diff --git a/applications/audit_generator/handler.py b/applications/audit_generator/handler.py
index b560f808..533f5d91 100644
--- a/applications/audit_generator/handler.py
+++ b/applications/audit_generator/handler.py
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@ from orchestration.audit_generator_orchestrator import AuditGeneratorOrchestrato
 from orchestration.audit_generator_unit_of_work import AuditGeneratorUnitOfWork
 from utilities.aws_lambda.subtask_handler import subtask_handler
 
-_engine = make_engine(PostgresConfig.from_env(os.environ))
-
-
 @subtask_handler()
 def handler(body: dict[str, Any], context: Any) -> None:
     trigger = AuditGeneratorTriggerRequest.model_validate(body)
@@ -27,8 +24,10 @@ def handler(body: dict[str, Any], context: Any) -> None:
     bucket = os.environ["S3_BUCKET_NAME"]
     s3_client = S3Client(boto_s3_client=boto_s3, bucket=bucket)
 
+    engine = make_engine(PostgresConfig.from_env(os.environ))
+
     def session_factory() -> Any:
-        return make_session(_engine)
+        return make_session(engine)
 
     def uow_factory() -> AuditGeneratorUnitOfWork:
         return AuditGeneratorUnitOfWork(session_factory)
diff --git a/tests/applications/audit_generator/test_audit_generator_handler.py b/tests/applications/audit_generator/test_audit_generator_handler.py
index f9bc74b6..b04a6f8a 100644
--- a/tests/applications/audit_generator/test_audit_generator_handler.py
+++ b/tests/applications/audit_generator/test_audit_generator_handler.py
@@ -11,9 +11,8 @@ from applications.audit_generator.handler import handler
 _ENV = {
     "DATABASE_URL": "postgresql+psycopg://user:pass@localhost/db",
     "S3_BUCKET_NAME": "test-bucket",
-    # PostgresConfig.from_env also reads these individual vars; DATABASE_URL is
-    # used directly when constructing the engine in the handler module scope, so
-    # we patch make_engine instead of the env.
+    # Tests patch PostgresConfig and make_engine to avoid needing the individual
+    # POSTGRES_* vars that PostgresConfig.from_env would otherwise require.
 }
 
 _VALID_BODY: dict[str, Any] = {
@@ -50,6 +49,8 @@ def test_handler_passes_hubspot_deal_id_from_body_to_orchestrator() -> None:
 
     # Act
     with patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.os.environ", _ENV), \
+         patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.PostgresConfig"), \
+         patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.make_engine"), \
          patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.S3Client") as MockS3, \
          patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.AuditGeneratorOrchestrator", return_value=mock_orch) as MockOrch:
         MockS3.return_value = MagicMock()
@@ -67,6 +68,8 @@ def test_handler_passes_bucket_from_env_to_s3_client() -> None:
 
     # Act
     with patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.os.environ", _ENV), \
+         patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.PostgresConfig"), \
+         patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.make_engine"), \
          patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.S3Client") as MockS3, \
          patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.AuditGeneratorOrchestrator", return_value=mock_orch):
         _call(_VALID_BODY)
@@ -86,6 +89,8 @@ def test_handler_returns_none_on_success() -> None:
 
     # Act
     with patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.os.environ", _ENV), \
+         patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.PostgresConfig"), \
+         patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.make_engine"), \
          patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.S3Client"), \
          patch("applications.audit_generator.handler.AuditGeneratorOrchestrator", return_value=mock_orch):
         result = _call(_VALID_BODY)