diff --git a/build.gradle.kts b/build.gradle.kts
index 24527c2..03ae31f 100644
--- a/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/build.gradle.kts
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ repositories {
 val exposedVersion = "0.54.0"
 dependencies {
     compileOnly("io.papermc.paper:paper-api:1.21.10-R0.1-SNAPSHOT")
-    compileOnly("org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-stdlib")
-    compileOnly("net.hareworks:kommand-lib:1.1")
+    implementation("org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-stdlib")
+    implementation("net.hareworks:kommand-lib:1.1")
     implementation("net.kyori:adventure-api:4.17.0")
     implementation("net.kyori:adventure-text-minimessage:4.17.0")
     implementation("org.jetbrains.kotlinx:kotlinx-serialization-json:1.7.1")
@@ -37,7 +37,13 @@ tasks {
         archiveBaseName.set("SimplyMCDB")
     }
     shadowJar {
-        minimize()
+        minimize {
+            exclude(dependency("org.jetbrains.exposed:exposed-core"))
+            exclude(dependency("org.jetbrains.exposed:exposed-dao"))
+            exclude(dependency("org.jetbrains.exposed:exposed-jdbc"))
+            exclude(dependency("org.jetbrains.exposed:exposed-kotlin-datetime"))
+            exclude(dependency("org.postgresql:postgresql"))
+        }
         archiveClassifier.set("min")
         relocate("de.tr7zw.changeme.nbtapi", "net.hareworks.simplymcdb.libs.nbtapi")
     }
@@ -52,12 +58,4 @@ paper {
     authors = listOf(
         "Hare-K02"
     )
-    serverDependencies {
-        register("kommand-lib") {
-            load = PaperPluginDescription.RelativeLoadOrder.BEFORE
-        }
-        register("permits-lib") {
-            load = PaperPluginDescription.RelativeLoadOrder.BEFORE
-        }
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/net/hareworks/simplymcdb/Command.kt b/src/main/kotlin/net/hareworks/simplymcdb/Command.kt
index 9ae7702..14552ab 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/net/hareworks/simplymcdb/Command.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/net/hareworks/simplymcdb/Command.kt
@@ -197,22 +197,36 @@ public fun registerCommands(plugin: JavaPlugin): KommandLib =
 
         literal("check") {
           executes {
-            sender.sendMM(
+            val commandSender = sender
+            commandSender.sendMM(
                 "${when (App.instance.enabled) {
                   State.ACTIVE -> "<green>●"
                   State.DISCONNECTED -> "<yellow>■"
                   State.DISABLED -> "<red>○"
                 }}<white> simply-minecraft-database")
-            sender.sendMM(
+            commandSender.sendMM(
                 "status: ${when (App.instance.enabled) {
                   State.ACTIVE -> "<green>active"
                   State.DISCONNECTED -> "<yellow>disconnected"
                   State.DISABLED -> "<red>disabled"
                 }}")
-            sender.sendMM(
-                "<gray>- <white>database test: ${if (Database.ping()) "success" else "failed"}")
-            sender.sendMM(
+            commandSender.sendMM(
                 "<gray>- <white>config test: ${if (Config.config.getBoolean("enabled")) "enabled" else "disabled"}")
+            commandSender.sendMM("<gray>- <white>database test: <yellow>checking...")
+
+            // Run the potentially slow ping off the main thread to avoid freezing the server thread.
+            App.instance.server.scheduler.runTaskAsynchronously(App.instance, Runnable {
+              val pingSuccess = try {
+                Database.ping()
+              } catch (ex: Exception) {
+                App.instance.logger.warning("Database ping failed: ${ex.message}")
+                false
+              }
+              App.instance.server.scheduler.runTask(App.instance, Runnable {
+                commandSender.sendMM(
+                    "<gray>- <white>database test result: ${if (pingSuccess) "success" else "failed"}")
+              })
+            })
           }
         }