diff --git a/desktop/package.json b/desktop/package.json
index bbe7f8a..5bf0ae6 100644
--- a/desktop/package.json
+++ b/desktop/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "@nixamp/desktop",
   "productName": "nixamp",
-  "version": "0.17.0",
+  "version": "0.17.1",
   "private": true,
   "description": "nixamp as a desktop app: the PWA in a window, with the CLI bundled in.",
   "author": "Profullstack, Inc. <anthony@profullstack.com>",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index c4f4e54..d51e6ae 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "nixamp",
-  "version": "0.17.0",
+  "version": "0.17.1",
   "description": "It really whips the terminal's ass. A Winamp-shaped audio player for your terminal.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/src/live-api.ts b/src/live-api.ts
index 3477a4f..26cc0ec 100644
--- a/src/live-api.ts
+++ b/src/live-api.ts
@@ -628,6 +628,7 @@ export async function handleLiveApi(
       json(response, error.status, { error: error.message });
       return true;
     }
+    console.error(`live api ${request.method} ${path}:`, error instanceof Error ? error.message : error);
     json(response, 500, { error: "the live event service failed" });
     return true;
   }
diff --git a/src/live-events.ts b/src/live-events.ts
index 41685e9..d43d6a6 100644
--- a/src/live-events.ts
+++ b/src/live-events.ts
@@ -173,19 +173,22 @@ const EVENT_SCHEMA = `
     ON live_events (visibility, status, starts_at, updated_at DESC);
   CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS live_events_owner
     ON live_events (owner_id, updated_at DESC);
-  CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS live_events_kind
-    ON live_events (kind, status, starts_at);
 
   -- The repo has no migration runner, so a table that already exists is
   -- brought forward here. Every statement is idempotent, and the CHECKs are
   -- replaced by name rather than added twice: the originals were unnamed, so
   -- the ones carrying the old status list are found by what they say.
+  -- The columns come before any index on them: nixamp.com had live_events
+  -- from before 0.17.0, and an index on kind ahead of ADD COLUMN kind failed
+  -- there while every fresh database (tests, CI) sailed through.
   ALTER TABLE live_events ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS kind               TEXT    NOT NULL DEFAULT 'talk';
   ALTER TABLE live_events ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS doors_open_at      TIMESTAMPTZ;
   ALTER TABLE live_events ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS ticket_price_cents INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
   ALTER TABLE live_events ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS ticket_currency    TEXT    NOT NULL DEFAULT 'USD';
   ALTER TABLE live_events ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS ticket_minutes     INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1440;
   ALTER TABLE live_events ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS pay_to             TEXT;
+  CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS live_events_kind
+    ON live_events (kind, status, starts_at);
 
   DO $$
   DECLARE stale record;
@@ -511,7 +514,15 @@ export class LiveEvents {
   constructor(private readonly db: Queryable) {}
 
   private async ensure(): Promise<void> {
-    this.ready ??= this.db.query(EVENT_SCHEMA).then(() => undefined);
+    // A failed schema run is not remembered: the next request tries again
+    // rather than answering 500 until the process restarts.
+    this.ready ??= this.db.query(EVENT_SCHEMA).then(
+      () => undefined,
+      (error: unknown) => {
+        this.ready = null;
+        throw error;
+      },
+    );
     await this.ready;
   }
 
diff --git a/test/live-events.test.ts b/test/live-events.test.ts
index 576b4f9..5fdedf2 100644
--- a/test/live-events.test.ts
+++ b/test/live-events.test.ts
@@ -232,3 +232,26 @@ test("an artist invitation is a role the store accepts", async () => {
   });
   assert.equal(invitation.role, "artist");
 });
+
+test("the schema adds every new column before it indexes one, and a failed run is retried", async () => {
+  const seen: string[] = [];
+  let failures = 1;
+  const database: Queryable = {
+    async query(text) {
+      seen.push(text);
+      if (text.includes("CREATE TABLE") && failures-- > 0) throw new Error("column \"kind\" does not exist");
+      return { rows: [] };
+    },
+  };
+  const events = new LiveEvents(database);
+  await assert.rejects(events.list(), /kind/);
+  await events.list();
+  assert.equal(seen.filter((text) => text.includes("CREATE TABLE")).length, 2, "the schema runs again after a failure");
+  const schema = seen[0]!;
+  for (const column of ["kind", "doors_open_at", "ticket_price_cents", "ticket_currency", "ticket_minutes", "pay_to"]) {
+    const added = schema.indexOf(`ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS ${column}`);
+    assert.ok(added > 0, `${column} is brought forward`);
+    const indexed = schema.indexOf(`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS live_events_kind`);
+    assert.ok(indexed > added, `${column} exists before the kind index is built`);
+  }
+});
diff --git a/web/package.json b/web/package.json
index f504b15..5d813fd 100644
--- a/web/package.json
+++ b/web/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@nixamp/web",
-  "version": "0.17.0",
+  "version": "0.17.1",
   "private": true,
   "description": "The nixamp PWA: a browser player, and a remote for nixamp serve.",
   "license": "MIT",