diff --git a/automation/refresh-test-db.sh b/automation/refresh-test-db.sh
index bf01590..88f01aa 100644
--- a/automation/refresh-test-db.sh
+++ b/automation/refresh-test-db.sh
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ prod_tables=$(psql -tAc "SELECT count(*) FROM information_schema.tables WHERE ta
 test_tables=$(psql -tAc "SELECT count(*) FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_schema='public';" "$TEST_URL")
 
 if [ "$test_tables" = "$prod_tables" ] && [ "$test_tables" -gt 0 ]; then
-    log "Done. $TEST_DB has $test_tables public tables (prod has $prod_tables)."
+    log "Data copied. $TEST_DB has $test_tables public tables (prod has $prod_tables)."
     rm -f "$errfile"
 else
     log "WARNING: table counts differ (test=$test_tables prod=$prod_tables). Recent errors:"
@@ -44,3 +44,22 @@ else
     rm -f "$errfile"
     exit 1
 fi
+
+# The test DB now has PROD's schema, which may be behind master. Apply master's
+# unreleased migrations so the code under test (staging + autofix) doesn't 500 on
+# columns prod doesn't have yet (e.g. poDate). Uses a stable master checkout.
+MIG_DIR=""
+for d in "$HOME/pelagia-staging/App" "$HOME/pelagia-autofix/App"; do
+    [ -d "$d/prisma/migrations" ] && { MIG_DIR="$d"; break; }
+done
+if [ -n "$MIG_DIR" ]; then
+    export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"; . "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" 2>/dev/null || true
+    log "Applying master migrations from $MIG_DIR ..."
+    if ( cd "$MIG_DIR" && DATABASE_URL="$TEST_URL" pnpm db:migrate:deploy ) >/tmp/migrate-test-db.log 2>&1; then
+        log "Migrations applied."
+    else
+        log "WARNING: migrate deploy failed; see /tmp/migrate-test-db.log"; tail -5 /tmp/migrate-test-db.log
+    fi
+else
+    log "No master checkout with migrations found; skipping migrate (test DB has prod schema only)."
+fi
diff --git a/automation/staging-up.sh b/automation/staging-up.sh
index 79e9e44..ec8a64c 100644
--- a/automation/staging-up.sh
+++ b/automation/staging-up.sh
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ chmod +x "$DIR/App/run-staging.sh"
 cd "$DIR/App"
 echo "Installing deps..."; pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
 echo "Generating Prisma client..."; pnpm db:generate
+# Bring the test DB schema up to the code under test. The test DB mirrors prod,
+# which may be behind master, so master's unreleased migrations (e.g. poDate)
+# must be applied or the new code 500s on the missing columns.
+echo "Applying pending migrations to the test DB..."; pnpm db:migrate:deploy
 
 if pm2 describe "$NAME" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
     pm2 restart "$NAME" --update-env