diff --git a/bin/import.js b/bin/import.js
index 7270be8..edcd9ff 100755
--- a/bin/import.js
+++ b/bin/import.js
@@ -55,19 +55,20 @@ console.log()
 console.log(`${full ? "Full" : "Partial"} import with file ${file}, modified ${modified}.`)
 
 import csv from "csv-parser"
-import { backend } from "../src/config.js"
+import { connect } from "../src/config.js"
 
 (async () => {
+  const backend = await connect()
   const stream = fs.createReadStream(file)
-    .pipe(csv({
-      separator: "\t",
-      headers: ["ppn", "voc", "notation"],
-      quote: "",
-    }))
+  const csvTransform = csv({
+    separator: "\t",
+    headers: ["ppn", "voc", "notation"],
+    quote: "",
+  })
 
   if (full) {
     try {
-      await backend.batchImport(stream)
+      await backend.batchImport(backend.batchImportRequiresCSV ? stream.pipe(csvTransform) : stream)
     } catch (error) {
       console.error(error)
     }
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ import { backend } from "../src/config.js"
       let ppn
       let rows = []
       stream
+        .pipe(csvTransform)
         .on("data", row => {
           if (row.ppn === ppn) {
             rows.push(row)
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index b00c721..4798d37 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@
         "express": "^4.18.1",
         "jskos-tools": "^1.0.26",
         "nodemon": "^2.0.19",
-        "pg": "^8.8.0"
+        "pg": "^8.8.0",
+        "pg-copy-streams": "^6.0.4"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "eslint": "^8.19.0",
@@ -2355,6 +2356,11 @@
         "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/ljharb"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/obuf": {
+      "version": "1.1.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/obuf/-/obuf-1.1.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-PX1wu0AmAdPqOL1mWhqmlOd8kOIZQwGZw6rh7uby9fTc5lhaOWFLX3I6R1hrF9k3zUY40e6igsLGkDXK92LJNg=="
+    },
     "node_modules/on-finished": {
       "version": "2.4.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/on-finished/-/on-finished-2.4.1.tgz",
@@ -2526,6 +2532,14 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pg-connection-string/-/pg-connection-string-2.5.0.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-r5o/V/ORTA6TmUnyWZR9nCj1klXCO2CEKNRlVuJptZe85QuhFayC7WeMic7ndayT5IRIR0S0xFxFi2ousartlQ=="
     },
+    "node_modules/pg-copy-streams": {
+      "version": "6.0.4",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pg-copy-streams/-/pg-copy-streams-6.0.4.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-FH6q2nFo0n2cFacLyIKorjDz8AOYtxrAANx1XMvYbKWNM2geY731gZstuP4mXMlqO6urRl9oIscFxf3GMIg3Ng==",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "obuf": "^1.1.2"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/pg-int8": {
       "version": "1.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pg-int8/-/pg-int8-1.0.1.tgz",
@@ -5834,6 +5848,11 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/object-inspect/-/object-inspect-1.12.2.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-z+cPxW0QGUp0mcqcsgQyLVRDoXFQbXOwBaqyF7VIgI4TWNQsDHrBpUQslRmIfAoYWdYzs6UlKJtB2XJpTaNSpQ=="
     },
+    "obuf": {
+      "version": "1.1.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/obuf/-/obuf-1.1.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-PX1wu0AmAdPqOL1mWhqmlOd8kOIZQwGZw6rh7uby9fTc5lhaOWFLX3I6R1hrF9k3zUY40e6igsLGkDXK92LJNg=="
+    },
     "on-finished": {
       "version": "2.4.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/on-finished/-/on-finished-2.4.1.tgz",
@@ -5957,6 +5976,14 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pg-connection-string/-/pg-connection-string-2.5.0.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-r5o/V/ORTA6TmUnyWZR9nCj1klXCO2CEKNRlVuJptZe85QuhFayC7WeMic7ndayT5IRIR0S0xFxFi2ousartlQ=="
     },
+    "pg-copy-streams": {
+      "version": "6.0.4",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pg-copy-streams/-/pg-copy-streams-6.0.4.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-FH6q2nFo0n2cFacLyIKorjDz8AOYtxrAANx1XMvYbKWNM2geY731gZstuP4mXMlqO6urRl9oIscFxf3GMIg3Ng==",
+      "requires": {
+        "obuf": "^1.1.2"
+      }
+    },
     "pg-int8": {
       "version": "1.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pg-int8/-/pg-int8-1.0.1.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index f8f9224..510bc4a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@
     "express": "^4.18.1",
     "jskos-tools": "^1.0.26",
     "nodemon": "^2.0.19",
-    "pg": "^8.8.0"
+    "pg": "^8.8.0",
+    "pg-copy-streams": "^6.0.4"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "eslint": "^8.19.0",
diff --git a/src/backend/postgres.js b/src/backend/postgres.js
index b3f2862..f27e237 100644
--- a/src/backend/postgres.js
+++ b/src/backend/postgres.js
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 
 import pg from "pg"
+import pgcs from "pg-copy-streams"
+const copyFrom = pgcs.from
 const { Pool } = pg
 
 export default class PostgreSQLBackend {
 
   // Establish connection to backend or throw error
-  constructor(config) {
+  async connect(config) {
     this.db = new Pool({
       user: "stefan" || config.user,
       password: "" || config.password,
@@ -16,31 +18,31 @@ export default class PostgreSQLBackend {
       connectionTimeoutMillis: 0,
     })
 
