diff --git a/cookbook/apps.py b/cookbook/apps.py
index a506e060..d133d292 100644
--- a/cookbook/apps.py
+++ b/cookbook/apps.py
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 from django.apps import AppConfig
+from django.conf import settings
 
 
 class CookbookConfig(AppConfig):
     name = 'cookbook'
 
     def ready(self):
-        import cookbook.signals  # noqa
+        # post_save signal is only necessary if using full-text search on postgres
+        if settings.DATABASES['default']['ENGINE'] in ['django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2', 'django.db.backends.postgresql']:
+            import cookbook.signals  # noqa
diff --git a/cookbook/managers.py b/cookbook/managers.py
index beb91dd1..5650d073 100644
--- a/cookbook/managers.py
+++ b/cookbook/managers.py
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ class RecipeSearchManager(models.Manager):
         )
         search_vectors = (
             SearchVector('search_vector')
-            + SearchVector(StringAgg('steps__ingredients__food__name', delimiter=' '), weight='A', config='english')
-            + SearchVector(StringAgg('keywords__name', delimiter=' '), weight='A', config='english'))
+            + SearchVector(StringAgg('steps__ingredients__food__name', delimiter=' '), weight='B', config='english')
+            + SearchVector(StringAgg('keywords__name', delimiter=' '), weight='B', config='english'))
         search_rank = SearchRank(search_vectors, search_query)
         # trigram_similarity = TrigramSimilarity(
         #     'headline', search_text
diff --git a/cookbook/migrations/0119_auto_20210407_1828.py b/cookbook/migrations/0119_build_full_text_index.py
similarity index 86%
rename from cookbook/migrations/0119_auto_20210407_1828.py
rename to cookbook/migrations/0119_build_full_text_index.py
index ef8be186..9847ccf3 100644
--- a/cookbook/migrations/0119_auto_20210407_1828.py
+++ b/cookbook/migrations/0119_build_full_text_index.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Generated by Django 3.1.7 on 2021-04-07 20:00
-
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.postgres.indexes import GinIndex
 from django.contrib.postgres.search import SearchVectorField, SearchVector
 from django.db import migrations
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ from cookbook.models import Recipe
 
 
 def set_default_search_vector(apps, schema_editor):
+    if settings.DATABASES['default']['ENGINE'] not in ['django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2', 'django.db.backends.postgresql']:
+        return
     with scopes_disabled():
         search_vector = (
             SearchVector('name', weight='A')
@@ -16,11 +18,9 @@ def set_default_search_vector(apps, schema_editor):
 
 
 class Migration(migrations.Migration):
-
     dependencies = [
         ('cookbook', '0118_auto_20210406_1805'),
     ]
-
     operations = [
         migrations.AddField(
             model_name='recipe',
diff --git a/cookbook/models.py b/cookbook/models.py
index c52e0023..fd17f3b9 100644
--- a/cookbook/models.py
+++ b/cookbook/models.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import uuid
 from datetime import date, timedelta
 
 from annoying.fields import AutoOneToOneField
+from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib import auth
 from django.contrib.auth.models import Group, User
 from django.contrib.postgres.indexes import GinIndex
@@ -385,10 +386,6 @@ class NutritionInformation(models.Model, PermissionModelMixin):
         return 'Nutrition'
 
 
-# TODO adjust model based on DB capabilities
-# options to have multiple recipe models based on DB capability (to drive search)
-# required_db_features, required-db-vendor
-# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/ref/models/options/#required-db-vendor
 class Recipe(models.Model, PermissionModelMixin):
     name = models.CharField(max_length=128)
     description = models.CharField(max_length=512, blank=True, null=True)
@@ -413,10 +410,15 @@ class Recipe(models.Model, PermissionModelMixin):
     created_by = models.ForeignKey(User, on_delete=models.PROTECT)
     created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
     updated_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)
-    search_vector = SearchVectorField(null=True)
 
+    search_vector = SearchVectorField(null=True)
     space = models.ForeignKey(Space, on_delete=models.CASCADE)
-    objects = ScopedManager(_manager_class=RecipeSearchManager, space='space')
+
+    # load custom manager for full text search if postgress is available
+    if settings.DATABASES['default']['ENGINE'] in ['django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2', 'django.db.backends.postgresql']:
+        objects = ScopedManager(_manager_class=RecipeSearchManager, space='space')
+    else:
+        objects = ScopedManager(space='space')
 
     def __str__(self):
         return self.name
diff --git a/cookbook/signals.py b/cookbook/signals.py
index 5c4cb69f..b282d9ae 100644
--- a/cookbook/signals.py
+++ b/cookbook/signals.py
@@ -10,12 +10,13 @@ def update_recipe_search_vector(sender, instance=None, created=False, **kwargs):
     if not instance:
         return
 
+    # needed to ensure search vector update doesn't trigger recursion
     if hasattr(instance, '_dirty'):
         return
 
     instance.search_vector = (
         SearchVector('name', weight='A', config='english')
-        + SearchVector('description', weight='B', config='english')
+        + SearchVector('description', weight='C', config='english')
     )
 
     try: