diff --git a/App/lib/notifier.ts b/App/lib/notifier.ts
index 417112b..ef5e4a4 100644
--- a/App/lib/notifier.ts
+++ b/App/lib/notifier.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ import { db } from "@/lib/db";
 import type { PurchaseOrder, User } from "@prisma/client";
 
 const isDev = process.env.NODE_ENV === "development";
-const resend = isDev ? null : new Resend(process.env.RESEND_API_KEY);
+// Construct the Resend client only when a key is actually present — in dev, CI,
+// or any env without RESEND_API_KEY we fall back to console logging (the Resend
+// v4 constructor throws on a missing key). `canSend` gates the real send path.
+const resend = !isDev && process.env.RESEND_API_KEY ? new Resend(process.env.RESEND_API_KEY) : null;
 const FROM = `${process.env.EMAIL_FROM_NAME ?? "PPMS"} <${process.env.EMAIL_FROM ?? "noreply@ppms.pelagiamarine.com"}>`;
 const APP_URL = (process.env.NEXTAUTH_URL ?? "https://portal.pelagiamarine.com").replace(/\/$/, "");
 
@@ -84,13 +87,13 @@ export async function notify({ event, po, recipients, note }: NotifyParams) {
       const link = buildInAppLink(event, po, recipient);
 
       let status = "sent";
-      if (isDev) {
+      if (!resend) {
         console.log(
           `\n📧 [DEV EMAIL] To: ${recipient.email}\n   Subject: ${subject}\n   Body: ${buildEmailBody(event, po, note)}\n   Link: ${APP_URL}${link}\n`
         );
       } else {
         try {
-          const { error } = await resend!.emails.send({
+          const { error } = await resend.emails.send({
             from: FROM,
             to: recipient.email,
             subject,
@@ -441,13 +444,13 @@ export async function notifyCrew({ event, recipients, subject, body, link }: Cre
   await Promise.allSettled(
     recipients.map(async (recipient) => {
       let status = "sent";
-      if (isDev) {
+      if (!resend) {
         console.log(
           `\n📧 [DEV EMAIL] To: ${recipient.email}\n   Subject: ${subject}\n   Body: ${body}\n   Link: ${APP_URL}${link ?? ""}\n`
         );
       } else {
         try {
-          const { error } = await resend!.emails.send({
+          const { error } = await resend.emails.send({
             from: FROM,
             to: recipient.email,
             subject,