diff --git a/litellm/proxy/auth/custom_rbac.py b/litellm/proxy/auth/custom_rbac.py
index b48e9f854d5..0c22000ef6f 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/auth/custom_rbac.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/auth/custom_rbac.py
@@ -195,8 +195,8 @@ async def get_active_custom_rbac_engine() -> CustomRBACEngine | None:
     if cached is not None:
         return cached
 
-    table: Final = _custom_role_table()
     try:
+        table: Final = _custom_role_table()
         db_roles: Final = () if table is None else await get_db_custom_rbac_roles(table=table)
     except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001  # any DB failure must keep the last known policy, not drop it
         verbose_proxy_logger.exception("Failed to load custom RBAC roles from the DB: %s", exc)
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_custom_rbac.py b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_custom_rbac.py
index 275200b194f..571856e0bb3 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_custom_rbac.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/proxy/auth/test_custom_rbac.py
@@ -250,6 +250,17 @@ class TestEngineLoading:
         ):
             assert await get_active_custom_rbac_engine() is None
 
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_prisma_client_without_db_does_not_break_auth(self):
+        class _ClientWithoutDb:
+            pass
+
+        with (
+            patch("litellm.proxy.proxy_server.general_settings", {}),
+            patch("litellm.proxy.proxy_server.prisma_client", _ClientWithoutDb()),
+        ):
+            assert await get_active_custom_rbac_engine() is None
+
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_assigning_undefined_custom_role_is_rejected(self):
         table = _FakeTable(records=(_FakeRecord("db-role", ("/team/info",)),))