parts) > 0 {
+					totalErrors = parts[0]
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Extract failed database names (for cluster restore)
+		if strings.Contains(line, ": restore failed:") {
+			parts := strings.SplitN(line, ":", 2)
+			if len(parts) > 0 {
+				dbName := strings.TrimSpace(parts[0])
+				if dbName != "" && !strings.HasPrefix(dbName, "Error") {
+					dbsFailed = append(dbsFailed, dbName)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// If no structured error found, use the first line
+	if mainError == "" {
+		firstLine := errStr
+		if idx := strings.Index(errStr, "\n"); idx > 0 {
+			firstLine = errStr[:idx]
+		}
+		if len(firstLine) > maxLineWidth*2 {
+			firstLine = firstLine[:maxLineWidth*2-3] + "..."
+		}
+		mainError = firstLine
+	}
+
+	// Build structured error display
+	s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("  ─── Error Details ─────────────────────────────────────────"))
+	s.WriteString("\n\n")
+
+	// Error type detection
+	errorType := "critical"
+	if strings.Contains(errStr, "out of shared memory") || strings.Contains(errStr, "max_locks_per_transaction") {
+		errorType = "critical"
+	} else if strings.Contains(errStr, "connection") {
+		errorType = "connection"
+	} else if strings.Contains(errStr, "permission") || strings.Contains(errStr, "access") {
+		errorType = "permission"
+	}
+
+	s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("    Type: %s\n", errorType))
+	s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("    Message: %s\n", mainError))
+
+	if hint != "" {
+		s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("    Hint: %s\n", hint))
+	}
+
+	if totalErrors != "" {
+		s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("    Total Errors: %s\n", totalErrors))
+	}
+
+	// Show failed databases (max 5)
+	if len(dbsFailed) > 0 {
+		s.WriteString("\n")
+		s.WriteString("    Failed Databases:\n")
+		for i, db := range dbsFailed {
+			if i >= 5 {
+				s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("      ... and %d more\n", len(dbsFailed)-5))
+				break
+			}
+			s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("      • %s\n", db))
+		}
+	}
+
+	s.WriteString("\n")
+	s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("  ─── Diagnosis ─────────────────────────────────────────────"))
+	s.WriteString("\n\n")
+
+	// Provide specific recommendations based on error
+	if strings.Contains(errStr, "out of shared memory") || strings.Contains(errStr, "max_locks_per_transaction") {
+		s.WriteString(errorStyle.Render("    • Cannot access file: stat : no such file or directory\n"))
+		s.WriteString("\n")
+		s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("  ─── [HINT] Recommendations ────────────────────────────────"))
+		s.WriteString("\n\n")
+		s.WriteString("    Lock table exhausted. Total capacity = max_locks_per_transaction\n")
+		s.WriteString("    × (max_connections + max_prepared_transactions).\n\n")
+		s.WriteString("    If you reduced VM size or max_connections, you need higher\n")
+		s.WriteString("    max_locks_per_transaction to compensate.\n\n")
+		s.WriteString(successStyle.Render("    FIX OPTIONS:\n"))
+		s.WriteString("    1. Enable 'Large DB Mode' in Settings\n")
+		s.WriteString("       (press 'l' to toggle, reduces parallelism, increases locks)\n\n")
+		s.WriteString("    2. Increase PostgreSQL locks:\n")
+		s.WriteString("       ALTER SYSTEM SET max_locks_per_transaction = 4096;\n")
+		s.WriteString("       Then RESTART PostgreSQL.\n\n")
+		s.WriteString("    3. Reduce parallel jobs:\n")
+		s.WriteString("       Set Cluster Parallelism = 1 in Settings\n")
+	} else if strings.Contains(errStr, "connection") || strings.Contains(errStr, "refused") {
+		s.WriteString("    • Database connection failed\n\n")
+		s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("  ─── [HINT] Recommendations ────────────────────────────────"))
+		s.WriteString("\n\n")
+		s.WriteString("    1. Check database is running\n")
+		s.WriteString("    2. Verify host, port, and credentials in Settings\n")
+		s.WriteString("    3. Check firewall/network connectivity\n")
+	} else if strings.Contains(errStr, "permission") || strings.Contains(errStr, "denied") {
+		s.WriteString("    • Permission denied\n\n")
+		s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("  ─── [HINT] Recommendations ────────────────────────────────"))
+		s.WriteString("\n\n")
+		s.WriteString("    1. Verify database user has sufficient privileges\n")
+		s.WriteString("    2. Grant CREATE/DROP DATABASE permissions if restoring cluster\n")
+		s.WriteString("    3. Check file system permissions on backup directory\n")
+	} else {
+		s.WriteString("    See error message above for details.\n\n")
+		s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("  ─── [HINT] General Recommendations ────────────────────────"))
+		s.WriteString("\n\n")
+		s.WriteString("    1. Check the full error log for details\n")
+		s.WriteString("    2. Try restoring with 'conservative' profile (press 'c')\n")
+		s.WriteString("    3. For complex databases, enable 'Large DB Mode' (press 'l')\n")
+	}
+
+	s.WriteString("\n")
+
+	// Suppress the pattern variable since we don't use it but defined it
+	_ = patterns
+
+	return s.String()
+}

