diff --git a/src/lib/db/core.ts b/src/lib/db/core.ts
index 165ecae456..f798e8d455 100644
--- a/src/lib/db/core.ts
+++ b/src/lib/db/core.ts
@@ -250,7 +250,6 @@ const SCHEMA_SQL = `
   CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_pc_provider ON provider_connections(provider);
   CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_pc_active ON provider_connections(is_active);
   CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_pc_priority ON provider_connections(provider, priority);
-  CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_pc_auth_active_refresh ON provider_connections(auth_type, is_active, refresh_token);
 
   CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS provider_nodes (
     id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
diff --git a/src/lib/db/schemaColumns.ts b/src/lib/db/schemaColumns.ts
index 2951e214e8..3381b7e4b3 100644
--- a/src/lib/db/schemaColumns.ts
+++ b/src/lib/db/schemaColumns.ts
@@ -62,9 +62,19 @@ export function ensureProviderConnectionsColumns(db: SqliteDatabase) {
       db.exec("ALTER TABLE provider_connections ADD COLUMN rate_limit_overrides_json TEXT");
       console.log("[DB] Added provider_connections.rate_limit_overrides_json column");
     }
+    // `refresh_token` is part of 001_initial_schema.sql, but `CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS`
+    // is a no-op on a pre-existing legacy table that predates it — heal it defensively
+    // before the index below relies on it, or a very old DB fails startup entirely.
+    if (!columnNames.has("refresh_token")) {
+      db.exec("ALTER TABLE provider_connections ADD COLUMN refresh_token TEXT");
+      console.log("[DB] Added provider_connections.refresh_token column");
+    }
     db.exec(
       "CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_pc_max_concurrent ON provider_connections(provider, max_concurrent)"
     );
+    db.exec(
+      "CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_pc_auth_active_refresh ON provider_connections(auth_type, is_active, refresh_token)"
+    );
   } catch (error: unknown) {
     const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
     console.warn("[DB] Failed to verify provider_connections schema:", message);
diff --git a/tests/unit/db-migration-runner.test.ts b/tests/unit/db-migration-runner.test.ts
index 2c830969c0..9bbff9f5ce 100644
--- a/tests/unit/db-migration-runner.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/db-migration-runner.test.ts
@@ -127,16 +127,24 @@ function withNonTestEnvironment(fn) {
   const originalVitest = process.env.VITEST;
   const originalDisableAutoBackup = process.env.DISABLE_SQLITE_AUTO_BACKUP;
   const originalArgv = [...process.argv];
+  const originalExecArgv = [...process.execArgv];
 
   delete process.env.NODE_ENV;
   delete process.env.VITEST;
   delete process.env.DISABLE_SQLITE_AUTO_BACKUP;
   process.argv = process.argv.filter((arg) => !arg.includes("test"));
+  // #7359 made isAutomatedTestProcess() also scan process.execArgv (so `node --test`
+  // is caught even when NODE_ENV/VITEST/argv are clean). This harness runs under
+  // `node --test`, so execArgv always carries `--test` — strip it here too, or the
+  // "non-test" simulation is a no-op and the mass-migration safety checks under
+  // test never actually exercise their real-environment code path.
+  process.execArgv = process.execArgv.filter((arg) => !arg.includes("test"));
 
   try {
     return fn();
   } finally {
     process.argv = originalArgv;
+    process.execArgv = originalExecArgv;
 
     if (originalNodeEnv === undefined) delete process.env.NODE_ENV;
     else process.env.NODE_ENV = originalNodeEnv;
diff --git a/tests/unit/migration-safety-abort-6260.test.ts b/tests/unit/migration-safety-abort-6260.test.ts
index ae649116e0..eaea742e23 100644
--- a/tests/unit/migration-safety-abort-6260.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/migration-safety-abort-6260.test.ts
@@ -66,16 +66,23 @@ function withNonTestEnvironment<T>(fn: () => T): T {
   const originalVitest = process.env.VITEST;
   const originalDisableAutoBackup = process.env.DISABLE_SQLITE_AUTO_BACKUP;
   const originalArgv = [...process.argv];
+  const originalExecArgv = [...process.execArgv];
 
   delete process.env.NODE_ENV;
   delete process.env.VITEST;
   delete process.env.DISABLE_SQLITE_AUTO_BACKUP;
   process.argv = process.argv.filter((arg) => !arg.includes("test"));
+  // #7359 made isAutomatedTestProcess() also scan process.execArgv (so `node --test`
+  // is caught even when NODE_ENV/VITEST/argv are clean). This harness runs under
+  // `node --test`, so execArgv always carries `--test` — strip it here too, or the
+  // "non-test" simulation is a no-op.
+  process.execArgv = process.execArgv.filter((arg) => !arg.includes("test"));
 
   try {
     return fn();
   } finally {
     process.argv = originalArgv;
+    process.execArgv = originalExecArgv;
     if (originalNodeEnv === undefined) delete process.env.NODE_ENV;
     else process.env.NODE_ENV = originalNodeEnv;
     if (originalVitest === undefined) delete process.env.VITEST;