diff --git a/src/lib/db/index.ts b/src/lib/db/index.ts
index 223cf2b5..21e2efaa 100644
--- a/src/lib/db/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/db/index.ts
@@ -18,8 +18,14 @@ const connectionString = process.env.DATABASE_URL!;
 // `max_lifetime` recycles connections every 30 minutes so any
 // per-connection state drift (prepared statements, GUCs) doesn't
 // accumulate forever.
+// Larger pool in development because Next dev fans out (HMR refetches,
+// multi-widget dashboards, React Query refetch-on-focus) and a single
+// admin clicking around can saturate 20 slots. Production stays at the
+// conservative 20 so we don't hammer postgres in a multi-replica deploy.
+const POOL_MAX = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development' ? 60 : 20;
+
 const queryClient = postgres(connectionString, {
-  max: 20,
+  max: POOL_MAX,
   idle_timeout: 20,
   connect_timeout: 10,
   max_lifetime: 60 * 30,