diff --git a/app/Config/OSPOS.php b/app/Config/OSPOS.php
index d8b5b99d4..1f411394d 100644
--- a/app/Config/OSPOS.php
+++ b/app/Config/OSPOS.php
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ namespace Config;
 use App\Models\Appconfig;
 use CodeIgniter\Cache\CacheInterface;
 use CodeIgniter\Config\BaseConfig;
-use CodeIgniter\Database\Exceptions\DatabaseException;
 
 /**
  * This class holds the configuration options stored from the database so that on launch those settings can be cached
@@ -41,9 +40,11 @@ class OSPOS extends BaseConfig
                     $this->settings[$app_config->key] = $app_config->value;
                 }
                 $this->cache->save('settings', encode_array($this->settings));
-            } catch (DatabaseException $e) {
+            } catch (\Exception $e) {
                 // Database table doesn't exist yet (migrations haven't run)
-                // Return empty settings to allow migration page to display
+                // or database connection failed. Return empty settings to
+                // allow migration page to display. Catches mysqli_sql_exception
+                // which is not a subclass of DatabaseException.
                 $this->settings = [
                     'language' => 'english',
                     'language_code' => 'en',
diff --git a/app/Config/Session.php b/app/Config/Session.php
index 7c83fc94f..3d78928f4 100644
--- a/app/Config/Session.php
+++ b/app/Config/Session.php
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 namespace Config;
 
 use CodeIgniter\Config\BaseConfig;
-use CodeIgniter\Database\Exceptions\DatabaseException;
 use CodeIgniter\Session\Handlers\BaseHandler;
 use CodeIgniter\Session\Handlers\DatabaseHandler;
 use CodeIgniter\Session\Handlers\FileHandler;
@@ -139,7 +138,11 @@ class Session extends BaseConfig
                     $this->driver = FileHandler::class;
                     $this->savePath = WRITEPATH . 'session';
                 }
-            } catch (DatabaseException $e) {
+            } catch (\Exception $e) {
+                // Database not available yet (e.g. fresh install before migrations).
+                // Fall back to file-based sessions so the login/migration page
+                // can still be served. Catches mysqli_sql_exception which is
+                // not a subclass of DatabaseException but is a RuntimeException.
                 $this->driver = FileHandler::class;
                 $this->savePath = WRITEPATH . 'session';
             }
diff --git a/app/Libraries/MY_Migration.php b/app/Libraries/MY_Migration.php
index b0187eb0a..c27954145 100644
--- a/app/Libraries/MY_Migration.php
+++ b/app/Libraries/MY_Migration.php
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 namespace App\Libraries;
 
-use CodeIgniter\Database\Exceptions\DatabaseException;
 use CodeIgniter\Database\MigrationRunner;
 use Config\Database;
 use stdClass;
@@ -44,7 +43,9 @@ class MY_Migration extends MigrationRunner
                 $result = $builder->get()->getRow();
                 return $result ? $result->version : 0;
             }
-        } catch (DatabaseException $e) {
+        } catch (\Exception $e) {
+            // Database not available yet (e.g. fresh install before schema).
+            // Catches mysqli_sql_exception which is not a DatabaseException.
             return 0;
         }
 
@@ -76,8 +77,9 @@ class MY_Migration extends MigrationRunner
                 $result = $builder->get()->getRow();
                 return $result ? $result->version : false;
             }
-        } catch (DatabaseException $e) {
-            // Database doesn't exist yet or connection failed
+        } catch (\Exception $e) {
+            // Database not available yet (e.g. fresh install before schema).
+            // Catches mysqli_sql_exception which is not a DatabaseException.
         }
 
         return false;
diff --git a/app/Models/Item.php b/app/Models/Item.php
index 7ca16379d..efb8531d0 100644
--- a/app/Models/Item.php
+++ b/app/Models/Item.php
@@ -391,7 +391,6 @@ class Item extends Model
     public function get_item_id(string $item_number, bool $ignore_deleted = false, bool $deleted = false): bool|int
     {
         $builder = $this->db->table('items');
-        $builder->join('suppliers', 'suppliers.person_id = items.supplier_id', 'left');
         $builder->groupStart();
         $builder->where('item_number', $item_number);
         $builder->orWhere('item_id', $item_number);