diff --git a/crates/db/src/lib.rs b/crates/db/src/lib.rs
index bd7de6d..27ceab9 100644
--- a/crates/db/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/db/src/lib.rs
@@ -1 +1,40 @@
 //! Database access. All SQL lives in this crate.
+
+use sqlx::postgres::{PgPool, PgPoolOptions};
+
+/// A handle to the organization's PostgreSQL database.
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct Db {
+    pool: PgPool,
+}
+
+impl Db {
+    /// Connect to the database at `database_url`, opening a connection pool.
+    pub async fn connect(database_url: &str) -> Result<Self, sqlx::Error> {
+        let pool = PgPoolOptions::new()
+            .max_connections(5)
+            .connect(database_url)
+            .await?;
+
+        Ok(Self { pool })
+    }
+
+    /// Build a handle from an existing pool (used in tests).
+    pub fn from_pool(pool: PgPool) -> Self {
+        Self { pool }
+    }
+
+    /// Borrow the underlying pool for repository modules.
+    pub fn pool(&self) -> &PgPool {
+        &self.pool
+    }
+
+    /// Readiness check: run a trivial query to confirm the database answers.
+    pub async fn ping(&self) -> Result<(), sqlx::Error> {
+        sqlx::query_scalar::<_, i32>("SELECT 1")
+            .fetch_one(&self.pool)
+            .await?;
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/db/tests/ping.rs b/crates/db/tests/ping.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6565b39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/db/tests/ping.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+use db::Db;
+use sqlx::PgPool;
+
+#[sqlx::test]
+async fn ping_succeeds(pool: PgPool) {
+    let db = Db::from_pool(pool);
+    db.ping()
+        .await
+        .expect("ping should succeed against a live database");
+}