diff --git a/server/cost_ledger_test.go b/server/cost_ledger_test.go
index da5bec5..e277eea 100644
--- a/server/cost_ledger_test.go
+++ b/server/cost_ledger_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 // The cost ledger: profile prices (EUR per 1M tokens) turn token buckets into
 // EUR on the usage aggregation; unpriced profiles stay nil.
 func TestCostLedgerEurOnUsage(t *testing.T) {
+	skipWithoutDSN(t)
 	m, err := NewManager(t.TempDir(), "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/server/finding_traffic_test.go b/server/finding_traffic_test.go
index afee94d..0d63a49 100644
--- a/server/finding_traffic_test.go
+++ b/server/finding_traffic_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 
 func trafficEvidenceServer(t *testing.T) (*Server, *db.RecordedFinding, func(string, string, string) *httptest.ResponseRecorder) {
 	t.Helper()
+	skipWithoutDSN(t)
 	m, err := NewManager(t.TempDir(), "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/server/llm_ollama_test.go b/server/llm_ollama_test.go
index f6e5144..655a410 100644
--- a/server/llm_ollama_test.go
+++ b/server/llm_ollama_test.go
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ func TestOllamaProviderWiresOpenAIProtocol(t *testing.T) {
 // loadProfileConfig accepts it, the task chain validates it, the failover pool
 // includes it, and the connection test completes against a fake Ollama.
 func TestOllamaKeylessProfileLifecycle(t *testing.T) {
+	skipWithoutDSN(t)
 	m, err := NewManager(t.TempDir(), "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -180,6 +181,7 @@ func TestOllamaKeylessProfileLifecycle(t *testing.T) {
 // Model listing for an Ollama server works without an API key and tolerates a
 // base URL with or without the /v1 suffix.
 func TestOllamaListModels(t *testing.T) {
+	skipWithoutDSN(t)
 	var calls atomic.Value // []string paths
 	fake := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
diff --git a/server/llm_test_fallback_test.go b/server/llm_test_fallback_test.go
index 54895df..2411c37 100644
--- a/server/llm_test_fallback_test.go
+++ b/server/llm_test_fallback_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 // assigned raw, so a key saved with surrounding whitespace ran fine in
 // conversations but 401'd the connection test.
 func TestLLMTestStoredKeyFallbackIsTrimmed(t *testing.T) {
+	skipWithoutDSN(t)
 	m, err := NewManager(t.TempDir(), "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -97,6 +98,7 @@ func TestLLMTestFallbackMatchesRuntimeNormalization(t *testing.T) {
 // (the list-view test button) fills provider/model/base_url from the row, so
 // the key lands on the configured host instead of the canonical default one.
 func TestLLMTestStoredProfileUsesProfileEndpoint(t *testing.T) {
+	skipWithoutDSN(t)
 	m, err := NewManager(t.TempDir(), "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/server/planner_quiet_test.go b/server/planner_quiet_test.go
index 1c57db8..9cb424f 100644
--- a/server/planner_quiet_test.go
+++ b/server/planner_quiet_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 // open-goal fingerprint is unchanged since the last completed round AND active
 // work exists (open or running intents). Every other combination plans.
 func TestPlannerQuietSkipEdge(t *testing.T) {
+	skipWithoutDSN(t)
 	m, err := NewManager(t.TempDir(), "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ func TestPlannerQuietSkipEdge(t *testing.T) {
 // The quiet-mode switch is editable mid-run (#86): PATCHing plan_quiet_mode
 // updates both the stored row and the live Task the engine reads per round.
 func TestPlannerQuietModeToggleMidRun(t *testing.T) {
+	skipWithoutDSN(t)
 	m, err := NewManager(t.TempDir(), "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/server/testmain_test.go b/server/testmain_test.go
index 46d8bdc..bec4cf3 100644
--- a/server/testmain_test.go
+++ b/server/testmain_test.go
@@ -32,3 +32,13 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	defer conn.Exec(`SELECT pg_advisory_unlock(7337741002)`) //nolint:errcheck
 	os.Exit(m.Run())
 }
+
+// skipWithoutDSN skips the test when neither ARTEX_PG_DSN nor a config file
+// supplies a database, so fixtures that t.Fatal on a NewManager error skip
+// instead of failing. A configured database that cannot be reached still fails.
+func skipWithoutDSN(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Helper()
+	if _, _, err := db.DSN(); err != nil {
+		t.Skipf("no database config (%v) — skipping", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/server/traffic_ingest_test.go b/server/traffic_ingest_test.go
index 5a7e379..10ce73c 100644
--- a/server/traffic_ingest_test.go
+++ b/server/traffic_ingest_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 // trafficEvidenceServer but without the finding plumbing.
 func ingestServer(t *testing.T) (*Server, func(method, path, body string) *httptest.ResponseRecorder) {
 	t.Helper()
+	skipWithoutDSN(t)
 	m, err := NewManager(t.TempDir(), "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)