internal/tui/restore_preview.go

@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ type RestorePreviewModel struct {
 	cleanClusterFirst bool     // For cluster restore: drop all user databases first
 	existingDBCount   int      // Number of existing user databases
 	existingDBs       []string // List of existing user databases
+	existingDBError   string   // Error message if database listing failed
 	safetyChecks      []SafetyCheck
 	checking          bool
 	canProceed        bool
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ type safetyCheckCompleteMsg struct {
 	canProceed      bool
 	existingDBCount int
 	existingDBs     []string
+	existingDBError string
 }
 
 func runSafetyChecks(cfg *config.Config, log logger.Logger, archive ArchiveInfo, targetDB string) tea.Cmd {
@@ -221,10 +223,12 @@ func runSafetyChecks(cfg *config.Config, log logger.Logger, archive ArchiveInfo,
 			check = SafetyCheck{Name: "Existing databases", Status: "checking", Critical: false}
 
 			// Get list of existing user databases (exclude templates and system DBs)
+			var existingDBError string
 			dbList, err := safety.ListUserDatabases(ctx)
 			if err != nil {
 				check.Status = "warning"
 				check.Message = fmt.Sprintf("Cannot list databases: %v", err)
+				existingDBError = err.Error()
 			} else {
 				existingDBCount = len(dbList)
 				existingDBs = dbList
@@ -238,6 +242,14 @@ func runSafetyChecks(cfg *config.Config, log logger.Logger, archive ArchiveInfo,
 				}
 			}
 			checks = append(checks, check)
+
+			return safetyCheckCompleteMsg{
+				checks:          checks,
+				canProceed:      canProceed,
+				existingDBCount: existingDBCount,
+				existingDBs:     existingDBs,
+				existingDBError: existingDBError,
+			}
 		}
 
 		return safetyCheckCompleteMsg{
@@ -257,6 +269,7 @@ func (m RestorePreviewModel) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 		m.canProceed = msg.canProceed
 		m.existingDBCount = msg.existingDBCount
 		m.existingDBs = msg.existingDBs
+		m.existingDBError = msg.existingDBError
 		// Auto-forward in auto-confirm mode
 		if m.config.TUIAutoConfirm {
 			return m.parent, tea.Quit
@@ -275,10 +288,17 @@ func (m RestorePreviewModel) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 
 		case "c":
 			if m.mode == "restore-cluster" {
-				// Toggle cluster cleanup
+				// Toggle cluster cleanup - databases will be re-detected at execution time
 				m.cleanClusterFirst = !m.cleanClusterFirst
 				if m.cleanClusterFirst {
+					if m.existingDBError != "" {
+						// Detection failed in preview - will re-detect at execution
+						m.message = checkWarningStyle.Render("[WARN] Will clean existing databases before restore (detection pending)")
+					} else if m.existingDBCount > 0 {
 						m.message = checkWarningStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("[WARN] Will drop %d existing database(s) before restore", m.existingDBCount))
+					} else {
+						m.message = infoStyle.Render("[INFO] Cleanup enabled (no databases currently detected)")
+					}
 				} else {
 					m.message = fmt.Sprintf("Clean cluster first: disabled")
 				}
@@ -382,7 +402,27 @@ func (m RestorePreviewModel) View() string {
 		s.WriteString("\n")
 		s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("  Host: %s:%d\n", m.config.Host, m.config.Port))
 
