From 95525a02595a3f0cd2a27b23ace8bca66c86d0b8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: =?UTF-8?q?Marc-Andr=C3=A9=20Bombeck?= <mbombeck@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2026 20:32:53 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] fix(jobs): let pg-boss create its schema only when it is
 missing

Postgres checks the database's CREATE privilege before it checks
whether the schema exists, so CREATE SCHEMA IF NOT EXISTS fails for a
role that may not create schemas even when the schema is there. The
worker now asks first and passes createSchema: false when it exists.
---
 src/lib/jobs/boss-instance.ts   | 18 ++++++++++++++++--
 src/lib/jobs/reminder-worker.ts |  9 ++++++++-
 2 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/lib/jobs/boss-instance.ts b/src/lib/jobs/boss-instance.ts
index ef3fa2121..169021e24 100644
--- a/src/lib/jobs/boss-instance.ts
+++ b/src/lib/jobs/boss-instance.ts
@@ -88,8 +88,22 @@ function databaseOptions(
   } as const;
 }
 
-export function createWorkerBoss(connectionString: string): PgBoss {
-  return new PgBoss(databaseOptions(connectionString, "worker"));
+/**
+ * The worker's pg-boss. `createSchema` says whether pg-boss's first install
+ * may run `CREATE SCHEMA IF NOT EXISTS pgboss`. Postgres checks the database's
+ * CREATE privilege before it checks whether the schema exists, so under the
+ * app's restricted role (`scripts/db-app-role.mjs`), which may not create
+ * schemas, that statement fails even though the boot already created the
+ * schema for it. The caller passes false when the schema is there.
+ */
+export function createWorkerBoss(
+  connectionString: string,
+  options: { createSchema?: boolean } = {},
+): PgBoss {
+  return new PgBoss({
+    ...databaseOptions(connectionString, "worker"),
+    ...(options.createSchema === false ? { createSchema: false } : {}),
+  });
 }
 
 function producerOptions(connectionString: string) {
diff --git a/src/lib/jobs/reminder-worker.ts b/src/lib/jobs/reminder-worker.ts
index 715ce80b2..72991a313 100644
--- a/src/lib/jobs/reminder-worker.ts
+++ b/src/lib/jobs/reminder-worker.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
  * Usage: Run as a standalone process or call startReminderWorker() from a
  * custom server setup. In dev, use: npx tsx src/lib/jobs/reminder-worker.ts
  */
+import { prisma } from "@/lib/db";
 import { markWorkerStarted, recordError } from "@/lib/jobs/worker-status";
 import { createWorkerBoss, setGlobalBoss } from "@/lib/jobs/boss-instance";
 import { reportJobsCutOffAtBoot } from "@/lib/jobs/job-observer";
@@ -47,7 +48,13 @@ export async function startReminderWorker() {
     return;
   }
 
-  const boss = createWorkerBoss(DATABASE_URL);
+  // The queue schema exists once a worker has started, and on every boot
+  // the restricted database role runs under (the entrypoint creates it for
+  // that role); only a fresh database without either needs pg-boss to
+  // create it.
+  const [{ present }] = await prisma.$queryRaw<{ present: boolean }[]>`
+    SELECT to_regnamespace('pgboss') IS NOT NULL AS present`;
+  const boss = createWorkerBoss(DATABASE_URL, { createSchema: !present });
 
   boss.on("error", (error: unknown) => {
     workerLog("error", "boss emitted error", error);