diff --git a/18/alpine3.21/Dockerfile b/18/alpine3.21/Dockerfile
index 86aad693fd..e9eff8d01f 100644
--- a/18/alpine3.21/Dockerfile
+++ b/18/alpine3.21/Dockerfile
@@ -190,10 +190,13 @@ 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 18+, 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/18/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/18/alpine3.22/Dockerfile b/18/alpine3.22/Dockerfile
index c4cc148dde..248d5cb987 100644
--- a/18/alpine3.22/Dockerfile
+++ b/18/alpine3.22/Dockerfile
@@ -190,10 +190,13 @@ 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 18+, 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/18/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/18/bookworm/Dockerfile b/18/bookworm/Dockerfile
index f71b81b9f3..88e36344e0 100644
--- a/18/bookworm/Dockerfile
+++ b/18/bookworm/Dockerfile
@@ -183,10 +183,13 @@ 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 18+, 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/18/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/18/bullseye/Dockerfile b/18/bullseye/Dockerfile
index c0e3724400..b2ec63d5b9 100644
--- a/18/bullseye/Dockerfile
+++ b/18/bullseye/Dockerfile
@@ -183,10 +183,13 @@ 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 18+, 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/18/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 29be5edb24..e64ad2fc2f 100644
--- a/Dockerfile-alpine.template
+++ b/Dockerfile-alpine.template
@@ -212,10 +212,20 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 3777 /var/run/postgresql
 
+{{ if .major >= 18 then ( -}}
+#
+# NOTE: in 18+, 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 340047f611..de0ea03974 100644
--- a/Dockerfile-debian.template
+++ b/Dockerfile-debian.template
@@ -183,10 +183,20 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 3777 /var/run/postgresql
 
+{{ if .major >= 18 then ( -}}
+#
+# NOTE: in 18+, 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