-		if m.existingDBCount > 0 {
+		// Show Resource Profile and CPU Workload settings
+		profile := m.config.GetCurrentProfile()
+		if profile != nil {
+			s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("  Resource Profile: %s (Parallel:%d, Jobs:%d)\n",
+				profile.Name, profile.ClusterParallelism, profile.Jobs))
+		} else {
+			s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("  Resource Profile: %s\n", m.config.ResourceProfile))
+		}
+		// Show Large DB Mode status
+		if m.config.LargeDBMode {
+			s.WriteString("  Large DB Mode: ON (reduced parallelism, high locks)\n")
+		}
+		s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("  CPU Workload: %s\n", m.config.CPUWorkloadType))
+		s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("  Cluster Parallelism: %d databases\n", m.config.ClusterParallelism))
+
+		if m.existingDBError != "" {
+			// Show warning when database listing failed - but still allow cleanup toggle
+			s.WriteString(checkWarningStyle.Render("  Existing Databases: Detection failed\n"))
+			s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("    (%s)\n", m.existingDBError)))
+			s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("    (Will re-detect at restore time)\n"))
+		} else if m.existingDBCount > 0 {
 			s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("  Existing Databases: %d found\n", m.existingDBCount))
 
 			// Show first few database names
@@ -395,16 +435,19 @@ func (m RestorePreviewModel) View() string {
 				}
 				s.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("    - %s\n", db))
 			}
+		} else {
+			s.WriteString("  Existing Databases: None (clean slate)\n")
+		}
 
+		// Always show cleanup toggle for cluster restore
 		cleanIcon := "[N]"
 		cleanStyle := infoStyle
 		if m.cleanClusterFirst {
-				cleanIcon = "[Y]"
+			cleanIcon := "[Y]"
 			cleanStyle = checkWarningStyle
-			}
+			s.WriteString(cleanStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("  Clean All First: %s enabled (press 'c' to toggle)\n", cleanIcon)))
-			s.WriteString(cleanStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("  Clean All First: %s %v (press 'c' to toggle)\n", cleanIcon, m.cleanClusterFirst)))
 		} else {
-			s.WriteString("  Existing Databases: None (clean slate)\n")
+			s.WriteString(cleanStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("  Clean All First: %s disabled (press 'c' to toggle)\n", cleanIcon)))
 		}
 		s.WriteString("\n")
 	}
@@ -453,10 +496,18 @@ func (m RestorePreviewModel) View() string {
 		s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("   All existing data in target database will be dropped!"))
 		s.WriteString("\n\n")
 	}
-	if m.cleanClusterFirst && m.existingDBCount > 0 {
+	if m.cleanClusterFirst {
 		s.WriteString(checkWarningStyle.Render("[DANGER] WARNING: Cluster cleanup enabled"))
 		s.WriteString("\n")
+		if m.existingDBError != "" {
+			s.WriteString(checkWarningStyle.Render("   Existing databases will be DROPPED before restore!"))
+			s.WriteString("\n")
+			s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("   (Database count will be detected at restore time)"))
+		} else if m.existingDBCount > 0 {
 			s.WriteString(checkWarningStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("   %d existing database(s) will be DROPPED before restore!", m.existingDBCount)))
+		} else {
+			s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("   No databases currently detected - cleanup will verify at restore time"))
+		}
 		s.WriteString("\n")
 		s.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("   This ensures a clean disaster recovery scenario"))
 		s.WriteString("\n\n")

internal/tui/settings.go

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/lipgloss"
 
 	"dbbackup/internal/config"
+	"dbbackup/internal/cpu"
 	"dbbackup/internal/logger"
 )
 
