diff --git a/src/plugins/persistence/couch/couchdb-compose.yaml b/src/plugins/persistence/couch/couchdb-compose.yaml
index 40e58ff0ab..fca4dbcb8f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/persistence/couch/couchdb-compose.yaml
+++ b/src/plugins/persistence/couch/couchdb-compose.yaml
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 version: "3"
 services:
   couchdb:
-    image: couchdb:${COUCHDB_IMAGE_TAG:-3.2.1}
+    image: couchdb:${COUCHDB_IMAGE_TAG:-3.3.2}
     ports:
     - "5984:5984"
-    - "5986:5986"
     volumes:
     - couchdb:/opt/couchdb/data
     environment:
diff --git a/src/plugins/persistence/couch/setup-couchdb.sh b/src/plugins/persistence/couch/setup-couchdb.sh
index 482f370f90..fc0df2d1fb 100755
--- a/src/plugins/persistence/couch/setup-couchdb.sh
+++ b/src/plugins/persistence/couch/setup-couchdb.sh
@@ -1,57 +1,25 @@
 #!/bin/bash -e
 
-# Do a couple checks for environment variables we expect to have a value.
-
-if [ -z "${OPENMCT_DATABASE_NAME}" ] ; then
-    echo "OPENMCT_DATABASE_NAME has no value" 1>&2
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-if [ -z "${COUCH_ADMIN_USER}" ] ; then
-    echo "COUCH_ADMIN_USER has no value" 1>&2
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-if [ -z "${COUCH_BASE_LOCAL}" ] ; then
-    echo "COUCH_BASE_LOCAL has no value" 1>&2
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-# Come up with what we'll be providing to curl's -u option. Always supply the username from the environment,
-# and optionally supply the password from the environment, if it has a value.
-CURL_USERPASS_ARG="${COUCH_ADMIN_USER}"
-if [ "${COUCH_ADMIN_PASSWORD}" ] ; then
-    CURL_USERPASS_ARG+=":${COUCH_ADMIN_PASSWORD}"
-fi
-
-system_tables_exist () {
-    resource_exists $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/_users
-}
-
-create_users_db () {
-    curl -su "${CURL_USERPASS_ARG}" -X PUT $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/_users
-}
-
-create_replicator_db () {
-    curl -su "${CURL_USERPASS_ARG}" -X PUT $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/_replicator
-}
-
-setup_system_tables () {
-    users_db_response=$(create_users_db)
-    if [ "{\"ok\":true}" == "${users_db_response}" ]; then
-        echo Successfully created users db
-        replicator_db_response=$(create_replicator_db)
-        if [ "{\"ok\":true}" == "${replicator_db_response}" ]; then
-            echo Successfully created replicator DB
-        else
-            echo Unable to create replicator DB
-        fi
-    else
-        echo Unable to create users db
+# Check if required environment variables have values, exit if not.
+check_env_var() {
+    if [ -z "$1" ]; then
+        echo "$2 has no value" 1>&2
+        exit 1
     fi
 }
 
-resource_exists () {
+check_env_var "${OPENMCT_DATABASE_NAME}" "OPENMCT_DATABASE_NAME"
+check_env_var "${COUCH_ADMIN_USER}" "COUCH_ADMIN_USER"
+check_env_var "${COUCH_BASE_LOCAL}" "COUCH_BASE_LOCAL"
+
+# Construct curl's -u option value based on COUCH_ADMIN_USER and COUCH_ADMIN_PASSWORD environment variables.
+CURL_USERPASS_ARG="${COUCH_ADMIN_USER}"
+if [ "${COUCH_ADMIN_PASSWORD}" ]; then
+    CURL_USERPASS_ARG+=":${COUCH_ADMIN_PASSWORD}"
+fi
+
+# Functions
+resource_exists() {
     response=$(curl -u "${CURL_USERPASS_ARG}" -s -o /dev/null -I -w "%{http_code}" $1);
     if [ "200" == "${response}" ]; then
         echo "TRUE"
@@ -60,16 +28,16 @@ resource_exists () {
     fi
 }
 
-db_exists () {
+db_exists() {
     resource_exists $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/$OPENMCT_DATABASE_NAME
 }
 
-create_db () {
+create_db() {
     response=$(curl -su "${CURL_USERPASS_ARG}" -XPUT $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/$OPENMCT_DATABASE_NAME);
     echo $response
 }
 
-admin_user_exists () {
+admin_user_exists() {
     response=$(curl -su "${CURL_USERPASS_ARG}" -o /dev/null -I -w "%{http_code}" $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/_node/$COUCH_NODE_NAME/_config/admins/$COUCH_ADMIN_USER);
     if [ "200" == "${response}" ]; then
         echo "TRUE"
@@ -78,7 +46,7 @@ admin_user_exists () {
     fi
 }
 
