diff --git a/apps/gateway/src/__tests__/cross-user-isolation.test.ts b/apps/gateway/src/__tests__/cross-user-isolation.test.ts
index 439b750e..781aba79 100644
--- a/apps/gateway/src/__tests__/cross-user-isolation.test.ts
+++ b/apps/gateway/src/__tests__/cross-user-isolation.test.ts
@@ -190,7 +190,13 @@ beforeEach((ctx) => {
 });
 
 afterAll(async () => {
-  if (!handle) return;
+  // Cleanup only when the fixture actually installed rows. `handle` is set
+  // before the first query (createDb connects lazily), so on an unreachable
+  // database `handle` is truthy while nothing was inserted — cleanup must
+  // honor `dbAvailable` or the skip path fails the file with ECONNREFUSED in
+  // afterAll (caught live by the publish pipeline's no-DATABASE_URL verify
+  // step, pipeline 2486).
+  if (!handle || !dbAvailable) return;
   const db = handle.db;
 
   // Delete in dependency order (FK constraints)