diff --git a/frontend/db/index.ts b/frontend/db/index.ts
index cb9b681e..5e76ca23 100644
--- a/frontend/db/index.ts
+++ b/frontend/db/index.ts
@@ -13,21 +13,19 @@ type AppDatabase = PgDatabase<PgQueryResultHKT, typeof schema>;
 
 const APP_ENV = process.env.APP_ENV?.trim().toLowerCase();
 
-if (!APP_ENV) {
-  throw new Error(
-    '[db] APP_ENV is required. Set APP_ENV=local in .env for development, or APP_ENV=develop/production for deployment'
-  );
-}
-
-const IS_LOCAL_ENV = APP_ENV === 'local';
-
 if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test') {
   console.log('[db] runtime env check', {
+    APP_ENV: process.env.APP_ENV ?? '<undefined>',
     has_DATABASE_URL: Boolean(process.env.DATABASE_URL?.trim()),
     has_DATABASE_URL_LOCAL: Boolean(process.env.DATABASE_URL_LOCAL?.trim()),
+    NETLIFY: process.env.NETLIFY ?? '<undefined>',
+    CONTEXT: process.env.CONTEXT ?? '<undefined>',
+    NODE_ENV: process.env.NODE_ENV ?? '<undefined>',
   });
 }
 
+const IS_LOCAL_ENV = APP_ENV === 'local';
+
 const STRICT_LOCAL_DB_GUARD = process.env.SHOP_STRICT_LOCAL_DB === '1';
 const REQUIRED_LOCAL_DB_URL = process.env.SHOP_REQUIRED_DATABASE_URL_LOCAL;
 
diff --git a/frontend/db/queries/categories/admin-categories.ts b/frontend/db/queries/categories/admin-categories.ts
index 2e92e358..cbc2bf6a 100644
--- a/frontend/db/queries/categories/admin-categories.ts
+++ b/frontend/db/queries/categories/admin-categories.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export async function getAdminCategoryList(): Promise<AdminCategoryItem[]> {
   return rows.map(row => ({
     id: row.id,
     slug: row.slug,
-    title: row.title ?? row.slug,
+    title: row.title?.trim() || row.slug
   }));
 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/vitest.config.ts b/frontend/vitest.config.ts
index 5c42afa4..3f49e0ab 100644
--- a/frontend/vitest.config.ts
+++ b/frontend/vitest.config.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ export default defineConfig({
     },
   },
   test: {
+      env: {
+    APP_ENV: 'local',
+    },
     environment: 'node',
     include: [
       'lib/tests/**/*.test.ts',
diff --git a/frontend/vitest.shop.config.ts b/frontend/vitest.shop.config.ts
index 9ecb7b5f..8cc77d6b 100644
--- a/frontend/vitest.shop.config.ts
+++ b/frontend/vitest.shop.config.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ export default defineConfig({
     },
   },
   test: {
+      env: {
+    APP_ENV: 'local',
+    },
     environment: 'node',
     include: ['lib/tests/shop/**/*.test.ts'],
     globals: true,