@@ -101,6 +102,65 @@ func NewSettingsModel(cfg *config.Config, log logger.Logger, parent tea.Model) S
 			Type:        "selector",
 			Description: "CPU workload profile (press Enter to cycle: Balanced → CPU-Intensive → I/O-Intensive)",
 		},
+		{
+			Key:         "resource_profile",
+			DisplayName: "Resource Profile",
+			Value: func(c *config.Config) string {
+				profile := c.GetCurrentProfile()
+				if profile != nil {
+					return fmt.Sprintf("%s (P:%d J:%d)", profile.Name, profile.ClusterParallelism, profile.Jobs)
+				}
+				return c.ResourceProfile
+			},
+			Update: func(c *config.Config, v string) error {
+				profiles := []string{"conservative", "balanced", "performance", "max-performance"}
+				currentIdx := 0
+				for i, p := range profiles {
+					if c.ResourceProfile == p {
+						currentIdx = i
+						break
+					}
+				}
+				nextIdx := (currentIdx + 1) % len(profiles)
+				return c.ApplyResourceProfile(profiles[nextIdx])
+			},
+			Type:        "selector",
+			Description: "Resource profile for VM capacity. Toggle 'l' for Large DB Mode on any profile.",
+		},
+		{
+			Key:         "large_db_mode",
+			DisplayName: "Large DB Mode",
+			Value: func(c *config.Config) string {
+				if c.LargeDBMode {
+					return "ON (↓parallelism, ↑locks)"
+				}
+				return "OFF"
+			},
+			Update: func(c *config.Config, v string) error {
+				c.LargeDBMode = !c.LargeDBMode
+				return nil
+			},
+			Type:        "selector",
+			Description: "Enable for databases with many tables/LOBs. Reduces parallelism, increases max_locks_per_transaction.",
+		},
+		{
+			Key:         "cluster_parallelism",
+			DisplayName: "Cluster Parallelism",
+			Value:       func(c *config.Config) string { return fmt.Sprintf("%d", c.ClusterParallelism) },
+			Update: func(c *config.Config, v string) error {
+				val, err := strconv.Atoi(v)
+				if err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("cluster parallelism must be a number")
+				}
+				if val < 1 {
+					return fmt.Errorf("cluster parallelism must be at least 1")
+				}
+				c.ClusterParallelism = val
+				return nil
+			},
+			Type:        "int",
+			Description: "Concurrent databases during cluster backup/restore (1=sequential, safer for large DBs)",
+		},
 		{
 			Key:         "backup_dir",
 			DisplayName: "Backup Directory",
@@ -528,12 +588,70 @@ func (m SettingsModel) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 
 		case "s":
 			return m.saveSettings()
+
+		case "l":
+			// Quick shortcut: Toggle Large DB Mode
+			return m.toggleLargeDBMode()
+
+		case "c":
+			// Quick shortcut: Apply "conservative" profile for constrained VMs
+			return m.applyConservativeProfile()
+
+		case "p":
+			// Show profile recommendation
+			return m.showProfileRecommendation()
 		}
 	}
 
