diff --git a/backend/src/modules/catalog-etl/schedulers/catalog-etl.scheduler.spec.ts b/backend/src/modules/catalog-etl/schedulers/catalog-etl.scheduler.spec.ts
index 944d71f..67220dd 100644
--- a/backend/src/modules/catalog-etl/schedulers/catalog-etl.scheduler.spec.ts
+++ b/backend/src/modules/catalog-etl/schedulers/catalog-etl.scheduler.spec.ts
@@ -80,4 +80,16 @@ describe('CatalogEtlScheduler.scheduledTerminalEtl', () => {
     expect(mockRunStep).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(mockRunStep).toHaveBeenCalledWith('terminals-sync');
   });
+
+  it('logs error and does not throw when the skip guard throws', async () => {
+    mockGetLastSuccessfulStepRun.mockRejectedValueOnce(
+      new Error('db connection lost'),
+    );
+    await expect(makeScheduler().scheduledTerminalEtl()).resolves.not.toThrow();
+    expect(mockRunStep).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockLogger.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({ err: expect.any(Error) }),
+      'terminal ETL skip guard failed',
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/backend/src/modules/catalog-etl/schedulers/catalog-etl.scheduler.ts b/backend/src/modules/catalog-etl/schedulers/catalog-etl.scheduler.ts
index d873e7f..84a9765 100644
--- a/backend/src/modules/catalog-etl/schedulers/catalog-etl.scheduler.ts
+++ b/backend/src/modules/catalog-etl/schedulers/catalog-etl.scheduler.ts
@@ -15,39 +15,43 @@ export class CatalogEtlScheduler {
 
   @Cron('0 * * * *', { name: 'terminal-etl' })
   async scheduledTerminalEtl(): Promise<void> {
-    if (await this.shouldSkip('terminals-sync')) return;
-    this.logger.info('Starting scheduled terminal ETL');
-
     try {
-      await this.catalogEtlService.runStep('terminals-sync');
-    } catch (err: unknown) {
-      if (err instanceof ConflictException) {
-        this.logger.debug(
+      if (await this.shouldSkip('terminals-sync')) return;
+      this.logger.info('Starting scheduled terminal ETL');
+
+      try {
+        await this.catalogEtlService.runStep('terminals-sync');
+      } catch (err: unknown) {
+        if (err instanceof ConflictException) {
+          this.logger.debug(
+            { err },
+            'Scheduled terminal ETL skipped: ETL lock already held',
+          );
+          return;
+        }
+        this.logger.error(
           { err },
-          'Scheduled terminal ETL skipped: ETL lock already held',
+          'terminals-sync failed; skipping terminal-distances-sync',
         );
         return;
       }
-      this.logger.error(
-        { err },
-        'terminals-sync failed; skipping terminal-distances-sync',
-      );
-      return;
-    }
 
-    if (await this.shouldSkip('terminal-distances-sync')) return;
+      if (await this.shouldSkip('terminal-distances-sync')) return;
 
-    try {
-      await this.catalogEtlService.runStep('terminal-distances-sync');
-    } catch (err: unknown) {
-      if (err instanceof ConflictException) {
-        this.logger.debug(
-          { err },
-          'terminal-distances-sync skipped: ETL lock already held',
-        );
-        return;
+      try {
+        await this.catalogEtlService.runStep('terminal-distances-sync');
+      } catch (err: unknown) {
+        if (err instanceof ConflictException) {
+          this.logger.debug(
+            { err },
+            'terminal-distances-sync skipped: ETL lock already held',
+          );
+          return;
+        }
+        this.logger.error({ err }, 'terminal-distances-sync failed');
       }
-      this.logger.error({ err }, 'terminal-distances-sync failed');
+    } catch (err: unknown) {
+      this.logger.error({ err }, 'terminal ETL skip guard failed');
     }
   }