diff --git a/17/alpine3.19/Dockerfile b/17/alpine3.19/Dockerfile
index cc263a0644..7e98f9e36e 100644
--- a/17/alpine3.19/Dockerfile
+++ b/17/alpine3.19/Dockerfile
@@ -194,10 +194,13 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 3777 /var/run/postgresql
 
-ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/data
-# this 1777 will be replaced by 0700 at runtime (allows semi-arbitrary "--user" values)
-RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 1777 "$PGDATA"
-VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql/data
+#
+# NOTE: in 17+, PGDATA has changed to match the pg_ctlcluster standard directory structure, and the VOLUME has moved from /var/lib/postgresql/data to /var/lib/postgresql
+#
+ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/17/docker
+RUN ln -svT . /var/lib/postgresql/data # https://github.com/docker-library/postgres/pull/1259#issuecomment-2215477494
+VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql
+# ("/var/lib/postgresql" is already pre-created with suitably usable permissions above)
 
 COPY docker-entrypoint.sh docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/
 RUN ln -sT docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-enforce-initdb.sh
diff --git a/17/alpine3.20/Dockerfile b/17/alpine3.20/Dockerfile
index 07dc7c4750..32fa0b4e16 100644
--- a/17/alpine3.20/Dockerfile
+++ b/17/alpine3.20/Dockerfile
@@ -194,10 +194,13 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 3777 /var/run/postgresql
 
-ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/data
-# this 1777 will be replaced by 0700 at runtime (allows semi-arbitrary "--user" values)
-RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 1777 "$PGDATA"
-VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql/data
+#
+# NOTE: in 17+, PGDATA has changed to match the pg_ctlcluster standard directory structure, and the VOLUME has moved from /var/lib/postgresql/data to /var/lib/postgresql
+#
+ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/17/docker
+RUN ln -svT . /var/lib/postgresql/data # https://github.com/docker-library/postgres/pull/1259#issuecomment-2215477494
+VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql
+# ("/var/lib/postgresql" is already pre-created with suitably usable permissions above)
 
 COPY docker-entrypoint.sh docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/
 RUN ln -sT docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-enforce-initdb.sh
diff --git a/17/bookworm/Dockerfile b/17/bookworm/Dockerfile
index 99dfd4b35c..7567ff3a02 100644
--- a/17/bookworm/Dockerfile
+++ b/17/bookworm/Dockerfile
@@ -182,10 +182,13 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 3777 /var/run/postgresql
 
-ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/data
-# this 1777 will be replaced by 0700 at runtime (allows semi-arbitrary "--user" values)
-RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 1777 "$PGDATA"
-VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql/data
+#
+# NOTE: in 17+, PGDATA has changed to match the pg_ctlcluster standard directory structure, and the VOLUME has moved from /var/lib/postgresql/data to /var/lib/postgresql
+#
+ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/17/docker
+RUN ln -svT . /var/lib/postgresql/data # https://github.com/docker-library/postgres/pull/1259#issuecomment-2215477494
+VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql
+# ("/var/lib/postgresql" is already pre-created with suitably usable permissions above)
 
 COPY docker-entrypoint.sh docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/
 RUN ln -sT docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-enforce-initdb.sh
diff --git a/17/bullseye/Dockerfile b/17/bullseye/Dockerfile
index 249d0cdf80..2a3261b004 100644
--- a/17/bullseye/Dockerfile
+++ b/17/bullseye/Dockerfile
@@ -182,10 +182,13 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 3777 /var/run/postgresql
 
-ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/data
-# this 1777 will be replaced by 0700 at runtime (allows semi-arbitrary "--user" values)
-RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 1777 "$PGDATA"
-VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql/data
+#
+# NOTE: in 17+, PGDATA has changed to match the pg_ctlcluster standard directory structure, and the VOLUME has moved from /var/lib/postgresql/data to /var/lib/postgresql
+#
+ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/17/docker
+RUN ln -svT . /var/lib/postgresql/data # https://github.com/docker-library/postgres/pull/1259#issuecomment-2215477494
+VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql
+# ("/var/lib/postgresql" is already pre-created with suitably usable permissions above)
 
 COPY docker-entrypoint.sh docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/
 RUN ln -sT docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-enforce-initdb.sh
diff --git a/Dockerfile-alpine.template b/Dockerfile-alpine.template
index 3d6236e6e8..3f5c6b92de 100644
--- a/Dockerfile-alpine.template
+++ b/Dockerfile-alpine.template
@@ -209,10 +209,20 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 3777 /var/run/postgresql
 
+{{ if .major >= 17 then ( -}}
+#
+# NOTE: in 17+, PGDATA has changed to match the pg_ctlcluster standard directory structure, and the VOLUME has moved from /var/lib/postgresql/data to /var/lib/postgresql
+#
+ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/{{ .major | tostring }}/docker
+RUN ln -svT . /var/lib/postgresql/data # https://github.com/docker-library/postgres/pull/1259#issuecomment-2215477494
+VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql
+# ("/var/lib/postgresql" is already pre-created with suitably usable permissions above)
+{{ ) else ( -}}
 ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/data
 # this 1777 will be replaced by 0700 at runtime (allows semi-arbitrary "--user" values)
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 1777 "$PGDATA"
 VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql/data
+{{ ) end -}}
 
 COPY docker-entrypoint.sh docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/
 RUN ln -sT docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-enforce-initdb.sh
diff --git a/Dockerfile-debian.template b/Dockerfile-debian.template
index 1fa84903ac..f98190aa28 100644
--- a/Dockerfile-debian.template
+++ b/Dockerfile-debian.template
@@ -180,10 +180,20 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 3777 /var/run/postgresql
 
+{{ if .major >= 17 then ( -}}
+#
+# NOTE: in 17+, PGDATA has changed to match the pg_ctlcluster standard directory structure, and the VOLUME has moved from /var/lib/postgresql/data to /var/lib/postgresql
+#
+ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/{{ .major | tostring }}/docker
+RUN ln -svT . /var/lib/postgresql/data # https://github.com/docker-library/postgres/pull/1259#issuecomment-2215477494
+VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql
+# ("/var/lib/postgresql" is already pre-created with suitably usable permissions above)
+{{ ) else ( -}}
 ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/data
 # this 1777 will be replaced by 0700 at runtime (allows semi-arbitrary "--user" values)
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 1777 "$PGDATA"
 VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql/data
+{{ ) end -}}
 
 COPY docker-entrypoint.sh docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/
 RUN ln -sT docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-enforce-initdb.sh