diff --git a/database/__init__.py b/database/__init__.py
index 1e76bcf..d7cf558 100644
--- a/database/__init__.py
+++ b/database/__init__.py
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ def main():
         with _connect() as conn:
             create_schema(conn)
     elif args.command == "jixia":
+        if not os.environ.get("JIXIA_PATH"):
+            raise SystemExit(
+                "JIXIA_PATH is not set. It must point at the jixia binary, e.g. "
+                "jixia/.lake/build/bin/jixia"
+            )
         # jixia runs each module with cwd=project_root, so the module file
         # path must be absolute — a relative root would be resolved twice.
         project = LeanProject(os.path.abspath(args.project_root))
diff --git a/database/__main__.py b/database/__main__.py
index 5102d9d..ae88da7 100644
--- a/database/__main__.py
+++ b/database/__main__.py
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@
     filemode=os.environ.get("LOG_FILEMODE", "a"),
     level=os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL", "INFO"),
 )
-jixia.run.executable = os.environ["JIXIA_PATH"]
+# Only the `jixia` subcommand shells out to the analyzer binary. Requiring this
+# at import time breaks `schema`, `informal`, and `vector-db`, which never touch
+# it; that subcommand validates the variable itself.
+if os.environ.get("JIXIA_PATH"):
+    jixia.run.executable = os.environ["JIXIA_PATH"]
 
 main()