diff --git a/src/fatal-error.test.ts b/src/fatal-error.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..652945b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/fatal-error.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import { test } from 'node:test'
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict'
+import { execFile } from 'node:child_process'
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url'
+import { promisify } from 'node:util'
+
+const run = promisify(execFile)
+const root = fileURLToPath(new URL('..', import.meta.url))
+
+// Port 1 is closed, so initDb() rejects and main()'s catch handler runs for real.
+const UNREACHABLE_DB = 'postgres://u:p@127.0.0.1:1/db'
+
+test('a fatal error is logged with its cause, not dropped', async () => {
+  const result = await run(process.execPath, ['--import', 'tsx', 'src/index.ts', '--setup'], {
+    cwd: root,
+    env: { ...process.env, DATABASE_URL: UNREACHABLE_DB },
+    timeout: 60_000,
+  }).catch((err: { stdout?: string; stderr?: string }) => err)
+
+  const output = `${result.stdout ?? ''}${result.stderr ?? ''}`
+
+  assert.match(output, /Fatal system error/)
+  assert.match(output, /ECONNREFUSED/, 'the cause is the only artefact an unattended run leaves behind')
+})
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index ae7bd7f..b729dda 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
 }
 
 main().catch((err) => {
-  logger.error('Fatal system error ⚠️❌⚠️❌: ', err)
+  logger.error({ err }, 'Fatal system error ⚠️❌⚠️❌')
 
   process.exit(1)
 })