diff --git a/scripts/db-export.sh b/scripts/db-export.sh
index 1159b9c..c245ef2 100644
--- a/scripts/db-export.sh
+++ b/scripts/db-export.sh
@@ -43,6 +43,15 @@ require_running_db() {
     fi
 }
 
+# Returns space-separated list of user databases (excludes MySQL system schemas)
+get_user_databases() {
+    docker compose exec -T ac-database bash -lc \
+        "mysql -h 127.0.0.1 -uroot -p\"\$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD\" -N -s information_schema" \
+        <<<"SELECT schema_name FROM schemata
+            WHERE schema_name NOT IN ('mysql','information_schema','performance_schema','sys')
+            ORDER BY schema_name;"
+}
+
 # ── argument parsing ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 while (($#)); do
@@ -73,13 +82,17 @@ fi
 
 mkdir -p "$(dirname "$OUTPUT_FILE")"
 
-log "exporting all databases → $OUTPUT_FILE"
+log "discovering user databases..."
+databases="$(get_user_databases | tr '\n' ' ' | xargs)"
+[[ -z "$databases" ]] && die "no user databases found"
+log "databases: $databases"
+log "exporting → $OUTPUT_FILE"
 log "this may take a few minutes for large worlds..."
 
 if [[ "$COMPRESS" -eq 1 ]]; then
     docker compose exec -T ac-database bash -lc \
-        "mysqldump -uroot -p\"\$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD\" \
-         --all-databases \
+        "mysqldump -h 127.0.0.1 -uroot -p\"\$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD\" \
+         --databases $databases \
          --add-drop-database \
          --single-transaction \
          --quick \
@@ -89,8 +102,8 @@ if [[ "$COMPRESS" -eq 1 ]]; then
         | gzip -6 > "$OUTPUT_FILE"
 else
     docker compose exec -T ac-database bash -lc \
-        "mysqldump -uroot -p\"\$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD\" \
-         --all-databases \
+        "mysqldump -h 127.0.0.1 -uroot -p\"\$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD\" \
+         --databases $databases \
          --add-drop-database \
          --single-transaction \
          --quick \