-    ;(async () => {
-      const client = await this.db.connect()
-      try {
-        const res = await client.query("SELECT * FROM pg_catalog.pg_tables WHERE schemaname != 'pg_catalog' AND schemaname != 'information_schema';")
-        if (res.rowCount === 0) {
-          await client.query(`
-            CREATE TABLE subjects (
-              ppn TEXT NOT NULL,
-              voc TEXT NOT NULL,
-              notation TEXT NOT NULL
-            );
-
-            CREATE INDEX idx_notation on subjects (notation);
-            CREATE INDEX idx_ppn on subjects (ppn);
-
-            CREATE TABLE metadata (
-              key TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
-              value TEXT NOT NULL
-            );
-          `)
-        }
-      } finally {
-        client.release()
+    const client = await this.db.connect()
+    try {
+      const res = await client.query("SELECT * FROM pg_catalog.pg_tables WHERE schemaname != 'pg_catalog' AND schemaname != 'information_schema';")
+      if (res.rowCount === 0) {
+        await client.query(`
+          CREATE TABLE subjects (
+            ppn TEXT NOT NULL,
+            voc TEXT NOT NULL,
+            notation TEXT
+          );
+
+          CREATE INDEX idx_notation on subjects (notation);
+          CREATE INDEX idx_ppn on subjects (ppn);
+
+          CREATE TABLE metadata (
+            key TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+            value TEXT NOT NULL
+          );
+        `)
       }
-    })()
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error(error)
+    } finally {
+      client.release()
+    }
     this.name = `PostgreSQL database ${config.database} (port ${config.port})`
   }
 
@@ -110,6 +112,10 @@ export default class PostgreSQLBackend {
     }
   }
 
+  get batchImportRequiresCSV() {
+    return false
+  }
+
   async batchImport(data) {
     const client = await this.db.connect()
 
@@ -123,48 +129,20 @@ export default class PostgreSQLBackend {
       console.timeEnd("drop indexes/data")
       // await client.query("BEGIN")
 
-      const bulkInsert = async (rows) => {
-        const keys = Object.keys(rows[0])
-        let valueStr = ""
-        let valueArray = []
-        let valueIndex = 1
-        for (let row of rows) {
-          if (valueStr) {
-            valueStr += ","
-          }
-          valueStr += "(" + keys.map((value, index) => `$${valueIndex + index}`) + ")"
-          valueArray = valueArray.concat(keys.map((value) => row[value]))
-          valueIndex += keys.length
-        }
-        await client.query(`INSERT INTO subjects (${keys.join(",")}) VALUES ${valueStr}`, valueArray)
-      }
-
-      let rows = []
-      let inserted = 0
-      console.time("insert")
-
-      for await (const row of data) {
-        rows.push(row)
-        if (rows.length === 2000) {
-          inserted += rows.length
-          await bulkInsert(rows)
-          rows = []
-          if (inserted % 1000000 === 0) {
-            // await client.query("COMMIT")
-            console.timeEnd("insert")
-            console.log(inserted)
-            console.time("insert")
-            // await client.query("BEGIN")
-          }
-        }
-      }
+      console.time("importing data")
+      await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+        // TODO: Can we require data files to be UTF8 so that we don't need to add ENCODING 'SQL_ASCII'?
+        // Note: QUOTE E`\b` is a workaround because we don't want any quote character. See https://stackoverflow.com/a/20402913.
+        const stream = client.query(copyFrom("COPY subjects FROM STDIN DELIMITER E'\t' ENCODING 'SQL_ASCII' CSV QUOTE E'\b' NULL AS ''"))
+        data.on("error", reject)
+        stream.on("error", reject)
+        stream.on("finish", resolve)
+        data.pipe(stream)
+      })
+      console.timeEnd("importing data")
 
-      inserted += rows.length
-      await bulkInsert(rows)
-      // await client.query("COMMIT")
-      console.timeEnd("insert")
-      console.log(inserted)
       // Recreate indexes
+      console.log("import complete, recreating indexes...")
       console.time("recreate indexes")
       await client.query("CREATE INDEX idx_notation on subjects (notation);")
       await client.query("CREATE INDEX idx_ppn on subjects (ppn);")
diff --git a/src/backend/sqlite.js b/src/backend/sqlite.js
index 27f0a54..aca1686 100644
--- a/src/backend/sqlite.js
+++ b/src/backend/sqlite.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import fs from "fs"
 export default class SQLiteBackend {
 
   // Establish connection to backend or throw error
-  constructor(config) {
+  async connect(config) {
     const file = config.database
     // create database file if not exist or throw an error
     if (!fs.existsSync(file)) {
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ CREATE TABLE metadata (
     })()
   }
 
+  get batchImportRequiresCSV() {
+    return true
+  }
+
   async batchImport(data) {
     // Drop indexes to recreate later
     try {
diff --git a/src/config.js b/src/config.js
index a6a3ab3..599179f 100644
--- a/src/config.js
+++ b/src/config.js
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ if (!backendClass) {
   process.exit(1)
 }
 
-export const backend = new backendClass(config)
-
-console.log(`Configured ${schemes.length} vocabularies from ${config.schemesFile}. Using ${backend.name}.`)
+export const backend = new backendClass()
+// Connect immediately, but clients will still need to await connect()
+const backendConnectPromise = backend.connect(config)
+export const connect = async () => {
+  await backendConnectPromise
+  console.log(`Configured ${schemes.length} vocabularies from ${config.schemesFile}. Using ${backend.name}.`)
+  return backend
+}
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index f5503e8..875f9f3 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { backend, config, schemes, links } from "./config.js"
+import { connect, config, schemes, links } from "./config.js"
 
 import express from "express"
 import jskos from "jskos-tools"
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ const database = {
 }
 
 async function createServer() {
+  // Connect to backend
+  const backend = await connect()
 
   // this will likely warm up the backend cache as well
   // TODO: This is very slow and delays startup by multiple minutes. Find a better solution.