diff --git a/internal/db/cache_test.go b/internal/db/cache_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f534bc0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/db/cache_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-Clause
+//
+// Copyright (c) 2025 The FreeBSD Foundation.
+//
+// This software was developed by Hayzam Sherif <hayzam@alchemilla.io>
+// of Alchemilla Ventures Pvt. Ltd. <hello@alchemilla.io>,
+// under sponsorship from the FreeBSD Foundation.
+
+package db
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/alchemillahq/sylve/internal"
+	"github.com/dgraph-io/badger/v4"
+)
+
+func TestSetupCacheAssignsGlobalAndPersistsRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
+	prev := CacheDB
+	cfg := &internal.SylveConfig{
+		DataPath: t.TempDir(),
+	}
+
+	cache := SetupCache(cfg)
+	if cache == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected non-nil cache instance")
+	}
+
+	if CacheDB != cache {
+		t.Fatal("expected SetupCache to assign CacheDB global")
+	}
+
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		_ = cache.Close()
+		CacheDB = prev
+	})
+
+	if err := SetValue("setup/probe", []byte("ok"), 30); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed_to_set_probe_value: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	got, ok := GetValue("setup/probe")
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected probe key to exist")
+	}
+	if !bytes.Equal(got, []byte("ok")) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected probe value %q, got %q", "ok", string(got))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSetValueAndGetValueRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
+	_ = installTempCacheDB(t)
+
+	want := []byte("hello-cache")
+	if err := SetValue("greeting", want, 60); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("set_value_failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	got, ok := GetValue("greeting")
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected key to exist")
+	}
+	if !bytes.Equal(got, want) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected value %q, got %q", string(want), string(got))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGetValueMissingKeyReturnsFalse(t *testing.T) {
+	_ = installTempCacheDB(t)
+
+	got, ok := GetValue("missing")
+	if ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected missing key lookup to return ok=false")
+	}
+	if got != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected nil value for missing key, got %q", string(got))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSetValueWithTTLExpires(t *testing.T) {
+	_ = installTempCacheDB(t)
+
+	if err := SetValue("ephemeral", []byte("soon-gone"), 1); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("set_value_failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
+
+	got, ok := GetValue("ephemeral")
+	if ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expected key to expire, got value=%q", string(got))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSetValueReturnsErrorAfterCacheClose(t *testing.T) {
+	cache := installTempCacheDB(t)
+
+	if err := cache.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed_to_close_cache: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := SetValue("closed", []byte("x"), 10); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected SetValue to fail on closed cache")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunCacheGCDoesNotHang(t *testing.T) {
+	_ = installTempCacheDB(t)
+
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		RunCacheGC()
+		close(done)
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-done:
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("RunCacheGC did not return in time")
+	}
+}
+
+func installTempCacheDB(t *testing.T) *badger.DB {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	prev := CacheDB
+	opts := badger.DefaultOptions(t.TempDir()).
+		WithLoggingLevel(badger.ERROR).
+		WithDetectConflicts(false)
+
+	cache, err := badger.Open(opts)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed_to_open_badger_test_cache: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	CacheDB = cache
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		_ = cache.Close()
+		CacheDB = prev
+	})
+
+	return cache
+}
diff --git a/internal/db/db.go b/internal/db/db.go
index d8a9297e..1b9fcab0 100644
--- a/internal/db/db.go
+++ b/internal/db/db.go
@@ -71,6 +71,12 @@ func SetupDatabase(cfg *internal.SylveConfig, isTest bool) *gorm.DB {
 	db.Exec("PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL")
 	db.Exec("PRAGMA synchronous = NORMAL")
 
+	// Pre-migration fixups use the migrations tracking table, so ensure it
+	// exists before running any pre-migration logic.
+	if err := db.AutoMigrate(&models.Migrations{}); err != nil {
+		logger.L.Fatal().Msgf("Error bootstrapping migrations table: %v", err)
+	}
+
 	PreMigrationFixups(db)
 
 	err = db.AutoMigrate(