diff --git a/core/assets/run.sh b/core/assets/run.sh
index 4e1fa3a..5e51673 100755
--- a/core/assets/run.sh
+++ b/core/assets/run.sh
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ function wait_for_postgres () {
 #
 # TODO: Check the database type and detect if it is up based on that. For now,
 # assume that postgres is being used if DATABASE_URL is defined.
-if [[ -z "$DATABASES_URL" ]]; then
+if [[ ! -v "$DATABASES_URL" ]]; then
 	echo "DATABASE_URL is not defined. Using sqlite database..."
 	export DATABASE_URL=sqlite:///mailman.db
 	export DATABASE_TYPE='sqlite'
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ function term_handler () {
 trap 'kill ${!}; term_handler' SIGTERM
 
 # Start the mailman server. Mailman will start the master runner and then exit.
-mailman -C /config/mailman.cfg start &
+mailman -C /config/mailman.cfg start --force &
 
 # wait forever.
 while true
diff --git a/web/mailman-web/settings.py b/web/mailman-web/settings.py
index e2f730c..90f493a 100644
--- a/web/mailman-web/settings.py
+++ b/web/mailman-web/settings.py
@@ -162,13 +162,6 @@ USE_X_FORWARDED_HOST = True
 # SECURE_PROXY_SSL_HEADER = ('HTTP_X_FORWARDED_SCHEME', 'https')
 
 # Other security settings
-SECURE_SSL_REDIRECT = True
-# If you set SECURE_SSL_REDIRECT to True, make sure the SECURE_REDIRECT_EXEMPT
-# contains at least this line:
-SECURE_REDIRECT_EXEMPT = [
-    # Request from Mailman.
-    "archives/api/mailman/.*",
-     ]
 # SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE = True
 # SECURE_CONTENT_TYPE_NOSNIFF = True
 # SECURE_BROWSER_XSS_FILTER = True