diff --git a/frm_test.go b/frm_test.go
index fe54cb7..8b34487 100644
--- a/frm_test.go
+++ b/frm_test.go
@@ -117,3 +117,15 @@ func TestCopyForm(t *testing.T) {
 		return
 	}
 }
+
+func TestNoopWhenPoolUnavailable(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, err := internal.Q(ctx, internal.DBArgs{
+		URL:        "INVALID URL",
+		DisableSSL: true,
+		Schema:     "frm_test",
+	}).GetForm(ctx, internal.GetFormParams{})
+	if err != internal.ErrNoopDatabase {
+		t.Error(fmt.Errorf("expected: '%s' but got: '%s'", internal.ErrNoopDatabase, err))
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/default.go b/internal/default.go
index cecb4fe..24f1d5a 100644
--- a/internal/default.go
+++ b/internal/default.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"log/slog"
 	"math/rand"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -14,9 +13,32 @@ import (
 	_ "github.com/golang-migrate/migrate/v4/database/postgres"
 	"github.com/golang-migrate/migrate/v4/source/iofs"
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5"
+	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/pgconn"
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/pgxpool"
 )
 
+var (
+	ErrNoopDatabase = errors.New("frm had a problem getting a database connection")
+)
+
+type MockRow struct{}
+type NoopDBTX struct{}
+
+func (m *MockRow) Scan(dest ...any) (err error) {
+	return ErrNoopDatabase
+}
+
+func (n *NoopDBTX) Exec(context.Context, string, ...interface{}) (pgconn.CommandTag, error) {
+	return pgconn.CommandTag{}, ErrNoopDatabase
+}
+
+func (n *NoopDBTX) Query(context.Context, string, ...interface{}) (pgx.Rows, error) {
+	return nil, ErrNoopDatabase
+}
+func (n *NoopDBTX) QueryRow(context.Context, string, ...interface{}) pgx.Row {
+	return &MockRow{}
+}
+
 type contextKey string
 
 const (
@@ -96,8 +118,7 @@ func getPool(ctx context.Context, args DBArgs) (p *pgxpool.Pool, err error) {
 func Q(ctx context.Context, args DBArgs) *Queries {
 	p, err := getPool(ctx, args)
 	if err != nil {
-		slog.Error("database pool unavailable", "error", err)
-		return nil // TODO return a no-op DBTX to avoid NPEs
+		return New(&NoopDBTX{})
 	}
 	return New(p)
 }