diff --git a/prisma.config.mjs b/prisma.config.mjs
index 8c7dd7f..07417bf 100644
--- a/prisma.config.mjs
+++ b/prisma.config.mjs
@@ -6,11 +6,8 @@ try {
   // dotenv not available (e.g., in Docker) - env vars passed directly
 }
 
-const databaseUrl = process.env.DATABASE_URL
-
-if (!databaseUrl) {
-  throw new Error('DATABASE_URL environment variable is required')
-}
+// DATABASE_URL is optional during build (prisma generate), required for migrations
+const databaseUrl = process.env.DATABASE_URL || 'postgresql://placeholder:placeholder@localhost:5432/placeholder'
 
 export default {
   schema: 'prisma/schema.prisma',