diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
index bf42444..52cfe05 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,15 @@ jobs:
           node-version: 22
       - name: Install
         run: npm ci
+      # The Prisma client is generated into src/generated/prisma, which is
+      # gitignored — so a fresh checkout has no client and every test that
+      # reaches src/lib/db.ts dies on "Cannot find package
+      # '@/generated/prisma/client'". Schema-only, so it needs no database.
+      # Without this the pipeline had been red on every run since at least
+      # ae0c34f, which is how the failure stayed invisible: it looked like
+      # the normal colour.
+      - name: Generate Prisma client
+        run: npx prisma generate
       # Advisory until the pre-existing lint debt is cleared (2026-07-19:
       # ~20 errors across budget/insights/shared pages) — then make blocking.
       - name: Lint (advisory)