diff --git a/crates/client-api/src/lib.rs b/crates/client-api/src/lib.rs
index 92fb8887b70..9cb494691ef 100644
--- a/crates/client-api/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/client-api/src/lib.rs
@@ -107,6 +107,29 @@ impl Host {
         self.host_controller.get_module_host(self.replica_id).await
     }
 
+    /// Wait for the module host to become available, retrying with backoff.
+    ///
+    /// This is useful for routes like `/schema` that may be called while the
+    /// database is still loading. Instead of returning an immediate 500, we
+    /// poll for up to `timeout` before giving up.
+    pub async fn wait_for_module(&self, timeout: std::time::Duration) -> Result<ModuleHost, NoSuchModule> {
+        let deadline = tokio::time::Instant::now() + timeout;
+        let mut interval = tokio::time::Duration::from_millis(100);
+        loop {
+            match self.host_controller.get_module_host(self.replica_id).await {
+                Ok(module) => return Ok(module),
+                Err(NoSuchModule) => {
+                    if tokio::time::Instant::now() >= deadline {
+                        return Err(NoSuchModule);
+                    }
+                    tokio::time::sleep(interval).await;
+                    // Exponential backoff: 100ms, 200ms, 400ms, 800ms, 1s, 1s, ...
+                    interval = (interval * 2).min(tokio::time::Duration::from_secs(1));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     pub async fn module_watcher(&self) -> Result<watch::Receiver<ModuleHost>, NoSuchModule> {
         self.host_controller.watch_module_host(self.replica_id).await
     }
diff --git a/crates/client-api/src/routes/database.rs b/crates/client-api/src/routes/database.rs
index 4c4ce647be7..20e6196c78b 100644
--- a/crates/client-api/src/routes/database.rs
+++ b/crates/client-api/src/routes/database.rs
@@ -341,7 +341,14 @@ pub async fn schema<S>(
 where
     S: ControlStateDelegate + NodeDelegate,
 {
-    let (module, _) = find_module_and_database(&worker_ctx, name_or_identity).await?;
+    let (leader, _) = find_leader_and_database(&worker_ctx, name_or_identity).await?;
+    // Wait for the module to finish loading rather than returning an immediate
+    // 500 error. The database may still be initializing (replaying the log,
+    // running init reducers, etc.).
+    let module = leader
+        .wait_for_module(std::time::Duration::from_secs(10))
+        .await
+        .map_err(log_and_500)?;
 
     let module_def = &module.info.module_def;
     let response_json = match version {