diff --git a/examples/crash_reporter/backend/public/api/tickets.php b/examples/crash_reporter/backend/public/api/tickets.php
index 508ab64..48912d0 100644
--- a/examples/crash_reporter/backend/public/api/tickets.php
+++ b/examples/crash_reporter/backend/public/api/tickets.php
@@ -21,11 +21,24 @@ try {
     json_out(['ok' => true] + $data);
 } catch (RuntimeException $e) {
     error_log('tickets api: ' . $e->getMessage());
-    json_out([
+    $out = [
         'ok' => false,
         'error' => 'tickets_table_missing',
         'hint' => $e->getMessage(),
-    ], 503);
+    ];
+    if (cfg('debug')) {
+        try {
+            $pdo = Database::pdo();
+            $out['db_driver'] = Database::driver();
+            $out['tickets_table'] = Database::ticketsTableExists($pdo);
+            if (Database::isMysql()) {
+                $out['mysql_database'] = $pdo->query('SELECT DATABASE()')->fetchColumn();
+            }
+        } catch (Throwable $diag) {
+            $out['diag_error'] = $diag->getMessage();
+        }
+    }
+    json_out($out, 503);
 } catch (Throwable $e) {
     error_log('tickets api: ' . $e->getMessage());
     $out = ['ok' => false, 'error' => 'list failed'];
diff --git a/examples/crash_reporter/backend/src/Database.php b/examples/crash_reporter/backend/src/Database.php
index aea8e3b..5990b98 100644
--- a/examples/crash_reporter/backend/src/Database.php
+++ b/examples/crash_reporter/backend/src/Database.php
@@ -159,15 +159,20 @@ final class Database {
         self::ensureTicketsTable($pdo);
     }
 
+    /** Active PDO; opens the pool when callers have not touched the DB yet (e.g. cached Auth session). */
+    private static function connection(?PDO $pdo = null): PDO {
+        return $pdo ?? self::$pdo ?? self::pdo();
+    }
+
     public static function ticketsTableExists(?PDO $pdo = null): bool {
-        $pdo ??= self::$pdo;
-        return $pdo !== null && self::tableExists($pdo, 'tickets');
+        return self::tableExists(self::connection($pdo), 'tickets');
     }
 
     /** @throws RuntimeException when `tickets` is missing (MariaDB needs root migration). */
     public static function requireTicketsTable(?PDO $pdo = null): void {
+        $pdo = self::connection($pdo);
         self::ensureTicketsTable($pdo);
-        if (!self::ticketsTableExists($pdo)) {
+        if (!self::tableExists($pdo, 'tickets')) {
             throw new RuntimeException(self::ticketsMigrationHint());
         }
     }
@@ -179,8 +184,8 @@ final class Database {
     }
 
     public static function ensureTicketsTable(?PDO $pdo = null): void {
-        $pdo ??= self::$pdo;
-        if ($pdo === null || self::tableExists($pdo, 'tickets')) {
+        $pdo = self::connection($pdo);
+        if (self::tableExists($pdo, 'tickets')) {
             return;
         }
         $ok = false;