diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/notification-inbox/notifications.gateway.spec.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/notification-inbox/notifications.gateway.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bc79d8acb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/notification-inbox/notifications.gateway.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { NotificationsGateway } from "./notifications.gateway";
+import { WsAuthService } from "./ws-auth.service";
+
+const gateway = () => new NotificationsGateway({} as WsAuthService);
+
+describe("NotificationsGateway", () => {
+  it("skips emitNew rather than throwing when no WebSocket server is attached", () => {
+    const g = gateway();
+    expect(() => g.emitNew("user-1", { id: "n-1" } as never, 3)).not.toThrow();
+  });
+
+  it("skips emitUnreadCount rather than throwing when no WebSocket server is attached", () => {
+    const g = gateway();
+    expect(() => g.emitUnreadCount("user-1", 3)).not.toThrow();
+  });
+
+  it("pushes to the user's room once a server is attached", () => {
+    const g = gateway();
+    const emit = jest.fn();
+    const to = jest.fn().mockReturnValue({ emit });
+    (g as unknown as { server: { to: typeof to } }).server = { to };
+
+    g.emitNew("user-1", { id: "n-1" } as never, 3);
+
+    expect(to).toHaveBeenCalledWith("user:user-1");
+    expect(emit).toHaveBeenCalledWith("notification:new", { id: "n-1" });
+    expect(emit).toHaveBeenCalledWith("notification:unread-count", 3);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/notification-inbox/notifications.gateway.ts b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/notification-inbox/notifications.gateway.ts
index 0c4704170..4658dfac0 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/notification-inbox/notifications.gateway.ts
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-api/src/modules/notification-inbox/notifications.gateway.ts
@@ -27,8 +27,10 @@ import { WsAuthService } from "./ws-auth.service";
 export class NotificationsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection {
   private readonly logger = new Logger(NotificationsGateway.name);
 
+  // Not `!`-asserted: Nest only wires this once the WS adapter attaches to a running HTTP
+  // listener, which does not happen under `NestFactory.createApplicationContext` — see `skip()`.
   @WebSocketServer()
-  private readonly server!: Server;
+  private readonly server?: Server;
 
   constructor(private readonly wsAuth: WsAuthService) {}
 
@@ -45,6 +47,7 @@ export class NotificationsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection {
 
   /** Push a freshly-created notification + the new unread count to a user. */
   emitNew(userId: string, notification: NotificationDto, unreadCount: number): void {
+    if (!this.server) return this.skip("emitNew");
     const room = this.server.to(this.room(userId));
     room.emit(NOTIFICATION_WS_EVENTS.NEW, notification);
     room.emit(NOTIFICATION_WS_EVENTS.UNREAD_COUNT, unreadCount);
@@ -52,11 +55,24 @@ export class NotificationsGateway implements OnGatewayConnection {
 
   /** Push only an updated unread count (e.g. after a read on another tab). */
   emitUnreadCount(userId: string, unreadCount: number): void {
+    if (!this.server) return this.skip("emitUnreadCount");
     this.server
       .to(this.room(userId))
       .emit(NOTIFICATION_WS_EVENTS.UNREAD_COUNT, unreadCount);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * `@WebSocketServer()` only wires `server` once the WS adapter attaches to a running HTTP
+   * listener — never under `NestFactory.createApplicationContext` (scripts, one-off jobs), and not
+   * for the brief window before `app.listen()` completes in a real boot either. The notification row
+   * is already persisted by this point (the caller writes it before pushing), so a missing socket
+   * server just means "no live push this time" — skip it rather than throw and lose the caller's
+   * own result (e.g. an EIMS registration outcome that already succeeded or failed for real).
+   */
+  private skip(method: string): void {
+    this.logger.debug(`${method}: no WebSocket server attached (non-HTTP context?) — push skipped`);
+  }
+
   private room(userId: string): string {
     return `user:${userId}`;
   }