 	return m, nil
 }
 
+// toggleLargeDBMode toggles the Large DB Mode flag
+func (m SettingsModel) toggleLargeDBMode() (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
+	m.config.LargeDBMode = !m.config.LargeDBMode
+	if m.config.LargeDBMode {
+		profile := m.config.GetCurrentProfile()
+		m.message = successStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf(
+			"[ON] Large DB Mode enabled: %s → Parallel=%d, Jobs=%d, MaxLocks=%d",
+			profile.Name, profile.ClusterParallelism, profile.Jobs, profile.MaxLocksPerTxn))
+	} else {
+		profile := m.config.GetCurrentProfile()
+		m.message = successStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf(
+			"[OFF] Large DB Mode disabled: %s → Parallel=%d, Jobs=%d",
+			profile.Name, profile.ClusterParallelism, profile.Jobs))
+	}
+	return m, nil
+}
+
+// applyConservativeProfile applies the conservative profile for constrained VMs
+func (m SettingsModel) applyConservativeProfile() (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
+	if err := m.config.ApplyResourceProfile("conservative"); err != nil {
+		m.message = errorStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("[FAIL] %s", err.Error()))
+		return m, nil
+	}
+	m.message = successStyle.Render("[OK] Applied 'conservative' profile: Cluster=1, Jobs=1. Safe for small VMs with limited memory.")
+	return m, nil
+}
+
+// showProfileRecommendation displays the recommended profile based on system resources
+func (m SettingsModel) showProfileRecommendation() (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
+	profileName, reason := m.config.GetResourceProfileRecommendation(false)
+
+	var largeDBHint string
+	if m.config.LargeDBMode {
+		largeDBHint = "Large DB Mode: ON"
+	} else {
+		largeDBHint = "Large DB Mode: OFF (press 'l' to enable)"
+	}
+
+	m.message = infoStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf(
+		"[RECOMMEND] Profile: %s | %s\n"+
+			"  → %s\n"+
+			"  Press 'l' to toggle Large DB Mode, 'c' for conservative",
+		profileName, largeDBHint, reason))
+	return m, nil
+}
+
 // handleEditingInput handles input when editing a setting
 func (m SettingsModel) handleEditingInput(msg tea.KeyMsg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 	switch msg.String() {
@@ -747,7 +865,32 @@ func (m SettingsModel) View() string {
 	// Current configuration summary
 	if !m.editing {
 		b.WriteString("\n")
-		b.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("[INFO] Current Configuration"))
+		b.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("[INFO] System Resources & Configuration"))
+		b.WriteString("\n")
+
+		// System resources
+		var sysInfo []string
+		if m.config.CPUInfo != nil {
+			sysInfo = append(sysInfo, fmt.Sprintf("CPU: %d cores (physical), %d logical",
+				m.config.CPUInfo.PhysicalCores, m.config.CPUInfo.LogicalCores))
+		}
+		if m.config.MemoryInfo != nil {
+			sysInfo = append(sysInfo, fmt.Sprintf("Memory: %dGB total, %dGB available",
+				m.config.MemoryInfo.TotalGB, m.config.MemoryInfo.AvailableGB))
+		}
+
+		// Recommended profile
+		recommendedProfile, reason := m.config.GetResourceProfileRecommendation(false)
+		sysInfo = append(sysInfo, fmt.Sprintf("Recommended Profile: %s", recommendedProfile))
+		sysInfo = append(sysInfo, fmt.Sprintf("  → %s", reason))
+
+		for _, line := range sysInfo {
+			b.WriteString(detailStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("  %s", line)))
+			b.WriteString("\n")
+		}
+
+		b.WriteString("\n")
+		b.WriteString(infoStyle.Render("[CONFIG] Current Settings"))
 		b.WriteString("\n")
 
 		summary := []string{
@@ -755,7 +898,17 @@ func (m SettingsModel) View() string {
 			fmt.Sprintf("Database: %s@%s:%d", m.config.User, m.config.Host, m.config.Port),
 			fmt.Sprintf("Backup Dir: %s", m.config.BackupDir),
 			fmt.Sprintf("Compression: Level %d", m.config.CompressionLevel),
-			fmt.Sprintf("Jobs: %d parallel, %d dump", m.config.Jobs, m.config.DumpJobs),
+			fmt.Sprintf("Profile: %s | Cluster: %d parallel | Jobs: %d",
+				m.config.ResourceProfile, m.config.ClusterParallelism, m.config.Jobs),
+		}
+
+		// Show profile warnings if applicable
+		profile := m.config.GetCurrentProfile()
+		if profile != nil {
+			isValid, warnings := cpu.ValidateProfileForSystem(profile, m.config.CPUInfo, m.config.MemoryInfo)
+			if !isValid && len(warnings) > 0 {
+				summary = append(summary, fmt.Sprintf("⚠️  Warning: %s", warnings[0]))
+			}
 		}
 
 		if m.config.CloudEnabled {
@@ -782,9 +935,9 @@ func (m SettingsModel) View() string {
 		} else {
 			// Show different help based on current selection
 			if m.cursor >= 0 && m.cursor < len(m.settings) && m.settings[m.cursor].Type == "path" {
-				footer = infoStyle.Render("\n[KEYS]  Up/Down navigate | Enter edit | Tab browse directories | 's' save | 'r' reset | 'q' menu")
+				footer = infoStyle.Render("\n[KEYS]  ↑↓ navigate | Enter edit | Tab dirs | 'l' toggle LargeDB | 'c' conservative | 'p' recommend | 's' save | 'q' menu")
 			} else {
-				footer = infoStyle.Render("\n[KEYS]  Up/Down navigate | Enter edit | 's' save | 'r' reset | 'q' menu | Tab=dirs on path fields only")
+				footer = infoStyle.Render("\n[KEYS]  ↑↓ navigate | Enter edit | 'l' toggle LargeDB mode | 'c' conservative | 'p' recommend | 's' save | 'r' reset | 'q' menu")
 			}
 		}
 	}