diff --git a/auth/src/__tests__/health.test.ts b/auth/src/__tests__/health.test.ts
index efb66fd..96352f4 100644
--- a/auth/src/__tests__/health.test.ts
+++ b/auth/src/__tests__/health.test.ts
@@ -19,9 +19,18 @@ describe('Auth health endpoint', () => {
             }
             res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
             res.end(JSON.stringify({ status: 'ok', db: 'reachable' }));
-          } catch {
+          } catch (err) {
+            // Mirror src/index.ts: log the error and include the message in the
+            // response body so /health 503s are diagnosable from pod logs.
+            console.error(
+              '[auth /health] DB probe failed:',
+              err instanceof Error ? `${err.name}: ${err.message}` : err,
+            );
+            const detail = err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'unknown error';
             res.writeHead(503, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
-            res.end(JSON.stringify({ status: 'error', db: 'unreachable' }));
+            res.end(
+              JSON.stringify({ status: 'error', db: 'unreachable', error: detail }),
+            );
           }
           return;
         }
@@ -76,7 +85,10 @@ describe('Auth health endpoint', () => {
     close();
 
     equal(status, 503);
-    equal(body, '{"status":"error","db":"unreachable"}');
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(body);
+    equal(parsed.status, 'error');
+    equal(parsed.db, 'unreachable');
+    equal(parsed.error, 'connection refused');
   });
 
   it('returns 503 with db=unreachable when query times out', async () => {
@@ -95,7 +107,14 @@ describe('Auth health endpoint', () => {
     close();
 
     equal(status, 503);
-    equal(body, '{"status":"error","db":"unreachable"}');
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(body);
+    equal(parsed.status, 'error');
+    equal(parsed.db, 'unreachable');
+    // The query promise rejects with a synthetic 'timeout' error; the
+    // Promise.race wrapper also rejects with 'DB timeout'. The body should
+    // surface whichever error was thrown — accept either to stay robust.
+    equal(typeof parsed.error, 'string');
+    equal(parsed.error.length > 0, true);
   });
 
   it('returns a terminal response for unknown paths (no hang)', async () => {
diff --git a/auth/src/index.ts b/auth/src/index.ts
index 71448e1..4cd753a 100644
--- a/auth/src/index.ts
+++ b/auth/src/index.ts
@@ -21,9 +21,19 @@ const server = createServer(async (req, res) => {
       }
       res.writeHead(200, { "Content-Type": "application/json" });
       res.end(JSON.stringify({ status: "ok", db: "reachable" }));
-    } catch {
+    } catch (err) {
+      // Log the actual error so /health 503s are diagnosable from pod logs
+      // (CAR-1276: UAT auth was crashlooping with no log output beyond the
+      // initial "listening on port 3001" line because this catch was empty).
+      console.error(
+        "[auth /health] DB probe failed:",
+        err instanceof Error ? `${err.name}: ${err.message}` : err,
+      );
+      const detail = err instanceof Error ? err.message : "unknown error";
       res.writeHead(503, { "Content-Type": "application/json" });
-      res.end(JSON.stringify({ status: "error", db: "unreachable" }));
+      res.end(
+        JSON.stringify({ status: "error", db: "unreachable", error: detail }),
+      );
     }
     return;
   }