diff --git a/services/nginx/app/modules/edgegateway/classes/edge_gateway_schema_bootstrap.php b/services/nginx/app/modules/edgegateway/classes/edge_gateway_schema_bootstrap.php
index 4167136e..a2368f1d 100644
--- a/services/nginx/app/modules/edgegateway/classes/edge_gateway_schema_bootstrap.php
+++ b/services/nginx/app/modules/edgegateway/classes/edge_gateway_schema_bootstrap.php
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class edge_gateway_schema_bootstrap
             return;
         }
 
-        $pdo = \db::getPDO();
+        $pdo = self::pdo();
         $queries = [
             "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS edge_gateways (
                 id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ class edge_gateway_schema_bootstrap
             throw new \RuntimeException('Invalid schema bootstrap identifier');
         }
 
-        \db::getPDO()->exec(
+        self::pdo()->exec(
             "ALTER TABLE `$table`
              ADD COLUMN `$column` $definition"
         );
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ class edge_gateway_schema_bootstrap
 
         $positionClause = $afterColumn === null ? '' : " AFTER `$afterColumn`";
 
-        \db::getPDO()->exec(
+        self::pdo()->exec(
             "ALTER TABLE `$table`
              CHANGE COLUMN `$from` `$to` $definition$positionClause"
         );
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ class edge_gateway_schema_bootstrap
             throw new \RuntimeException('Invalid schema bootstrap identifier');
         }
 
-        $statement = \db::getPDO()->prepare(
+        $statement = self::pdo()->prepare(
             "SELECT COUNT(*) AS c
              FROM information_schema.COLUMNS
              WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = DATABASE()
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ class edge_gateway_schema_bootstrap
             return;
         }
 
-        $pdo = \db::getPDO();
+        $pdo = self::pdo();
         $pdo->exec(
             "UPDATE edge_gateway_operations
              SET type = operation_type
@@ -421,4 +421,20 @@ class edge_gateway_schema_bootstrap
                AND (operation_type IS NULL OR operation_type = '')"
         );
     }
+
+    private static function pdo(): \PDO
+    {
+        if (!class_exists('db', false)) {
+            $dbClassPath = __DIR__ . '/../../../classes/db.php';
+            if (is_file($dbClassPath)) {
+                require_once $dbClassPath;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (!class_exists('db')) {
+            throw new \RuntimeException('Database connection helper is not available.');
+        }
+
+        return \db::getPDO();
+    }
 }