diff --git a/includes/functions-html.php b/includes/functions-html.php
index 5717a3dc7..8a6de56f6 100644
--- a/includes/functions-html.php
+++ b/includes/functions-html.php
@@ -524,8 +524,19 @@ function yourls_die( string $message = '', string $title = '', int $header_code
         yourls_html_head();
         yourls_html_logo();
     }
-    echo yourls_esc_html( yourls_apply_filter( 'die_title', "<h2>$title</h2>" ) );
-    echo yourls_esc_html( yourls_apply_filter( 'die_message', "<p>$message</p>" ) );
+
+    $title = yourls_apply_filter( 'die_title', "<h2>$title</h2>" );
+    $message = yourls_apply_filter( 'die_message', "<p>$message</p>" );
+    $allowed = [
+        'strong' => [],
+        'em'     => [],
+        'tt'     => [],
+        'code'   => [],
+        'h2'     => [],
+        'br'     => [],
+        'p'      => ['class' => true],
+    ];
+    echo yourls_esc_html_with_whitelist( $title . $message, $allowed );
     // Hook into 'yourls_die' to add more elements or messages to that page
     yourls_do_action( 'yourls_die' );
     if( !yourls_did_action( 'html_footer' ) ) {
diff --git a/includes/functions-kses.php b/includes/functions-kses.php
index 7a81ffdb8..72dc8f2cb 100644
--- a/includes/functions-kses.php
+++ b/includes/functions-kses.php
@@ -603,6 +603,13 @@ function yourls_kses_named_entities($matches) {
     if ( empty($matches[1]) )
         return '';
 
+    // KSES globals are normally populated on the 'plugins_loaded' action. This can run
+    // earlier though (eg yourls_die() on a DB connection error, before plugins load), so
+    // make sure the allowed entity names are available.
+    if ( ! is_array($yourls_allowedentitynames) ) {
+        yourls_kses_init();
+    }
+
     $i = $matches[1];
     return ( ( ! in_array($i, $yourls_allowedentitynames) ) ? "&amp;$i;" : "&$i;" );
 }
diff --git a/includes/functions.php b/includes/functions.php
index 15890ef8e..a53777540 100644
--- a/includes/functions.php
+++ b/includes/functions.php
@@ -1234,13 +1234,19 @@ function yourls_check_maintenance_mode() {
  * @since 1.6
  * @see yourls_get_protocol()
  *
- * @param string $url URL to be check
+ * @param string $url URL to be checked
  * @param array $protocols Optional. Array of protocols, defaults to global $yourls_allowedprotocols
  * @return bool true if protocol allowed, false otherwise
  */
-function yourls_is_allowed_protocol( $url, $protocols = [] ) {
+function yourls_is_allowed_protocol(string $url, array $protocols = [] ): bool {
     if ( empty( $protocols ) ) {
         global $yourls_allowedprotocols;
+        // KSES globals are normally populated on the 'plugins_loaded' action. This can run
+        // earlier though (eg yourls_die() on a DB connection error, before plugins load), so
+        // make sure the allowed protocols are available.
+        if ( ! is_array( $yourls_allowedprotocols ) ) {
+            yourls_kses_init();
+        }
         $protocols = $yourls_allowedprotocols;
     }
 
diff --git a/includes/geo/GeoLite2-Country.mmdb b/includes/geo/GeoLite2-Country.mmdb
index f4032bc09..657a63563 100644
Binary files a/includes/geo/GeoLite2-Country.mmdb and b/includes/geo/GeoLite2-Country.mmdb differ
diff --git a/tests/tests/format/KSESTest.php b/tests/tests/format/KSESTest.php
index 11ae86082..014c9e6b2 100644
--- a/tests/tests/format/KSESTest.php
+++ b/tests/tests/format/KSESTest.php
@@ -43,4 +43,36 @@ function test_sanitize_title() {
         $this->assertTrue( is_array( yourls_kses_allowed_tags_all() ) );
     }
 
+    /**
+     * KSES globals are populated on 'plugins_loaded'. Make sure entity normalization
+     * (yourls_esc_html) does not blow up if it runs earlier, eg yourls_die() on a DB
+     * connection error before plugins are loaded
+     */
+    function test_esc_html_works_before_kses_init() {
+        global $yourls_allowedentitynames;
+        // Simulate the not-yet-initialized state
+        $yourls_allowedentitynames = null;
+
+        $escaped = yourls_esc_html( "Unknown database &eacute; <b>x</b> 'q'" );
+
+        // No TypeError, output is escaped, and the global got lazily populated
+        $this->assertIsString( $escaped );
+        $this->assertStringContainsString( '&lt;b&gt;', $escaped );
+        $this->assertIsArray( $yourls_allowedentitynames );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Same early-call safety for protocol checking, which reads $yourls_allowedprotocols.
+     */
+    function test_is_allowed_protocol_works_before_kses_init() {
+        global $yourls_allowedprotocols;
+        // Simulate the not-yet-initialized state
+        $yourls_allowedprotocols = null;
+
+        // No TypeError on in_array() against a null protocols list
+        $this->assertTrue( yourls_is_allowed_protocol( 'http://example.com' ) );
+        $this->assertFalse( yourls_is_allowed_protocol( 'javascript:alert(1)' ) );
+        $this->assertIsArray( $yourls_allowedprotocols );
+    }
+
 }