diff --git a/workshop/profiling/2-deploy-mysql.sh b/workshop/profiling/2-deploy-mysql.sh
index e752666c86..f31fc4fc20 100755
--- a/workshop/profiling/2-deploy-mysql.sh
+++ b/workshop/profiling/2-deploy-mysql.sh
@@ -29,27 +29,8 @@ while [[ $(kubectl get pods -l app=mysql -o 'jsonpath={..status.conditions[?(@.t
    sleep 1
 done
 
-echo Capturing the pod name
-export POD_NAME=`kubectl get pod -l app=mysql -o name --no-headers=true`
-
-echo Copying sample data and scripts to the pod
-# Copy the sample data files to the database pod for import
-kubectl cp ./mysql/users.csv ${POD_NAME:4}:/var/lib/mysql-files/users.csv
-kubectl cp ./mysql/organizations.csv ${POD_NAME:4}:/var/lib/mysql-files/organizations.csv
-kubectl cp ./mysql/populate_db.txt ${POD_NAME:4}:/tmp/populate_db.txt
-kubectl cp ./mysql/populate_db.sh ${POD_NAME:4}:/tmp/populate_db.sh
-
-echo Waiting for the database to be ready
-while ! kubectl exec -it ${POD_NAME:4} -- mysqladmin ping -p"$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD" --silent; do
-    sleep 5
-done
-
-# added extra sleep as issues occur when we attempt
-# to connect to the database too quickly
-sleep 5
-
-echo Creating tables and application data
-kubectl exec -it ${POD_NAME:4} -- /tmp/populate_db.sh
+echo Creating a config map for the sample data
+kubectl create configmap mysql-data --from-file=./mysql/users.csv --from-file=./mysql/organizations.csv --from-file=./mysql/populate_db.txt
 
 echo ""
 echo Deployed the MySQL database
diff --git a/workshop/profiling/doorgame/doorgame.yaml b/workshop/profiling/doorgame/doorgame.yaml
index a745298abd..cee2e81185 100644
--- a/workshop/profiling/doorgame/doorgame.yaml
+++ b/workshop/profiling/doorgame/doorgame.yaml
@@ -14,6 +14,24 @@ spec:
       tolerations:
       nodeSelector:
       terminationGracePeriodSeconds: 5
+      # use init containers to first ensure the MySQL database is available, then populate it with
+      # data required by the application
+      initContainers:
+        - name: wait-for-mysql
+          image: busybox:1.31
+          command: [ 'sh', '-c', 'echo -e "Checking for the availability of the MySQL database"; while ! nc -z mysql 3306; do sleep 1; printf "-"; done; echo -e "  >> MySQL database is ready";' ]
+        - name: populate-app-data
+          image: mysql:8.3.0
+          env:
+            - name: MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD
+              valueFrom:
+                secretKeyRef:
+                  name: db-user-pass
+                  key: MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD
+          volumeMounts:
+            - name: mysql-data
+              mountPath: /tmp
+          command: [ 'sh', '-c', 'echo -e "Populating the application data"; mysql --host=mysql.default.svc.cluster.local --password=''$(MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD)'' --local-infile=1 < /tmp/populate_db.txt' ]
       containers:
         - name: doorgame
           image: docker.io/library/doorgame:latest
@@ -49,6 +67,17 @@ spec:
             limits:
               cpu: 300m
               memory: 4096Mi
+      volumes:
+        - name: mysql-data
+          configMap:
+            name: mysql-data
+            items:
+              - key: users.csv
+                path: users.csv
+              - key: organizations.csv
+                path: organizations.csv
+              - key: populate_db.txt
+                path: populate_db.txt
 ---
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Service
diff --git a/workshop/profiling/mysql/populate_db.txt b/workshop/profiling/mysql/populate_db.txt
index 99b133644b..7e92817916 100644
--- a/workshop/profiling/mysql/populate_db.txt
+++ b/workshop/profiling/mysql/populate_db.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+SET GLOBAL local_infile=1;
+
 CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS DoorGameDB;
 USE DoorGameDB;
 
@@ -7,6 +9,6 @@ CREATE TABLE Users (UserId VARCHAR(20), FirstName VARCHAR(100), LastName VARCHAR
 DROP TABLE IF EXISTS Organizations;
 CREATE TABLE Organizations (OrgId VARCHAR(256), Name VARCHAR(256), Country VARCHAR(256), Founded INT, NumEmployees INT);
 
-LOAD DATA INFILE '/var/lib/mysql-files/users.csv' INTO TABLE DoorGameDB.Users FIELDS TERMINATED BY ',' LINES TERMINATED BY '\n' IGNORE 1 ROWS;
+LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE '/tmp/users.csv' INTO TABLE DoorGameDB.Users FIELDS TERMINATED BY ',' LINES TERMINATED BY '\n' IGNORE 1 ROWS;
 
-LOAD DATA INFILE '/var/lib/mysql-files/organizations.csv' INTO TABLE DoorGameDB.Organizations FIELDS TERMINATED BY ',' OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '\"' LINES TERMINATED BY '\n' IGNORE 1 ROWS;
\ No newline at end of file
+LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE '/tmp/organizations.csv' INTO TABLE DoorGameDB.Organizations FIELDS TERMINATED BY ',' OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '\"' LINES TERMINATED BY '\n' IGNORE 1 ROWS;
\ No newline at end of file