diff --git a/backend/ee/onyx/main.py b/backend/ee/onyx/main.py
index 4c44a1aec..e47a193cd 100644
--- a/backend/ee/onyx/main.py
+++ b/backend/ee/onyx/main.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+from collections.abc import AsyncGenerator
+from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
+
 from fastapi import FastAPI
 from httpx_oauth.clients.google import GoogleOAuth2
 from httpx_oauth.clients.openid import BASE_SCOPES
@@ -44,6 +47,7 @@ from onyx.configs.constants import AuthType
 from onyx.main import get_application as get_application_base
 from onyx.main import include_auth_router_with_prefix
 from onyx.main import include_router_with_global_prefix_prepended
+from onyx.main import lifespan as lifespan_base
 from onyx.utils.logger import setup_logger
 from onyx.utils.variable_functionality import global_version
 from shared_configs.configs import MULTI_TENANT
@@ -51,6 +55,20 @@ from shared_configs.configs import MULTI_TENANT
 logger = setup_logger()
 
 
+@asynccontextmanager
+async def lifespan(app: FastAPI) -> AsyncGenerator[None, None]:
+    """Small wrapper around the lifespan of the MIT application.
+    Basically just calls the base lifespan, and then adds EE-only
+    steps after."""
+
+    async with lifespan_base(app):
+        # seed the Onyx environment with LLMs, Assistants, etc. based on an optional
+        # environment variable. Used to automate deployment for multiple environments.
+        seed_db()
+
+        yield
+
+
 def get_application() -> FastAPI:
     # Anything that happens at import time is not guaranteed to be running ee-version
     # Anything after the server startup will be running ee version
@@ -58,7 +76,7 @@ def get_application() -> FastAPI:
 
     test_encryption()
 
-    application = get_application_base()
+    application = get_application_base(lifespan_override=lifespan)
 
     if MULTI_TENANT:
         add_tenant_id_middleware(application, logger)
@@ -166,10 +184,6 @@ def get_application() -> FastAPI:
     # Ensure all routes have auth enabled or are explicitly marked as public
     check_ee_router_auth(application)
 
-    # seed the Onyx environment with LLMs, Assistants, etc. based on an optional
-    # environment variable. Used to automate deployment for multiple environments.
-    seed_db()
-
     # for debugging discovered routes
     # for route in application.router.routes:
     #     print(f"Path: {route.path}, Methods: {route.methods}")
diff --git a/backend/onyx/main.py b/backend/onyx/main.py
index c4db368d8..4eb9c83a6 100644
--- a/backend/onyx/main.py
+++ b/backend/onyx/main.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ from prometheus_fastapi_instrumentator import Instrumentator
 from sentry_sdk.integrations.fastapi import FastApiIntegration
 from sentry_sdk.integrations.starlette import StarletteIntegration
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
+from starlette.types import Lifespan
 
 from onyx import __version__
 from onyx.auth.schemas import UserCreate
@@ -275,8 +276,12 @@ def log_http_error(request: Request, exc: Exception) -> JSONResponse:
     )
 
 
-def get_application() -> FastAPI:
-    application = FastAPI(title="Onyx Backend", version=__version__, lifespan=lifespan)
+def get_application(lifespan_override: Lifespan | None = None) -> FastAPI:
+    application = FastAPI(
+        title="Onyx Backend",
+        version=__version__,
+        lifespan=lifespan_override or lifespan,
+    )
     if SENTRY_DSN:
         sentry_sdk.init(
             dsn=SENTRY_DSN,