diff --git a/packages/db/src/jobs.queues.test.ts b/packages/db/src/jobs.queues.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ce9336
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/db/src/jobs.queues.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+const boss = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  on: vi.fn(),
+  start: vi.fn(async () => undefined),
+  createQueue: vi.fn<(name: string, options: Record<string, unknown>) => Promise<void>>(async () => undefined),
+}))
+
+vi.mock('pg-boss', () => ({
+  PgBoss: vi.fn(function PgBoss() {
+    return boss
+  }),
+}))
+
+const jobs = await import('./jobs.js')
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  vi.clearAllMocks()
+})
+
+describe('startJobQueue', () => {
+  it('starts the queue, routes errors to the caller and creates every queue', async () => {
+    const onError = vi.fn()
+    const started = await jobs.startJobQueue('postgresql://musearr@localhost/musearr', onError)
+
+    expect(started).toBe(boss)
+    expect(boss.on).toHaveBeenCalledWith('error', onError)
+    expect(boss.start).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    const names = boss.createQueue.mock.calls.map((call) => call[0])
+    expect(new Set(names).size).toBe(names.length)
+    expect(names).toEqual(
+      expect.arrayContaining([
+        jobs.LIBRARY_SYNC_QUEUE,
+        jobs.PLAYLIST_SYNC_QUEUE,
+        jobs.RECONCILIATION_QUEUE,
+        jobs.RECOMMENDATION_RUN_QUEUE,
+        jobs.DAILY_BRIEF_QUEUE,
+        jobs.PLAYLIST_GENERATION_QUEUE,
+        jobs.PLAYLIST_ACQUISITION_QUEUE,
+        jobs.PLAYLIST_PUBLISH_QUEUE,
+        jobs.PLAYLIST_GENERATION_RECONCILE_QUEUE,
+      ]),
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('gives every queue a bounded retry count, a finite expiry and retention', async () => {
+    await jobs.startJobQueue('postgresql://musearr@localhost/musearr', vi.fn())
+
+    for (const [name, options] of boss.createQueue.mock.calls) {
+      expect(options.retryLimit, `${name} retryLimit`).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(1)
+      expect(options.retryLimit, `${name} retryLimit`).toBeLessThanOrEqual(3)
+      expect(options.expireInSeconds, `${name} expiry`).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+      expect(options.retentionSeconds, `${name} retention`).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('backs retries off for every queue that retries more than once', async () => {
+    await jobs.startJobQueue('postgresql://musearr@localhost/musearr', vi.fn())
+
+    for (const [name, options] of boss.createQueue.mock.calls) {
+      if ((options.retryLimit as number) > 1) expect(options.retryBackoff, `${name} backoff`).toBe(true)
+    }
+  })
+})