diff --git a/src/app/api/tenant/categories/route.ts b/src/app/api/tenant/categories/route.ts
index dc6d006..0e7b06b 100644
--- a/src/app/api/tenant/categories/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/tenant/categories/route.ts
@@ -79,23 +79,38 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
     }
 
     // Check for duplicate name within tenant
-    const existing = await (prisma as any).tenantCategory.findFirst({
-      where: { tenantId, name: { equals: name, mode: 'insensitive' } },
-    })
-    if (existing) {
-      return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Kategorie existiert bereits' }, { status: 409 })
+    try {
+      const existing = await (prisma as any).tenantCategory.findFirst({
+        where: { tenantId, name: { equals: name, mode: 'insensitive' } },
+      })
+      if (existing) {
+        return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Kategorie existiert bereits' }, { status: 409 })
+      }
+    } catch (dbErr: any) {
+      console.error('tenantCategory.findFirst failed:', dbErr)
+      if (dbErr?.message?.includes('tenant_categories') || dbErr?.code === 'P2021') {
+        return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Datenbank nicht bereit – Migration läuft möglicherweise noch' }, { status: 503 })
+      }
+      throw dbErr
     }
 
-    const category = await (prisma as any).tenantCategory.create({
-      data: {
-        tenantId,
-        name: name.trim(),
-        sortOrder: sortOrder ?? 0,
-        icon: icon || null,
-      },
-    })
-
-    return NextResponse.json({ category }, { status: 201 })
+    try {
+      const category = await (prisma as any).tenantCategory.create({
+        data: {
+          tenantId,
+          name: name.trim(),
+          sortOrder: sortOrder ?? 0,
+          icon: icon || null,
+        },
+      })
+      return NextResponse.json({ category }, { status: 201 })
+    } catch (dbErr: any) {
+      console.error('tenantCategory.create failed:', dbErr)
+      if (dbErr?.message?.includes('tenant_categories') || dbErr?.code === 'P2021') {
+        return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Datenbank nicht bereit – Migration läuft möglicherweise noch' }, { status: 503 })
+      }
+      throw dbErr
+    }
   } catch (error) {
     console.error('Error creating tenant category:', error)
     return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Interner Fehler' }, { status: 500 })
@@ -126,25 +141,41 @@ export async function PATCH(req: NextRequest) {
 
     // If renaming, check for duplicates
     if (name) {
-      const existing = await (prisma as any).tenantCategory.findFirst({
-        where: {
-          tenantId,
-          name: { equals: name.trim(), mode: 'insensitive' },
-          id: { not: id },
-        },
-      })
-      if (existing) {
-        return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Kategorie existiert bereits' }, { status: 409 })
+      try {
+        const existing = await (prisma as any).tenantCategory.findFirst({
+          where: {
+            tenantId,
+            name: { equals: name.trim(), mode: 'insensitive' },
+            id: { not: id },
+          },
+        })
+        if (existing) {
+          return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Kategorie existiert bereits' }, { status: 409 })
+        }
+      } catch (dbErr: any) {
+        console.error('tenantCategory.findFirst failed:', dbErr)
+        if (dbErr?.message?.includes('tenant_categories') || dbErr?.code === 'P2021') {
+          return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Datenbank nicht bereit – Migration läuft möglicherweise noch' }, { status: 503 })
+        }
+        throw dbErr
       }
     }
 
-    const category = await (prisma as any).tenantCategory.updateMany({
-      where: { id, tenantId },
-      data,
-    })
+    try {
+      const category = await (prisma as any).tenantCategory.updateMany({
+        where: { id, tenantId },
+        data,
+      })
 
-    if (category.count === 0) {
-      return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Kategorie nicht gefunden' }, { status: 404 })
+      if (category.count === 0) {
+        return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Kategorie nicht gefunden' }, { status: 404 })
+      }
+    } catch (dbErr: any) {
+      console.error('tenantCategory.updateMany failed:', dbErr)
+      if (dbErr?.message?.includes('tenant_categories') || dbErr?.code === 'P2021') {
+        return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Datenbank nicht bereit – Migration läuft möglicherweise noch' }, { status: 503 })
+      }
+      throw dbErr
     }
 
     return NextResponse.json({ success: true })
@@ -172,19 +203,36 @@ export async function DELETE(req: NextRequest) {
     if (!id) return NextResponse.json({ error: 'id erforderlich' }, { status: 400 })
 
     // Check if category has symbols
-    const symbolCount = await (prisma as any).tenantSymbol.count({
-      where: { categoryId: id, tenantId },
-    })
-    if (symbolCount > 0) {
-      return NextResponse.json(
-        { error: `Kategorie enthält ${symbolCount} Symbol(e) — bitte zuerst verschieben oder löschen` },
-        { status: 409 }
-      )
+    try {
+      const symbolCount = await (prisma as any).tenantSymbol.count({
+        where: { categoryId: id, tenantId },
+      })
+      if (symbolCount > 0) {
+        return NextResponse.json(
+          { error: `Kategorie enthält ${symbolCount} Symbol(e) — bitte zuerst verschieben oder löschen` },
+          { status: 409 }
+        )
+      }
+    } catch (dbErr: any) {
+      console.error('tenantSymbol.count failed:', dbErr)
+      if (dbErr?.message?.includes('tenant_symbols') || dbErr?.code === 'P2021') {
+        // Skip check if table doesn't exist
+      } else {
+        throw dbErr
+      }
     }
 
-    await (prisma as any).tenantCategory.deleteMany({
-      where: { id, tenantId },
-    })
+    try {
+      await (prisma as any).tenantCategory.deleteMany({
+        where: { id, tenantId },
+      })
+    } catch (dbErr: any) {
+      console.error('tenantCategory.deleteMany failed:', dbErr)
+      if (dbErr?.message?.includes('tenant_categories') || dbErr?.code === 'P2021') {
+        return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Datenbank nicht bereit – Migration läuft möglicherweise noch' }, { status: 503 })
+      }
+      throw dbErr
+    }
 
     return NextResponse.json({ success: true })
   } catch (error) {