diff --git a/apps/docker/Dockerfile b/apps/docker/Dockerfile
index cd7b6e9..56f931e 100644
--- a/apps/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/apps/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ RUN apt-get update                                                     \
     && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends                         \
         build-essential ccache libtool cmake-data make cmake clang    \
         git lsb-base curl unzip default-mysql-client openssl                  \
-        default-libmysqlclient-dev libboost-all-dev libssl-dev libmysql++-dev \
+        default-libmysqlclient-dev libboost-all-dev libssl-dev \
         libreadline-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev libncurses5-dev         \
     && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
diff --git a/apps/docker/Dockerfile.dev-server b/apps/docker/Dockerfile.dev-server
index fab54bd..f3d1c28 100644
--- a/apps/docker/Dockerfile.dev-server
+++ b/apps/docker/Dockerfile.dev-server
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ RUN apt-get update \
         cmake-data \
         openssl \
         google-perftools libgoogle-perftools-dev \
-        libmysql++-dev \
         ccache \
         tzdata \
         # Utility for column command used by dashboard
diff --git a/start-server.sh b/start-server.sh
index 2951464..9cdb3f7 100644
--- a/start-server.sh
+++ b/start-server.sh
@@ -31,6 +31,27 @@ log() {
     printf '[start-server] %s\n' "$*"
 }
 
+require_docker() {
+    if ! command -v docker >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        printf 'docker is not installed or not in PATH\n' >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    if ! docker compose version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        printf 'docker compose plugin is not available\n' >&2
+        printf 'On Ubuntu install: docker-compose-plugin\n' >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    if ! docker info >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        printf 'docker daemon is not reachable\n' >&2
+        printf 'On Ubuntu run: sudo systemctl enable --now docker\n' >&2
+        printf 'If docker is running but you are a non-root user, add your user to the docker group:\n' >&2
+        printf '  sudo usermod -aG docker $USER && newgrp docker\n' >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
 while (($#)); do
     case "$1" in
         --no-build)
@@ -54,8 +75,10 @@ done
 
 cd "$ROOT_DIR"
 
+require_docker
+
 log "applying module configuration"
-"$ROOT_DIR/setup-modules.sh"
+bash "$ROOT_DIR/setup-modules.sh"
 
 log "starting docker services"
 if [[ -n "$BUILD_FLAG" ]]; then
@@ -65,7 +88,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 log "synchronizing realmlist"
-"$ROOT_DIR/sync-realmlist.sh"
+bash "$ROOT_DIR/sync-realmlist.sh"
 
 log "current service status"
 docker compose ps