diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index b895c4c..bf0764c 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -23,50 +23,12 @@ async fn main() -> ExitCode {
 }
 
 async fn run() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
-    let database_url = std::env::var("DATABASE_URL")
-        .map_err(|_| "DATABASE_URL environment variable must be set")?;
-
-    let max_connections: u32 = std::env::var("DATABASE_MAX_CONNECTIONS")
-        .ok()
-        .and_then(|v| v.parse().ok())
-        .unwrap_or(100);
-
-    let min_connections: u32 = std::env::var("DATABASE_MIN_CONNECTIONS")
-        .ok()
-        .and_then(|v| v.parse().ok())
-        .unwrap_or(10);
-
-    let acquire_timeout_secs: u64 = std::env::var("DATABASE_ACQUIRE_TIMEOUT_SECS")
-        .ok()
-        .and_then(|v| v.parse().ok())
-        .unwrap_or(10);
-
-    info!(
-        "Configuring database pool: max={}, min={}, acquire_timeout={}s",
-        max_connections, min_connections, acquire_timeout_secs
-    );
-
-    let pool = sqlx::postgres::PgPoolOptions::new()
-        .max_connections(max_connections)
-        .min_connections(min_connections)
-        .acquire_timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(acquire_timeout_secs))
-        .idle_timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(300))
-        .max_lifetime(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1800))
-        .connect(&database_url)
-        .await
-        .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to connect to Postgres: {}", e))?;
-
-    sqlx::migrate!("./migrations")
-        .run(&pool)
-        .await
-        .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to run migrations: {}", e))?;
-
-    let state = AppState::new(pool.clone()).await;
+    let state = AppState::new().await?;
     tranquil_pds::sync::listener::start_sequencer_listener(state.clone()).await;
 
     let (shutdown_tx, shutdown_rx) = watch::channel(false);
 
-    let mut comms_service = CommsService::new(pool);
+    let mut comms_service = CommsService::new(state.db.clone());
 
     if let Some(email_sender) = EmailSender::from_env() {
         info!("Email comms enabled");
diff --git a/src/state.rs b/src/state.rs
index c31de94..8020334 100644
--- a/src/state.rs
+++ b/src/state.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use crate::repo::PostgresBlockStore;
 use crate::storage::{BlobStorage, S3BlobStorage};
 use crate::sync::firehose::SequencedEvent;
 use sqlx::PgPool;
+use std::error::Error;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use tokio::sync::broadcast;
 
@@ -75,7 +76,51 @@ impl RateLimitKind {
 }
 
 impl AppState {
-    pub async fn new(db: PgPool) -> Self {
+    pub async fn new() -> Result<Self, Box<dyn Error>> {
+        let database_url = std::env::var("DATABASE_URL")
+            .map_err(|_| "DATABASE_URL environment variable must be set")?;
+
+        let max_connections: u32 = std::env::var("DATABASE_MAX_CONNECTIONS")
+            .ok()
+            .and_then(|v| v.parse().ok())
+            .unwrap_or(100);
+
+        let min_connections: u32 = std::env::var("DATABASE_MIN_CONNECTIONS")
+            .ok()
+            .and_then(|v| v.parse().ok())
+            .unwrap_or(10);
+
+        let acquire_timeout_secs: u64 = std::env::var("DATABASE_ACQUIRE_TIMEOUT_SECS")
+            .ok()
+            .and_then(|v| v.parse().ok())
+            .unwrap_or(10);
+
+        tracing::info!(
+            "Configuring database pool: max={}, min={}, acquire_timeout={}s",
+            max_connections,
+            min_connections,
+            acquire_timeout_secs
+        );
+
+        let db = sqlx::postgres::PgPoolOptions::new()
+            .max_connections(max_connections)
+            .min_connections(min_connections)
+            .acquire_timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(acquire_timeout_secs))
+            .idle_timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(300))
+            .max_lifetime(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1800))
+            .connect(&database_url)
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to connect to Postgres: {}", e))?;
+
+        sqlx::migrate!("./migrations")
+            .run(&db)
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to run migrations: {}", e))?;
+
+        Ok(Self::from_db(db).await)
+    }
+
+    pub async fn from_db(db: PgPool) -> Self {
         AuthConfig::init();
 
         let block_store = PostgresBlockStore::new(db.clone());
diff --git a/tests/common/mod.rs b/tests/common/mod.rs
index d22c663..dee51c0 100644
--- a/tests/common/mod.rs
+++ b/tests/common/mod.rs
@@ -258,7 +258,9 @@ async fn spawn_app(database_url: String) -> String {
         .with_email_update_limit(10000)
         .with_oauth_authorize_limit(10000)
         .with_oauth_token_limit(10000);
-    let state = AppState::new(pool).await.with_rate_limiters(rate_limiters);
+    let state = AppState::from_db(pool)
+        .await
+        .with_rate_limiters(rate_limiters);
     tranquil_pds::sync::listener::start_sequencer_listener(state.clone()).await;
     let app = tranquil_pds::app(state);
     tokio::spawn(async move {