-create_admin_user () {
+create_admin_user() {
     echo Creating admin user
     curl -X PUT $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/_node/$COUCH_NODE_NAME/_config/admins/$COUCH_ADMIN_USER -d \'"$COUCH_ADMIN_PASSWORD"\'
 }
@@ -87,7 +55,7 @@ is_cors_enabled() {
     resource_exists $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/_node/$COUCH_NODE_NAME/_config/httpd/enable_cors
 }
 
-enable_cors () {
+enable_cors() {
     curl -su "${CURL_USERPASS_ARG}" -o /dev/null -X PUT $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/_node/$COUCH_NODE_NAME/_config/httpd/enable_cors -d '"true"'
     curl -su "${CURL_USERPASS_ARG}" -o /dev/null -X PUT $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/_node/$COUCH_NODE_NAME/_config/cors/origins -d '"*"'
     curl -su "${CURL_USERPASS_ARG}" -o /dev/null -X PUT $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/_node/$COUCH_NODE_NAME/_config/cors/credentials -d '"true"'
@@ -95,6 +63,36 @@ enable_cors () {
     curl -su "${CURL_USERPASS_ARG}" -o /dev/null -X PUT $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/_node/$COUCH_NODE_NAME/_config/cors/headers -d '"accept, authorization, content-type, origin, referer, x-csrf-token"'
 }
 
+update_db_permissions() {
+    local db_name=$1
+    echo "Updating ${db_name} database permissions"
+    response=$(curl -su "${CURL_USERPASS_ARG}" --location \
+        --request PUT $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/$db_name/_security \
+        --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
+        --data-raw '{ "admins": {"roles": []},"members": {"roles": []}}')
+    if [ "{\"ok\":true}" == "${response}" ]; then
+        echo "Database permissions successfully updated"
+    else
+        echo "Database permissions not updated"
+    fi
+}
+
+create_system_tables() {
+    local system_tables=("_users" "_replicator")
+    for table in "${system_tables[@]}"; do
+        echo "Creating $table database"
+        response=$(curl -su "${CURL_USERPASS_ARG}" -X PUT $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/$table)
+        if [ "{\"ok\":true}" == "${response}" ]; then
+            echo "Successfully created $table database"
+        else
+            echo "Unable to create $table database"
+        fi
+    done
+}
+
+# Main script execution
+
+# Check if the admin user exists; if not, create it.
 if [ "$(admin_user_exists)" == "FALSE" ]; then
     echo "Admin user does not exist, creating..."
     create_admin_user
@@ -102,40 +100,32 @@ else
     echo "Admin user exists"
 fi
 
-if [ "TRUE" == $(system_tables_exist) ]; then
-    echo System tables exist, skipping creation
+# Check if system tables exist; if not, create them.
+system_tables_exist=$(resource_exists $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/_users)
+if [ "TRUE" == "${system_tables_exist}" ]; then
+    echo "System tables exist, skipping creation"
 else
-    echo Is fresh install, creating system tables
-    setup_system_tables
+    echo "Fresh install, creating system tables"
+    create_system_tables
 fi
 
+# Check if the database exists; if not, create it.
 if [ "FALSE" == $(db_exists) ]; then
     response=$(create_db)
     if [ "{\"ok\":true}" == "${response}" ]; then
-        echo Database successfully created
+        echo "Database successfully created"
     else
-        echo Database creation failed
+        echo "Database creation failed"
     fi
 else
-    echo Database already exists, nothing to do
+    echo "Database already exists, nothing to do"
 fi
 
-echo "Updating _replicator database permissions"
-response=$(curl -su "${CURL_USERPASS_ARG}" --location --request PUT $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/_replicator/_security --header 'Content-Type: application/json' --data-raw '{ "admins": {"roles": []},"members": {"roles": []}}');
-if [ "{\"ok\":true}" == "${response}" ]; then
-    echo "Database permissions successfully updated"
-else
-    echo "Database permissions not updated"
-fi
-
-echo "Updating ${OPENMCT_DATABASE_NAME} database permissions"
-response=$(curl -su "${CURL_USERPASS_ARG}" --location --request PUT $COUCH_BASE_LOCAL/$OPENMCT_DATABASE_NAME/_security --header 'Content-Type: application/json' --data-raw '{ "admins": {"roles": []},"members": {"roles": []}}');
-if [ "{\"ok\":true}" == "${response}" ]; then
-    echo "Database permissions successfully updated"
-else
-    echo "Database permissions not updated"
-fi
+# Update _replicator and OPENMCT_DATABASE_NAME database permissions
+update_db_permissions "_replicator"
+update_db_permissions "${OPENMCT_DATABASE_NAME}"
 
+# Check if CORS is enabled; if not, enable it.
 if [ "FALSE" == $(is_cors_enabled) ]; then
     echo "Enabling CORS"
     enable_cors